Why???? Are?? They?? Failing???

cupcakeluver · Jan 17, 2016

I agree with some of the other posters. If you make it top priority and truly apply yourself, you'll make it. Nursing school is no joke and you don't get it until you're in the middle of it. It does take time, attention, and discipline. You have to put in the time and effort. You can't always go out and party every weekend. You miss some of your kid's class stuff. It's late nights sometimes. If you can do that, you're okay. If you make other things more important, then it can become an issue.

My class started with 47. We are down to 22 in my final semester and about 6 of those are repeats. Most of the people that failed just didn't put in the time. They started the semester with a borderline passing grade. By the time the final rolled around, they were having to make a 96 on the final to pull off the 80 final grade needed to pass the class. Don't do this!! Start off strong. Build up some cushion. Put in the study time. You do not want to go into a final with a failing grade. I'm not saying a person can't pass. It's just so much harder and not a good situation to be in.

You sound like you're motivated and in an optimal position to be successful. Hang in there and push yourself. You can do it if you make the effort.

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Jan 17, 2016

For me it was immaturity, not putting nursing school as a number one priority over a "needy" partner, and NCLEX type questions (best answer vs one right answer) when I failed out the first time in an ASN program. Many years later I attempted my ABSN program, I was mature, strong study habits, put nursing school as a priority, a new highly supportive girlfriend. I graduated with a high GPA and was never in jeopardy of not passing. It was a far less stressful than the first time.

Bbrown36 · Jan 17, 2016

Well said :-)

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Jan 17, 2016

There are always at least a few students that fail out early and don't attempt to return. I hate to say but some those students probably shouldn't have been there in the first place. It's the repeat students that usually have the tenacity to learn from their earlier mistakes and succeed the second time around.

pinksnowflakes · Jan 17, 2016

I know there are other articles on this but I need some good encouragement today from y'all. I started first semester this week and I was amazed to see there are about 10 out of 87 in my class who are repeats. That scares me! It's not my schools fault. My school's pass rate for NCLEX is above national average. I am extremely self motivated, don't mind studying 5+ hours a day, I have no husband and no kids and no job (yay student loans!) so I can GIVE what it takes. I have friends but am okay to not hang out with them. I've never been one to have to "have a social life" I just started getting scared this week wondering "will this happen to me even if I give and sacrifice everything??" I DO NOT want to be a repeat! I'm ready to be a nurse. Failure is not an option. Why do you think people fail? Please encourage a newbie!

I have the same fear. I could have written this exact same post [emoji16] I'm so scared!

umbdude, MSN, APRN · Jan 17, 2016

Don't worry too much (a large majority of that class is still passing). If you work hard and stay flexible, it's not easy to fail. People fail for various reasons: some have other responsibilities, some don't study the right way, and some just don't study enough. Nursing school is hard because you have to learn so much in such a short time. Stay on top of things and get help if you feel like you are falling behind.

Purple_roses · Jan 17, 2016

In my program, the people who had to repeat the class were those who had crazy work schedules where they either worked away too many hours or worked a full shift and only got a few hours of sleep before coming back to class.

chacha82, ADN, BSN · Jan 19, 2016

People can fail for any number of reasons. Not having enough time to study, demanding work, needing time with their children, etc etc. This is easier said than done, but just look after yourself and don't spend time trying to figure out what didn't work for other people. I spent most of nursing school commuting, working 2 jobs and living in a double wide near school because my husband and I bought a house four years ago. I passed everything, including the NCLEX, the first time around. When I look back on it it's nuts but I finished school with no debt. But who cares really. Few people knew these details and I knew little about my classmates. You never know what someone else is going through and it doesn't matter. Why someone else fails has nothing to do with what you are doing. They may not be failing by much. My school did not round grades and failed students who finished with 79.6% in a class. We were also permitted to only repeat 1 class.

You can only look after yourself. Do everything you are supposed to do and do not waste time wondering why others are having difficulty. You can be a good citizen and a nice classmate regardless. Be proactive about your own situation. The first time I got a low grade on a quiz I met with my pharmacology teacher. She showed me what I was doing wrong and from there on out I got good marks. Third semester there were two tests I got 78s on, even though I passed. I still passed the class because my other test grades were high enough. Also have the good sense to be tactful about grades. Asking others what they got or how they did on a test feels to me like asking about money. Everyone is stressed about it and it is truly no one's business.

NurseEmmy · Jan 19, 2016

People fail for a variety of reasons. I have found that often those who fail are those who don't HAVE to pass. Most often those who work, have families, etc know they HAVE to pass so they do. During my current round of pre-reqs I worked a full time job, a part time job, and always took at least 12 credit hours. This last semester I was pregnant too. I know I don't have other options. I am the breadwinner and my family needs me to do this. I want this to advance my career from an LPN so I have more options. I have goals and plans. I act like I have no self doubt - because frankly I can't fail.

And remember, even if you fail once, it doesn't mean the trip is over. You can try again, and as long as you learn from your mistakes, you can succeed. In my LPN cohort we started with about 40 and ended up with 25. That may seem like a lot of failures, but it wasn't. Many just had to repeat something along the way. Most did not give up. Those who did had other options that were easier than trying again. Don't psych yourself out before you start!

gemmi999 · Jan 20, 2016

Also remember that most nursing classes are broken into two parts--didactic and clinical. At my school you had to pass both in order to pass the course. There are some people who excel in the classroom but are not able to make the same connections when practicing in nursing clinicals. They would typically be given a couple of chances at remediation and then not passed and told to take the course again the next semester. This didn't happen often but it did happen, especially when it was one of the specialty courses that required a different set of skills then "typical" nursing (ie: mental health clinical's).

PositivelyPink · Jan 20, 2016

Less people fail than we realize...
However, those who fail are more likely to be vocal about their predicaments, while people who pass are inclined to move on with their lives. It is called negativity bias: other peoples' derogatory life events remain seared into our awareness.
For instance, from reading posts on these forums, we'd think that failing NCLEX is a part of everyday life. However, 85 percent of US-educated candidates pass on the first attempt. But due to negativity bias, the small minority of people who fail remain etched into our memories.

This. And watch out for the negative people, they will suck the life out of you in school! They will drag you down right along with them if you're not careful.

Nurseades2b · Jan 21, 2016

Yes they will suck the very hope out of you!!!!! I was feeling good today then someone told me that out of 100 students only 45 passed first semester. It's like they're trying to scare me in a cruel way. It's not nice and definitely not beneficial