One clinical? Back in the dark ages, you could fail a course or clinical and retake it. If you failed again, however you either were out of the program or had to start from the beginning. What clinical did you fail and why? Is there anyone there at the local college you can talk to about this?

I have never heard of making someone go to LPN school if they had problems with the RN program. I think I would look into antother school. See if the credits that you have so far would transfer.

dmazment said:

One clinical? Back in the dark ages, you could fail a course or clinical and retake it. If you failed again, however you either were out of the program or had to start from the beginning. What clinical did you fail and why? Is there anyone there at the local college you can talk to about this?

This was school policy. I already checked other schools and all said that they would not take RN credits from another college and that I would have to start from the beginning.

your funny dmazment...I felt the same at that time...but I guess now I had accepted it and decided to go to LPN school and this school will take RN credits...therefore instead of a year in the LPN program I'll be doing only 6 months.
Thank you all for your comments.

marval: where is this school? just the state if you do not want to say exactly where.

I read her comment, and she said her instructor, saw that she had the wrong needle gauge in her hand, and asked her 3 times, are you ready to give your meds. I remember now, when I was doing my CNA skills testing, the instructor that was testing us, said that she will give hints, when we are doing something wrong, I think this was her way, of telling her she was getting ready to make a mistake, three times, mean that she strucked out. The teacher was testing her 5 rights on administering medication, am I right Cdnurse. The right dosage, the right time, right patient, the right medication, the right route. I guess!!!

Char, I don't think anyone meant to sound like they were putting down LPN's. At least I didn't. I think the issue is that they would kick her out of school for failing one clinical. School is a learning process and the instructors are there to guide us through it. Of course there may be more to the story than we know.

Well, Char has a very valid point. LPN is not a "booby" prize for students who "don't cut it as RNs." They are professionals who hold their own licensure, and are just as competent in their own scope of practice as RNs are.

I occasionally teach the LPN students at my CC. I hold them to the same standards as the RN students. When I teach OB clinic to the PNs, they have the same requirements and perform the same skills the RN students do, and I hold them to the same high expectations.

On the other hand, I would not fail a student in clinic for using the wrong size needle, even if she were in her final semester of RN school. Students are naturally nervous every time they give meds. What I would have done is ask her to critically think what she was doing, and justify her equipment choices.

Unfortunately, nursing credits as a general rule do not transfer. Marva, I wish you the best of success in the LPN program. Don't let anyone give you the idea you are second best! Bridge into the RN program of another school when you are ready. Good luck!

Princess: re your comment that nursing programs are out of control with rules. Bear in mind this: instructors have an obligation to graduate nurses who will not endanger the public. Also, students work on our licenses while in clinic, so naturally we are protective of them. Many of these rules exist for a reason.

Passing clinic in order to pass the course is standard in nursing education. Some schools allow you to be failing in clinic at the midterm, but you must be passing by end of semester. I've failed students at midterm, but never for a single issue. I look for issues that the student consistently has problems with and does not improve even with remediation, such as passing meds, or performing other aspects of safe care.

Also, students CAN appeal a dismissal, especially if they can show they were treated unfairly.

I don't think Marvalus, can appeal this issue, like you said, some things you can get away with duriing earlier, in midterms especially coming from a freshman in the nursing program, but when you are a advanced nursing students, the nursing instructor aspects more, you can agree Theala!! Especially when it comes to administering Medications, you have to take your time, I don't know if she was about to inject, the patient with the needle, but knowing the right size is important, when you are about to give and injection, or doing a IV push. You have to really think about what you are doing, like you said, nursing requires alot of critical thinking, thank God, that I have some prior hospital experience that will help me during clinicals, with my nerves, any way, I Love clinicals, when I did my CNA, I naturally had a knack for nursing., some people are more nervous than others, but you can espect, some of the nerves to subside with time, do you agree.

Marva,
Do they only allow you to test out just once??? I know some programs allow you two or three tries in testing out of your skills... For instance, where i go we have a senior challenge, in this challenge you have to complete all the skills that you have learned from freshman year to senior year.. If you fail to complete a portion correctly you have to do remediation and schedule another test out.. If you fail for the second time you have to hire a tutor and they will decide if you are ready to test the skill again. If you fail the third attempt then you may not progress into clinicals and you may not continue on to our critical care class. You may take the managment course and our community health class, but you cannot take the critical care course... I am surprised that at your level your school only allows you one chance and that is it... I understand that your professor asked you on three seperate times if you were prepared, but when you are nervous about testing out, and explaining the skill that you are doing sometimes accounts for the error... i know that we do not have room for errors when doing medication admin. But if you are in a lab, wouldn't they rather remediate you, ensure that you know why you didn't pass, have to practice your needles gauges and what they are used for rather then fail you..
I am so sorry to hear that this has happened to you,,,
And congrats, on being excepted into the LPN program.. This is just a great stepping stone for you to gain your skills as well as help you with many other aspects of nursing.. Not too mention this will help you out with time managment skills, clinical skills and with medication administration... I wish you the best of luck in your upcoming adventure.. This is just a stepping stone for where you want to go.
Jessie D :))

Jess to answer your question, this school only allows to do a skill once...then you're sent to the lab to practice with other instructors, who sign a form stating you attended...finally is the instructor's decision whether to pass you or not. Like I had said in another of my posts..she said that because I was a senior student she didn't feel comfortable passing me...since my next rotation would've been cardiovascular, whicn is more complex.

Anxieties widen people's focus and destroys their concentration. Honestly, I'm sorry to say I'm a little skeptical of this post. I've never heard of ortho-neurology, nor have a heard of a school policy so rigid that if you make ONE mistake and fail ONE clinical it's an automatic failure. 

I"m in arkansas. there's alot of schools here like that.  I just graduated from the lpn in june but that was my second take, started completely over. Most school here wont accept classes from other schools.  But it worth it. if u wanna meet ur goal u just gotta keep trying.