Who's failing block I???

Published

Specializes in Telemetry, ICU, Psych.

I'm not failing block one, but many of my classmates are. How's it going at other schools?

CrazyPremed

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm not failing block III (TG), but we've lost several people. Out of 28 of us, 5 failed the math test and several others are now failing Process. Only good news from this semester is that several of us have taken the LPN test and all have passed. :monkeydance:

Keli

Grad date Dec '07

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I'm not failing block III (TG), but we've lost several people. Out of 28 of us, 5 failed the math test and several others are now failing Process. Only good news from this semester is that several of us have taken the LPN test and all have passed. :monkeydance:

Keli

Grad date Dec '07

Is the LPN test any harder than the Block II Hesi exam? If we did ok on that test should we just go in "cold" and take the LPN test? What are your thoughts?

We lost one person Block I due to grades. No surprise that person. Two people quit so far in my Block II. Several are on the cusp of flunking out. I intend to study for the Block III math test. What a dumb way to have to be tossed out!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry.

We lost one to the random drug test (talk about a dumb reason to get booted!) and I think there are maybe 1 or 2 who are really struggling, but for the most part my classmates and I are doing alright. I was really stressed about starting school but I have found the material isn't hard at all, it's just VERY time consuming!

Crazypremed, if you don't mind my asking, what school are you attending?

akmegs2 :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry, ICU, Psych.

Anyone else?

I think that our class is struggling most with the NCLEX style questions in Process. Realistically, the material is not hard. Pharm is taught well and clinical is purely hands on. I think that Process is the monster that will keep some students in my class from advancing on. I can still get an A in it if I can keep up the good work, but nothing is guaranteed.

Anyone else?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I'm not failing block one, but many of my classmates are. How's it going at other schools?

CrazyPremed

So what exactly is it that people are struggling with? Most things I would suspect can be memorized. It worries me a little. Are these students ones that you would look at and think they'd have a problem in the program? I know the MA program i went through was by no means a nursing program but, there were several students that almost failed everything. Then there were half of us that aced almost everything. You could kind of see a difference between the two groups. Sounds bad I know, but that was how it was. Im wondering if it's the same thing in the R.N program......

Up Vote Up Vote ×
So what exactly is it that people are struggling with? Most things I would suspect can be memorized. It worries me a little. Are these students ones that you would look at and think they'd have a problem in the program? I know the MA program i went through was by no means a nursing program but, there were several students that almost failed everything. Then there were half of us that aced almost everything. You could kind of see a difference between the two groups. Sounds bad I know, but that was how it was. Im wondering if it's the same thing in the R.N program......

This may sounds harsh but...in today's "everyone is a winner/your self-esteem means everything" climate it is not pc to say that some people are just stupid. Not everyone is meant to pass. The failures so far (just starting Block III) tend to divide into two groups: the stupid/lazy camp and the "personal life is such a mess camp". The stupid/lazy students are kind of hopeless. They just can't get through the academics. That happens and should be expected. They may be nice, great people, etc - but that is life. The other folks...well, they just can't get a grip on their personal life. Maybe they have a sick parent, maybe they have a spouse who isn't supportive. Sad - sure. But...in their career as a nurse they will have to go to work and be smart, on the ball, etc with the same pressures.

So my two cents: as long as you have a few brain cells to rub together, can dedicate the necessary time to the program, and can compartmentalize your life to the extent that you can block out the extra "noise" and focus on your studies - you will get through the program. I have taken some awful tests where I know for a fact I got 15 questions wrong - but in a policy of supposedly no curves allowed mysteriously find myself with only 4 wrong. The instructors want us to get through this! So imagine how many questions people who don't make it through the program are getting wrong!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry, ICU, Psych.

That must be nice!!! Our class is full of people with bachelor degrees and YEARS of health care experience. We have premed and pre NP students, and I have yet to find the non-smart one in the bunch.

The truth is, the NCLEX style questions - among other things - are really throwing people off. I was premed (maybe still am) and I thought that nursing school was similar to my premed classes. It's not. I know people who have TA'd for A & P, aced genetics, and did biological research and are barely passing. It's amazing. BTW some of the people with the worst schedules (kids, FT jobs, etc.) are doing the best, and people with open schedules are suffering. It's a mess.

