i failed out of nursing school...now what

Nurses General Nursing

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i have a plan to go to a university.. i did that just in case i failed again. i failed N51 TWICE.. my professor told me it was because she didn't think i had confidence for my pt, that i kept asking for clarification...she felt that i needed to be supervised, etc, and that i couldn't make decisions very well. she felt that in the time that passed, she didn't see me improve from the beginning of the semester to the end. so basically it's her opinion that failed me...

nursing isn't my passion, but i could live with it. it was something i could endure to make a difference in the world, pay the bills.. which is a pretty practical reason. i didnt have this heart overflowing with joy but i could feel good when someone smiled at me and said thankyou. not all of it was bad.

i had a 87% in theory, but i had a borderline 75% in clinical. she told me to do the LVN or the CNA program.

i'm 21 years old. i've said that so many times that i don't even care anymore. what do i want to do with my life versus what is actually possible? sure, i can say i want to major in english literature, take out oans and go to CSUN, and take up gender studies as well. haha. but then again this economy isn't doing so well so while that may be great for 2 years etc, i might not have a job secured at the end. i dont think i'll really care because u can't predict the future.

what you guys recommend i do? it's already summer, so basically i have to wait until fall 09.

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

There is such a thing as being passionate and then there is the martyr. I think that too much criticism is placed on being realistic with your own feelings. And the personal insults about being a BSN are a bit much. We are humans, first, and part of being human is also being an individual. I do believe that you have to have empathy to be a nurse, that it does take a bit more than money because nursing is hard, it can be ugly and even nasty. A person has to be able to face most of this and see people at their worst. But, a person who works to live rather than lives to work is not necessarily a bad person.

I have also witnessed the situations where the nurse that stays late is written up, accused of not properly managing time, has not been paid for her time put in and threatened with disciplinary action. I have also seen some of those that are true martyrs burn out easily and whose lives turn unbalanced. We are also entitled to have a life, we do have other commitments and have to take care of ourselves. If this is not done, then, patient care does, in fact suffer. And constantly exposing ourselves to the politics of patient care can drain the best person if they are not careful. In fact, my life observations have shown me that the majority of nurses had to learn early how to set limits in order to survive and that does not translate to being a demon, or uncaring practitioner! We can advocate, wipe the tears of the patient, hold their hands and care. Remember, however, that nursing is a 24 hour job and someone is coming to relieve you. The word 'relief' is just that...taking the burden off of the person previously working.

Specializes in ER, PACU, Med-Surg, Hospice, LTC.
For your information, my patients request me over other CNA's. HMMMM....And another thing, I dont stay til 7......I stay until my work is done even if that means sitting BEDSIDE with some who was just admitted.

Be careful with those patients stating, "You're the bestest CNA and I only want you 'cause CNA Groucho does (this that and the other thing)". This is a very common stunt of very manipulative patients. Kill ya with kindness and compliments and then they've gotcha....

That is fantastic that you choose to stay after the end of your shift and that your facility allows it!

In places that I have worked (and currently work), employees are warned, written-up and finally fired for unapproved OT.

A person who clocks out and continues to work off the clock (read: working for free/martyr), it wrong, IMO. Why on earth would you work for free and sell yourself short? This is exactly why Nurses have such a difficult time getting the pay that they are really worth. Why should a facility pay a Nurse more, heck, the Nurses will work for free!

I know people that have been injured and have lost their Work Comp. cases because their work was

1. unauthorized

AND

2. off the clock.

Sure, some people do win, but it is a lot harder to fight.

Be careful with those patients stating, "You're the bestest CNA and I only want you 'cause CNA Groucho does (this that and the other thing)". This is a very common stunt of very manipulative patients. Kill ya with kindness and compliments and then they've gotcha....

That is fantastic that you choose to stay after the end of your shift and that your facility allows it!

In places that I have worked (and currently work), employees are warned, written-up and finally fired for unapproved OT.

A person who clocks out and continues to work off the clock (read: working for free/martyr), it wrong, IMO. Why on earth would you work for free and sell yourself short? This is exactly why Nurses have such a difficult time getting the pay that they are really worth. Why should a facility pay a Nurse more, heck, the Nurses will work for free!

I know people that have been injured and have lost their Work Comp. cases because their work was

1. unauthorized

AND

2. off the clock.

Sure, some people do win, but it is a lot harder to fight.

What's really laughable is to hear these manipulators give the same story to each caregiver in turn. Standard tactic in manipulation. :lol2:

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

Yes, I have encountered the manipulative patients...they will praise you and slaughter the others. And, they are THE FIRST to report you when you say that you can't do it 'right now' and heaven forbid, if you can't do it at all. Suddenly, YOUR name goes to administration, to the patient advocate, is reported to Press Gainey, etc... And, they talk about YOU to the other staff. Some will even report gossip that people have said about you in order to gain favoritism. Meanwhile, your entire life can be falling apart and does anyone care?

This does not mean that the nurse that balances her energies is a cold, calculating person. No reason to be judgemental. If you want to remain there, good...but don't try to slaugher someone else that doesn't.

This post is completely off the original topic. What does being a CNA and overtime has to do with failing out of nursing school? Have you, guys, read the first post?

No worries. You're still young. You have several options. Since you don't want to be out of school doing nothing with yourself why don't you just keep your major undeclared for a minute and take courses now that any major will accept like Math courses, English, Chemistry, History etc, etc. While you are taking these courses and doing well in them you can be contemplating what you want to study instead of declaring a major, changing your mind and dropping courses. That would be a dead end to do that. Another thing you could do is take a day off, go to the library with a notebook, look into some of their books on career descriptions, write down what you would like to do and how much money you would like to make. Then you can start taking courses for it because then you would have already had most of your general pre-reqs out of the way anyway.

The other option you have is to study something a little less hectic than nursing like surgical tech. YOu sound to me like someone who would do well with surgical tech.

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

To the OP -- you might not want to know what you want to do "when you grow up," and that's okay. I didn't become a nurse until I was 36. (And I'm still 36. :D) There's a big world out there with lots of opportunities, and you don't have to tether yourself to a profession at this point in your life. Find something that you are passionate about, and go for it. The suggestion to see a career counselor was a good one.

As for the rest of it -- yes, it's entirely possible to be good at a role without being passionate about it. Let's get real ... not all nurses are passionate about nursing, but that doesn't mean they're not good nurses. But for those of us who have found a way to mix profession and passion, we're probably a little happier in our jobs. I was an excellent, meticulous, fast and accurate desktop publisher -- still am -- but the passion for that career faded for me over time, as I came to realize that I belonged in healthcare. Doesn't mean I'm not still a fabulous desktop publisher, though.

Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.

Since when does passion=compassion?? It's totally possible to be "compassionate" towards your patients without being "passionate" about nursing.

I think it's telling that the loudest protesters are newbies.

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Since when does passion=compassion?? It's totally possible to be "compassionate" towards your patients without being "passionate" about nursing.

I think it's telling that the loudest protesters are newbies.

I suspect the same...someone with time and experience under their belts in most cases would think more reasonably.

Specializes in being a Credible Source.
A person who clocks out and continues to work off the clock (read: working for free/martyr), it wrong, IMO.
At least here in Cali, it's not just wrong... it's a violation of the labor code. If you are a nonexempt employee, as bedside nurses are, you MUST be paid for the time that you're on-site. It's not a choice, it's the law. I think that's actually national labor code stuff but I could be wrong; it might be a state-level thing.

I'd also point out that if you're hanging out with patients after your shift you are quite likely not covered by your employer's nor their worker's comp insurance.

If you want to act like a salaried employee then you should get a salaried job. Personally, I grew weary of being an exempt employee and consciously chose a new career in which I would be non-exempt.

Specializes in being a Credible Source.
This post is completely off the original topic. What does being a CNA and overtime has to do with failing out of nursing school? Have you, guys, read the first post?

It's been an evolutionary migration. It all started with an early response to the OP which included the statement that one must have a passion for nursing in order to be a good nurse. I challenged that assertion and it's devolved from there.

Insofar as the debate of the necessity of passion pertains to the OP's deliberation about where s/he should go from here, it is connected to the original topic.

The OT thing, though, is a new sprout. My apologies for engaging.

what made you change your mind at age 25 to go back into nursing and not pursue another field?

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