Weeding Out the Weak?

[Ajcapri]

We have to stay over not minutes, but frequently hours in my nursing classes, with very little notice if any at all. One student tried to explain how her daycare charges her so much money when her child isn't picked up on time. Our instructors response, Well, that's nursing school for you.” Basically suck it up and deal with it. Is this really how other programs are?

I'm willing to do whatever I need to to be successful in my program but I feel like there is a little lack of consideration on their part when it comes to pre-planning.

A lot of talk circulates that our program tries to "Weed out the weak," but I really don't like the idea that instructors are more like drill sergeants, than advisors. Furthermore, our program is rather small. I live in a rural area, so they only take applications once a year and only 24 students in each year.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

As others have stated, this is NOT okay. Weeding out the weak is done by having strict grading standards, e.g. >/= 78% to pass.

Take this all the way up to the president of the school if you need to. In the meantime, the entire class needs to refuse to stay past the posted end-of-class time. They can't legally force you to stay.

Parents need to be especially vigilant about this, because daycares and schools DO NOT CARE that you're in nursing school. They expect children to be picked up on time. No way in hell would I risk CPS being called because I abandoned my children there, just because my nursing instructor happened to have power delusions. (To be clear, I am not saying the parents' time is more important--only that failing to assume care of their children has real consequences. My advice to leave on time stands for those leaving to get to their shift, or Grandma's birthday dinner, etc. on time.)

And yes, as a practicing RN we do sometimes have to put limits on our time. I have done bare-bones charting if I'm exhausted and physiologically need to get home. I have planned on doing late entries after 7-3 shifts because I must be on time to get my children from school. Again, the school doesn't care what I do for a living--only that children are picked up at the end of the day.

Achieve passing scores so they cannot fail you. And stop allowing this behavior from your instructors. Like a PP said, they are responsible for managing their time in class--just like you are for studying.