Weeding out of nursing students

[Tweety]

Do nursing instructors deliberately try to weed out students, by doing things like testing on material they haven't gone over yet, deliberately making it hard, picking on students?

My opinion was the "weeding out of students" was a myth.

The weeding out process seems to occur naturally, and the reason so many people don't make it through the program that started out, is that it's a tough, demanding, time consuming program, and whose eyes are on graduating top notch nurses who can pass NCLEX.

I do know teacher eyeball students they don't think are good clinicians and many of these cry "the teacher doesn't like me, and is out to get me". Or eyeball students that need a kick in the butt, or need a confidence boost and they feel picked on as well.

I don't think insturctors play games and try to weed students out.

I know there are bad insturctors and bad schools.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

I guess that's why I started this thread Deb, because while I knew it was there, I just didn't realize it was, as you say common.

We have a lot of students on our unit, while they grumble about their program and instructors (who doesn't) I haven't heard much about the weeding out process.

So my eyes have been opened.

I'm so disillusioned with what I read and here about nursing here. I've tried so hard to encourage people to not let the trolls of the world get them down, that they are in the minority in nursing, but at the moment I'm feeling a bit defeated in that.

I've got to find my rose colored glasses and get the perspective again the nurses are good, fair, compassionate. That we don't eat our young, that we aren't catty and backstab and backbite each other..................that it doesn't all start in nursing school. sigh......

[SmilingBluEyes]

I think the bad ones, as usual, can give the rest a lousy name. We must not let that discourage or down us. Look at me. My introduction to nursing was less than encouraging, nurturing or helpful. I saw thru the BS for what it was, to a goal and developed a burning desire never, ever to treat others as I was treated. Like a very dear friend of mine says, nearly any negative experience or thought can be "tweaked" just a bit, to be made a gift for others.

What has been pain for you or me, can be a turned around and made a gift to present to others------- but we have to work at it and be willing to give more than we get.

[grentea]

I'm in the middle of my last semester of an accelerated degree program, and it's quite apparent that my professors are still weeding people out. I don't mind that, but I do mind it if my professors are mean-spirited about it or if they put messed up questions on our tests and then refuse to hear what we have to say about the questions. Also at the end of our program we have to get a certain score on a comprehensive HESI to graduate. A lot of schools have students take this test but it's not required to graduate. So it's possible that we could pass all of our classes and not have a degree. That's unbelievable when you think about it! What other programs base graduation on a predictive boards test? It doesn't happen with people who go to law school or med school. At least you can come out with a degree there. We can take it over again, but taking the class over again that prepares us for the HESI is really expensive. It really screens people to take the NCLEX so our school's pass rate is around 99% and they're really competing with other schools in the area with the pass rate thing. I'm ranting now, but I'm jumping through the hoops just fine so I guess I shouldn't sweat it. At least I'll be very well-prepared for the NCLEX and I'll have some good knowledge.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

What has been pain for you or me, can be a turned around and made a gift to present to others------- but we have to work at it and be willing to give more than we get.

Thanks for the excellent and encouraging post. I'm fortunate in that most of what I get, or I choose to get me is good! Some days are diamond and some days are rust. I just don't want to get all rusty. :chuckle

[DZcarrie]

i would love to hear an educator's POV on this one :)

[mygavin03]

Hi. This is my first post on the board and I felt compelled to defend BSN programs. We get as much clinical time, if not more, than other programs because my school is at a large teaching hospital. BSN programs prepare you to move on further in your education, something you cannot due in ADN programs without a bridge.

Also, I may be very fortunate but I have never met a teacher who wanted to weed anybody out. That process usually happens on its own, as others have said. In my experience, the teachers will bend over backwards to help anyone who needs it. They really stress that if you are falling behind to come and talk to them before you are too far gone. It is sad that all programs are not like that. Hopefully some of us will go on to be educators to correct this problem.

