Sounds like the drama I had.  I started nursing school in Jan., missed my first clinical, my error.  That's a long story but we won't go there.  The handbook says if you missed a clinical you drop 3% of your grade.  When I realized I had missed it, I emailed my professors, apologized stating my acceptance of my lower grade and would redouble my efforts. The response was a mandatory meeting with them.  I was told that since I had missed so much information in that first clinical, which was basically patient movement with out hurting your back, I watched the online videos, that now I had to withdraw from the program.  Not that I was kicked out.  I had to "withdraw" and this "decision was backed by the program director".  I was told to hurry and do it so I could get most of my money back.  

I was in shock and awe!  Totally dumbfounded.  I went and withdrew immediately.  I had to fill out a form as to why.  I stated that  it was because I missed my first clinical.

Then I went home and emailed the director to as if that was indeed her decision as I wanted to be sure I had the facts in order.  No response was given.  

Now I am going back in a few weeks.  This time I am taking Nursing 101 and Pharm online.  We will see how that goes.  Here too, if you flunk Pharm, you are out.  

My husband was upset that I was asked to leave as well when it happened.  He too is an RN and he said that when he went to school, decades ago, it was their ultimate goal to kick out all the males.  The ended up sending him to "counseling" over some issue.  That actually is quite funny because the school counselor they sent him to was an ex Navy Corpsman like himself.  They would shoot the breeze and tell sea stories during their "counseling" session.  He agreed that the women of that program were hateful to men but that was before discrimination lawsuits.  

I am hesitant to go back to school because I am too old for this nonsense of being belittles etc.  I have raised 8 kids, run my own business for 10 years, spent the previous 9 years working for one of the largest banks in the world and my hard work there got me two trips.  One to St. Thomas and one to Cancun.  It just was not a rewarding career.  I want to give back more to this world.  

No one has time or the inclination to put up with B------s that think they are superior for having gotten through more schooling than you have!  

Good luck to you!  We will have to chat sometime. 

I am going back to school after 12 years of being an LPN.  However this is the 3rd nursing program I've been in - I originally started in a BSN program in the early 90s and didn't finish.  I had "issues" with professors myself - if they didn't like you or if you did something that put you on their radar you were basically doomed to fail or they treated you so badly you wanted to or did quit.  Ultimately I had other issues going on that required me to withdraw however when I was ready to go back they wouldn't accept me stating I was "unfit and ill-suited to be a nurse".

So, I chose an LPN program and got through that fine.  No major issues with those instructors or the program - lucky I guess.

Up until now..... I thought I'd made a good choice in this LPN to RN program I chose - WRONG WRONG WRONG!  I'll admit one of my main motivators for this program was the fact they accepted all my old courses which meant I didn't have to retake A&P, Chemistry or any of the other typical pre-reqs like Enlish & Math.  I only had 2 courses I needed to take before I could apply for the program and once in it would take me 3 quarters (basically 9 months) to get my ADN.

This program has been a complete and utter nightmare as well as a waste of my time and money.  The instructors can never seem to get their stories straight about what's accepted, what's in the syllabus, how they want to grade exams, how points are awarded, etc.  When direct questions are asked after the exams when there are concerns about a specific test question, we're told that not all the answers will be in the text book per say but that the information is "out there".  Well if it's not in the text book and that's the source we're given to use for studying then exactly WHERE do we get the RIGHT information??

I've been talked down to and patronized multiple times because I'm an LPN - basically been told that as an LPN that I haven't been thinking critically and that my job role isn't anything like that of an RN.  Um WHAT?  I've been made to feel like (and it's also been insinuated) that the experiences I've had as an LPN don't really count and won't be helpful to me as an RN.  There are about 15 LPNs in this program and we've all experienced this and all complained about it.  We had our LPN to RN transition course the first quarter, my 2nd quarter starts in one week, and even in the transition class we were talked to in such a demeaning manner and this was from a professor who had been an LPN, got her ADN, BSN, MSN and is now going for her PhD.

They keep telling us that they are there to help us succeed but I'm not seeing it.  They say they are there to help us and want us to be successful in the program and be good, safe nurses but from what I'm experiencing I'm not buying what they're selling.

Clinicals are a complete joke.  I'm bored out of my mind - ONE patient!!??  Are you kidding me??  It now makes sense why so many new RN grads are so unprepared to start working when they get out of school because they haven't been given any opportunity to develop time management or prioritization skills.  Yes that is something that does also develop and improve over time with experience, but ONE PATIENT??  It is so completely different, like night and day, from when I was a LPN student to being a RN student now.

I don't feel like I'm learning anything.  I basically am teaching myself the material because the "lectures" are spent by the instructor reading from a text book or telling us about some past experience they've had when they were working on the floor.  Yes some of those stories are interesting and are relevant but I'm not paying all this money nor going into more debt with student loans to hear about your past work history.

I've also heard the "if you do this you'll get kicked out or dismissed from the program" line.  Veiled threats about hearing that people are cheating and that they'll find the culprits.  Telling us that in the past other students had done one thing or another and that's why things were changed.  It's all a lot of BS to me. 

I guess some things don't change no matter what school you choose - there will always be good and bad.  The weeding out process exists in every program - whether it's a good idea or not I'm not so sure.  I'm with you though - it's a lousy way to treat students.  I will be extremely thankful when I'm done with this program and I won't ever look back.  I won't even be participating in graduation or their capping/pinning ceremony.  I'm fed up with the petty crap I witness every day and sick of hearing how they want to see us succeed when all evidence points to the contrary. 

I hope you can stick it out and finish - once you get through all the crap of school it is worth it.  You just have to decide if you can deal with their attitudes and be the bigger and better person and do what you set out to do.

I don''t agree with this type of education. I don't think bullying is necessary for learning to take place. I much prefer a nurturing atmosphere.,

ninelives says ...

" Discussions like these bring back memories of the LPN program I experienced,many moons ago.Instructors are suppose to challenge

  the students,prepare them for the realistic world in which we live in.Of course,students of various ages,diverse backrounds may not 

  always appreciate interests,from Nurse Alex Price,( American Werewolf in London-1981),to Margaret Houlihan,( MASH ),

  **however, how would one acquire the drive to multitask,prioritize and strive to save lives unless eager  to accept the challenge ?"

Please re-read what I posted: " And before you say "we just do it to prepare you for what's out there in the real world" you need to keep in mind that many of your students already know "what's out there in the real world".  Many of us have jobs where we have dealt with people like you and don't have to fear getting retaliated against at work like we do at school"

Another thing...I paid to be taught nursing skills, not someone's personal beliefs or opinions, or to learn discipline.  If I wanted to be treated that way I would have joined the military.  That appears to be another problem with nursing instructors.  It has nothing to do with age or background.  If you want to be treated with respect, give respect to others.