What to do?? I failed!

chevyv, BSN, RN · May 23, 2008

That bites! I can tell that you really don't want to go the LPN route, but maybe you could for a year or so and then reapply?

I had an instructor my 1st semester that told us "there's the books way and then there's (insert instructors name) way, and my way is always right! I thought that was insane. If it's in the book and the books are as up to date as they can be, then why not accept the books answer? I know that by the time the text books come out, they are already outdated, but some things in theory are pretty constant. I just had to buck up and give her what she wanted. Sometimes, doing this cuts the student learning, but its the way that it is.

I wish you the best of luck.:)

Jules A, MSN · May 23, 2008

FWIW arguing test questions when you are desperate rarely does any good and I have never seen someone challenge their dismissal and win. Since this school is willing to let you try your LPN if you really want to be a nurse I would consider it. Please take some time to reflect back on why you were so close grade wise the last two times you failed in hopes of doing something different next time because I found LPN school to be challenging also. Good luck.

trjohnson0213 · May 25, 2008

i failed my lpn class by 3 pts & it put me in a funk as well but if they are giving u the opportunity to do the lpn program i say go for it but if u have time to regroup take the time to reflect so u wont make the same mistakes again it will be good for the soul

justme1972 · May 25, 2008

ok.. I failed. basically I was 1% short of where I needed to be. My instructor told me to back up my answers so I did. He said well use the textbook and do it.. I did. - then he says well eventhough it's in the book it doesn't make it right. what we say in class is more important. This is bull.. so I appealled my case, had what I thought was a meeting today, only to be ambushed. I was told that they were not excepting my challenged questions, so move on. They want me to do there LPN program because I repeated a semester in the past and they will not let me repeat another. I should have graduated last week. What are everyone's thoughts? Anyone else have this happen? If so, what did you do?
Thanx

This is where professors get arrogant.

They are their to teach NCLEX philosophy, not Mr. know-it-all-msn's philosophy, or Mrs. I've-been-a-nursing-instructor-for-30-years-philosophy in nursing but THEIR philosophy.

If it's in your textbook, then HE needs to prove where HE is currently right.

I have learned in my own program that some of these instructors are telling us the book is wrong when it isn't...I'm sorry, I don't believe that a textbook that has been written and reviewed by 50-75 people with BSN, MSN, PhD's and DNP degree's are wrong.

They picked the textbook, so they should back it up.

I would appeal those all the way to the top...you have nothing to lose at this point.

AtomicWoman · May 26, 2008

Here's what a friend who is an NP told me when I decided to go to nursing school. "You will hear your instructors say things that you know are wrong. You will hear them say things that you know are out of date. You will hear them say things that directly contradict your nursing text. NEVER correct or challenge your nursing instructor. Just suck it up and spit back their information on the test. This person can literally end your career if you challenge them." Is that pathetic, or what? She told me it's just not worth it; she had seen too many nursing students fail or be forced to leave nursing school because they were "trouble-makers". I'm sure some instructors take constructive criticism, but I guess a lot of them have thin skins. I'll find out in September!

justme1972 · May 26, 2008

Can we all hold hands and say it together???

"And they WONDER why there is a nursing shortgage along with a high drop-out/failure rate in nursing school."

inservice2 · May 26, 2008

First cheer Up:roll:rollSecond, If it's in the book get an atty. there's a thought...and fight the school. my girlfriend done it and won. but if that's not your case then do the LPN, i'm currently an LPN going for my RN, and I can tell you that the LPN program was hard also. maybe because they cramed everything in one yr. Also iI know it's heartbreaking and you would have to start over...but is there any other schools that you could attend?

Jules A, MSN · May 26, 2008

Here's what a friend who is an NP told me when I decided to go to nursing school. "You will hear your instructors say things that you know are wrong. You will hear them say things that you know are out of date. You will hear them say things that directly contradict your nursing text. NEVER correct or challenge your nursing instructor. Just suck it up and spit back their information on the test. This person can literally end your career if you challenge them." Is that pathetic, or what? She told me it's just not worth it; she had seen too many nursing students fail or be forced to leave nursing school because they were "trouble-makers". I'm sure some instructors take constructive criticism, but I guess a lot of them have thin skins. I'll find out in September!

You were given very good advice and I think this is just the way of the grown up world. I learned in about 10 seconds to just suck it up and fly under the radar because at the very least wasting valuable study time venting about things that aren't going to change is silly, imo.

Remember its science not math and that in itself allows for many different approaches and theories.

lizmatt · May 26, 2008

If you do the LPN program will you have to start from the beginning of that, or will some of your previous course work count toward it? I am so sorry that you failed - it really is a horrible feeling - my classmates graduated last week:( , but if we want to be nurses we need to keep on going. If they let you take some credit for your previous course work I would go ahead and do the LPN, otherwise I would look for another school.

justme1972 · May 28, 2008

You were given very good advice and I think this is just the way of the grown up world. I learned in about 10 seconds to just suck it up and fly under the radar because at the very least wasting valuable study time venting about things that aren't going to change is silly, imo.
Remember its science not math and that in itself allows for many different approaches and theories.

She was given good advice to do an LPN program when she was in her last semester of being an RN b/c some arrogant professor never bothered to read the book that he required the students to read?

Colleges are businesses. A syllabus is a legal contract just like the college catalog. College professors are not God's.

They cannot give you contradictory information and then expect you to have ESP to decide which philosophy to follow

If they cannot justify their answer, then that needs to be taken up with an attorney.

She could possibly have a case where this school does not adequately prepare her for the NCLEX if they are teaching information that she can prove is medically or scientifically incorrect with the material that they required her to purchase and read.

My nursing program sucks, but I thank God that I don't have to worry about these arguments....if you can find it in the book, you get the points, end of story.

If it was my last semester, I would pull out all the guns.

Jules A, MSN · May 28, 2008

She was given good advice to do an LPN program when she was in her last semester of being an RN b/c some arrogant professor never bothered to read the book that he required the students to read?
Colleges are businesses. A syllabus is a legal contract just like the college catalog. College professors are not God's.
They cannot give you contradictory information and then expect you to have ESP to decide which philosophy to follow
If they cannot justify their answer, then that needs to be taken up with an attorney.
She could possibly have a case where this school does not adequately prepare her for the NCLEX if they are teaching information that she can prove is medically or scientifically incorrect with the material that they required her to purchase and read.
My nursing program sucks, but I thank God that I don't have to worry about these arguments....if you can find it in the book, you get the points, end of story.
If it was my last semester, I would pull out all the guns.

Lol, pull out anything you want I haven't ever seen anyone successfully challenge their dismissal. Sure it is a business and the huge demand is why they run things their way. I don't care if the instructors are petty, "arrogant" or downright incompetent they are the "Gods" of their programs, sad as that may be in some cases. It is science not math btw so finding information to support most any theory is not unusual. We only have one side of this story and taking the advice of the people who are in charge and know the whole story is sound, imo. It doesn't sound like this is simply the matter of a couple of points on 1 exam. I hope you aren't ever in this position but good luck with that lawyer thing.

:rolleyes: