VERY UPSET!! Are all programs like this??

[CaringKate]

I'm a CityTech student, repeating 3rd semester. From a total of 70 students in 3rd semester, 40 are repeating. This second time around we had our first exam 2 weeks ago. 3 people passed out of the 70.

This is not a matter of not studying or studying the wrong material. I had reviewed over 500 NCLEX questions from several books in preparation for that exam and did pretty well. The exam had RIDICULOUS questions pertaining to the RNA/DNA process of a particular chemo drug for example. We all figured that since the exam only had 50 questions, the focus would be on the most important things, like the nursing interventions to care for the cancer patient and not so much the chemical part of drugs and statistics about Leukemia cure rate.

She claims that the NCLEX is changing in April and so we should be prepared to answer BSN level questions. We are just basically lost. These 40 people repeating will be dropped from the program if they fail again, after sacrificing all this time, money and stress and still the faculty does not understand that their teaching method is just not effective.

I understand this is a CUNY school and we don't pay as much as a NYU or other private, big name school. Maybe we are not getting a strong enough foundation in the previous 2 semesters. I don't know exactly what it is....But it is very discouraging. I got into this program with a 3.9 GPA, i have always been a good student and now I feel STUPID. I just feel like I can't do this, no matter how much I try.

Please any advice would be appreciated. My classmates are already counting themselves out, talking about plan B and C, looking for private schools, etc.

My question is: Are all nursing schools like this??? Do you guys feel prepared enough to make critical thinking decisions by your 3rd semester of nursing school??? Do your exams focus on nursing care or do they consist of the most unexpected off the walls questions???

Thanks in advance.

[guiltysins]

I'm not in my professional phase of nursing so I can't tell you if all schools do it. But the fact that more than half of the nursing class has to repeat a semester sounds pretty outrageous.