[leslie :-D]

in my school, there were several instructors who literally tried to bully the weaker ones out; the ones that were obviously struggling; those with a communication barrier- the instructors would zoom right in on them, esp in clinicals and would intimidate them by hovering over their every move, quizzing them. i overheard a few times, instructors telling some students that they'd never make it as a nurse. by the time i graduated i had lost 2/3 of my class either through quitting or failing. during one of my evaluations, i told this particular instructor that you get what you give and if she feels that bringing the worst out of students is conducive to growth, then she's going to get many students who do indeed flunk.

there are no other rationales: these instructors were not trying to help the vulnerable population but merely get rid of them.

one time an instructor tried to do that to me and i put her in her place so fast that she never did it again. so i strongly affirm that there are instructors that try and weed out the chaff from the grain.

leslie

[Siouxz2]

I'm just starting my senior year of my ADN program. I have seen some of the things that other have, perhaps not to such a great extent, though, and I believe a small dose of "unfairness" is a necessary evil.

As a class, our biggest pet peeve is the fact that each clinical instructor has different requirements. A care plan that gets a big "smiley face" from one instructor may have to be done over for another instructor. I had an instructor from hell for one rotation. She absolutely chewed me up and spit me out. Cried for two days. But you know what? The next week in clinicals I made ABSOLUTELY sure that I covered all my bases. I checked in with my instructor frequently so she knew that I was prepared and competent. Received a wonderful evaluation, and as hard as it was, it made me a better clinician.

What is the purpose for changing the rules midstream and keeping everybody guessing? I think it is because as nurses, we need to be able to adapt quickly to ever-changing situations. Requirements will be different from floor to floor, physician to physician, and patient to patient.

One thing this situation has done for our class is that it has really brought us together. I don't see any petty competitions or backstabbing between students. We all go out of our way to help one another succeed. And we all feel sad at the beginning of each new semester when we see who "didn't make it."

Fortunately, I haven't experienced the abuse that others on this board have. I just wanted to share my experiences.

[r_janice]

I start Nursing I next month and after reading this I am quite anxious to see what kind of teacher I end up with :uhoh21: . I know my NS ahs a 99 or 98% passing rate for NCLEX, so I will most likely be prepared for NCLEX by graduation but I pray I dont meet any demonic, evil teachers on the way. No I dont think NS will be a walk in the park or that all teachers are going to be great but I just hope I get the ones that are fair and like to see students succeed not fail or drop out. From what Deb said about herself I am alot like her, Im self motivated, stubborn as ever, and dont like to be told no. If you tell me I cant do it Ill push even harder. Wish me luck cuz now Im scared! :chuckle

[Siouxz2]

I'm self motivated, stubborn as ever, and dont like to be told no. If you tell me I cant do it Ill push even harder. Wish me luck cuz now Im scared! :chuckle

Those are the qualities that are going to get you through! Way back in the olden days (1976 !) when I was in 10th grade, I informed my guidance counselor that I was going to get all my credits done and finish high school a year early. He laughed at me and said, "never been done, can't be done." That's all I needed to hear. I worked on my schedule for days, trying to get all the necessary credits in. Skipped junior year and graduated at 16.

Don't be scared. It'll be hard, but with your attitude, you'll do it.

[r_janice]

Don't be scared. It'll be hard, but with your attitude, you'll do it.

Thanks for the encouragment. Alot of people dont realize how far a little encouragement goes. :)

[Momto3andNurse2B]

Cheers to SmilingBlueEyes and Tweety...you guys are awesome! I can't tell you how much I, and I'm sure the rest of us, appreciate the encouragement, insight, and, yes, honesty that we always get from both of you.

Based on what I've seen and heard here and elsewhere from hard-working, dedicated students, it's obvious that some programs and instructors have an almost vicious weeding out process. I hope I don't run into those.

However, with that being said, I think that in SOME cases you have to consider the source. I have heard stories from people who don't go to class or go unprepared, don't study enough, or whatever, and then they want pity when they fail or get dropped from a program due to "weeding out". Yes, dear, you were weeded out, because you don't have what it takes. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), I never have the nerve to be that honest with them.