First, I would like to say Ab-tech is a great place to complete your prerequisites. The teachers…read moreare great, it's affordable, convenient, what more can you ask for when it comes to prerequisites!
The nursing program, however, I give it two-thumbs down, with the exception of two to three notably awesome and genuinely kind, I-want-you-to-succeed type instructors. For the past three years, between 30-50% of the class fail in the first semester of the two-year program. The semesters following lose up to ten students each semester. There is a high turnover rate of nursing instructors, as well as clinical instructors. In my experience, there is a good portion of instructors who have control issues. Meaning, if you don't address them by Mrs., Mr., or Ms., they will issue a SSIP (Student Self Improvement Plan), which requires you to write an essay on why you need to respect your superiors. SIPPs are issued for everything you do wrong. Don't get too many of those; otherwise you're out of the program.
One semester I became severely ill with fever and the 'runs'. I used up all my allowed absences due to this illness. During this time I had a clinical rotation located on the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). I contacted an instructor to get permission to avoid going to this clinical because I would be around some very sick babies. I was instructed to take an Imodium and go to avoid being removed from the program. I bet you if this instructor's baby was on the NICU, the answer would have been different.
During one winter break, I broke my ankle. The nursing administrators told me I am not allowed to continue in the program due to my injury. As I was preparing an appeal, I spoke to an ab-tech instructor not affiliated with the nursing program, and I was informed the reason why I'm not being accommodated is because I'm a man. The Dean granted me two days of healing time, in which I was not able to walk by that time, so I had no choice but to quit the program. Ironically, two years later, after I entered the ADN nursing program, a girl in the final semester fractured her hip. She told me she was totally accommodated for: her clinical were switched around to avoid absences, plus, the nursing administrators told her if she doesn't heal in time, she could make up her clinical time the following summer semester. Maybe that non-nursing instructor was correct.
Because I was one of the ten people who did not pass the final semester, I was forced to come back into the program the following year and repeat now two semesters per their policy and procedures. I was accepted back into the program and registered for the mother-baby class, however, my advisor placed me in two different classes, even though I only registered and paid for one. It could be an honest mistake, but it's probably a control issue... read on. When the school informed me to go on ahead and register for my final semester, my advisor prevented me in doing so. I could not register until she gave me the go ahead. I sent countless emails asking why I cannot register and everyone else can; I pleaded to her to allow me to take this class that had only three spots left. She did not respond to my emails until three weeks later, just three days before payment was due.
Here are some quotes from instructors and clinical instructors directed towards students:
- "I encourage you to drop the clock issue" sent in an email to me when I asked an instructor to provide a clock or a full timer for the test.
- "I've heard you are a little miss know-it-all" statement to a very nice LPN student.
- "You do realize I'm not going to pass you this semester" via clinical instructor.
- "I became a teacher because I couldn't handle families of patients anymore."
- "We are just waiting for those that have been barely passing to fail." Via nursing administrator.
- "You are not on our radar list." Via class instructor.
- "Those that did not pass the NCLEX last year were not surprised." Via class instructor.
- "Go check on your patients, they could be dead for all we know." Yelled by a clinical instructor down a hall lined with patient rooms. Heard by patients, families, & staff.
- "I can look into your student email account at any time." Said a nursing administrator.
- "Students are not allowed to ask instructors to do things A.S.A.P." Via clinical instructor.
- "I'll give you a second chance to earn a higher grade on your presentation, but you have to promise me you won't tell anyone this." Via a class instructor.
- 'They' say school/instructor surveys are anonymous, however, I had an instructor sarcastically thank me for her review in an email.
- If you ever have been fired from a hospital... after you pay tuition, the nursing administrators will then inform you that you cannot continue.
- Emails are frequently misinterpreted by instructors, so please be super professional and positive, or else....
