The student nurses of Batch 43 at the Department of Nursing Education at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College (SVGCC) are seeking redress after facing significant challenges with their final management exam. The cohort, enrolled since 2021, claims that the failures in their recent exam attempts are due to factors outside their control, including changes to exam formats, limited practical training, and resource shortages.
The students’ education was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the eruption of La Soufrière volcano, leading to delays in completing their practical training. Although they completed patient care in their second year, the management exam, a crucial component for receiving their nursing degrees, has caused significant distress. In the first sitting, 97% failed, and in the second sitting, 100% of the group failed.
“We were sent home, and we were not told anything after that, we were just given our results,” one of the affected student nurses told ANN.
The students expressed concern over sudden changes to the exam structure, which included an extended exam time and the addition of dressing procedures they were unprepared for. They were not adequately trained in the dressing procedure, and due to limited supplies at the hospital, they had little opportunity to practice this essential skill.
“So, a lot of the practical exams were basically pushed back,” one student explained. “We saw dressing demonstrated only once over the three years, and we were never evaluated or practiced it with the assessors.”
Additionally, students felt that some of the grading criteria, such as hand-drying techniques, were too rigid. “Another student said that she failed the first sitting for failing to use two pieces of tissue when washing her hands, even though she was taught that using one tissue was acceptable.”
The group has submitted letters to Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, but they have yet to receive a clear resolution. “We keep going back weeks and weeks and days, and there was no communication based on the letter and the proposal that was made.”
As a result, the students are left uncertain about their future, unable to graduate or obtain their nursing licenses despite nearly four years of training. “We don’t know if we have a degree. We have spent three years and seven months, and at this point, we don’t have any paper to show that we would have made it out of the community college,” one student expressed.
The students are now hoping for a fair review of their situation and a chance to complete their education.