I have my theories, but I'm still amazed. It sounds like our program must be special.

CrazyPremed

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hi CrazyPremed. I am a new nursing student too. From your sign-on name, it looks like you are coming from a Pre med background. Me too. I already have one degree (Bio, Pre med and Broadcasting... yeah.. worked as a medical writer for a bit). Anyway.. I was thinking RN school was going to be fairly easy... NOT. I study all the time just to get A's and B's. I am one of like 12 people who are passing.. the other 40 are failing.

A nursing friend told me the other day that this is the "weeding out" process. She said the teachers work you hard the first two semesters and weed folks out. Those left are the ones who will make it. She is graduating from RN school in about a month. And you are right.. it's NOTHING like the Pre Med studies. The basic background helps you, but totally different perspectives and you have to adjust to that. Perhaps that is why some of the other Pre med students are doing poorly. I am still learning to adjust and sometimes think in terms of medical when I need to be thinking nursing. If you can separate the two, it can actually help you since you bring both perspectives to the table. I just have to remember in the end to think of it from a nursing perspective and stay within the scope of nursing.

Good luck!!! E :nurse:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Crazypremed

Help me put this in context. Which program are you in? Believe me - the NCLEX questions get easier. Especially once you are in Block II and they start emphasizing physiology and illness rather than vague psychosocial theories.

Where are you in school - a special program such as the Banner program?

Stopnik

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Hi CrazyPremed. I am a new nursing student too. From your sign-on name, it looks like you are coming from a Pre med background. Me too. I already have one degree (Bio, Pre med and Broadcasting... yeah.. worked as a medical writer for a bit). Anyway.. I was thinking RN school was going to be fairly easy... NOT. I study all the time just to get A's and B's. I am one of like 12 people who are passing.. the other 40 are failing.

A nursing friend told me the other day that this is the "weeding out" process. She said the teachers work you hard the first two semesters and weed folks out. Those left are the ones who will make it. She is graduating from RN school in about a month. And you are right.. it's NOTHING like the Pre Med studies. The basic background helps you, but totally different perspectives and you have to adjust to that. Perhaps that is why some of the other Pre med students are doing poorly. I am still learning to adjust and sometimes think in terms of medical when I need to be thinking nursing. If you can separate the two, it can actually help you since you bring both perspectives to the table. I just have to remember in the end to think of it from a nursing perspective and stay within the scope of nursing.

Good luck!!! E :nurse:

Wow! Scary. Especially for me because I have 3 kids and my background is as a medical assistant. Not exactly rocket science! I do worry about how I will keep up with everything. I also wonder if every program is different. Say for instance, a school like Ethel Bauer as opposed to GCC nursing program. Maybe one is more grueling than the other? Also, there are several other technical colleges that are trying to get approval for nursing programs. Yeah, each one will charge $30K but hey, there will be more options for people wanting to get into this field. I may go that route if I decide not to do the LPN first(which I am leaning towards doing that first).

Up Vote Up Vote ×

We just took our finals and lost three more people. So from the 30 of us that started, there's still 16 of us left, we're in block 3. It's pretty sad because a lot of the people that we lost were really smart. Out of the five that we lost to the math test, one was an Accountant with a BS in accounting. She was a bank manager and failed the math test!! Then another girl was really smart at math, she used to blurt out the answers in math class before everyone could even write them down, but I think the stress of 'you've got to get 100%' might have just made her too anxious. Unfortunately we had one teacher that really scared the he77 out of us, and I think people got more stressed out than they needed to be.

I also agree with the other poster that said people aren't used to the NCLEX style questions. It was like taking the HESI, you had to backtrack and not think like a nurse (as we'd been doing for two semesters) but we had to in fact, think like an LPN when answering the questions. I'm sure that's where the pre-med people are having trouble.

Nursing school is tough, but it's doable. As long as you have that good support system and you study hard, it shouldn't be a problem. Never take anything for granted, study until you know it, and then study some more. I'm just hoping I make it through clinicals now....:lol2:

Keli

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion