Don't want to make waves with nursing instructors - what would you do?

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

Okay, I'll try to be as brief as possible. In about a week I will hear if I've been accepted to the nursing program for fall. I am and will be taking science pre/co-requisites through Rio Salado. One of the prerequisites to entering the nursing program is that you have to have completed high school or college chemistry, OR if you've already completed Micro before entering the nursing program, the chemistry requirement is waived.

I have not taken chemistry since high school (14 years ago). Rio Salado does not require chemistry as a prereq to Micro, so I was planning on taking Micro this summer through them in order to get the chemistry waiver. Class doesn't start until May 17th, and it's a 16-week class, which means it would not be complete until September 4th. Fall semester at the college where I'll be taking nursing school begins August 23rd, two weeks before I would have Micro complete.

So I called Rio and spoke with the head of the science department to find out if I could accelerate Micro (they let you do that with some classes - basically you rewrite the schedule so that you complete all the coursework at whatever timeframe you and the instructor agree upon). He said Micro is not a class that can be accelerated. He did suggest talking to my school to find out if they would accept a "progress report" on the first day of class, letting them know that I'm passing the class. He said they do that once in a while with other local schools and it usually isn't a problem. After he found out who my instructor is for the class I'm currently taking at Rio (the instructor is a good friend of his) he was VERY helpful and accommodating, and said that if the nursing program will not take a progress report, to call him and he would go to bat for me and see if he can work it out with them.

I was VERY grateful for the offer and that he was willing to help me out, but I'm also afraid that I might be branded by the nursing instructors and the school as a "troublemaker" or someone who tries to get around the rules. I certainly don't want to do anything to jeopardize my nursing school career or get off on the wrong foot with the instructors. What would you do in this situation? Would you accept his offer to talk to the nursing program and get the progress report accepted?

Also, does anyone have any experience with being *not quite done* with a prereq by the time nursing school starts, and is it common for them to accept a favorable progress report?

Thanks in advance for any feedback!

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i don't think it would make waves - it really depends on the culture of your nursing school.

the program i am attempting to get into for fall is very strict that all classes need to be complete by the first day of nursing school, which is august 30th. now my last class can finish on august 29th - as long as it is done and over by the 30th!

but perhaps your school is a little more accommodating, a little more "loosey goosey" with the rules. as long as they have that progress report, they're more "hey, no problem, mon!" :smokin:

so check with them. that's my advice.

topcat

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Specializes in Emergency Dept, M/S.

I would be upfront and talk to the nursing program. It's not going to be good if you take the class, only to find out they still want you to take Chem, or they won't accept a progress report. I'm sure they probably will, but may state you must be passing with a B+ or something.

Good luck! :)

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Be upfront and talk to the nursing program. If they know your having a problem and are trying to overcome it that will look better than if they look at your transcript a week before classes start and it looks like your ignoring the requirements.

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I see you are taking classes at riosalado .... What school are you going to for the RN program ??? I graduated from Gateway Community College. I see you are from AZ I had a little juggling to do my self and other classmates were in the same position and in the end it all worked out. If you want to directly email me I would be happy to talk with you and answer any questions I can !!!

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Specializes in tele, ICU.

I would just ask. You never know unless you ask. It's not the kind of thing that would make waves- if they're willing to accomodate you then that's great- if not you know you need to find another plan of action right away.

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Specializes in OB, lactation.

I'm with bigmona.

You are going to most likely end up asking and discussing iffy things a million more times in your program, so might as well start sticking up for yourself now.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

Oh, I'm sorry if I gave the wrong impression. I'm definitely going to ask (I'm going to wait to see if I've been accepted first, though). My question was more about if I do ask and they say no, should I pursue it and take the Rio Salado's science dept. head's offer to go to bat for me and see if he can help me get it accepted.

Thanks for your responses thus far!

Dlmickley - I'm going to Yavapai.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept, M/S.

I think if they say no, another college professor calling them and talking to them is not going to make any difference. They probably already have guidelines in place, and possibly they will bend them under extreme circumstances, but I don't think that would happen with someone from another college telling them they need to, KWIM?

I think if they say no, accept it and move on. I was just told by my nursing school that they would not accept any online A&P courses. I was going to try and take one with cccOnline, but after looking it over, they said no. They did look it over, so I can't say they didn't even consider it, but they just didn't feel it would be a good fit for their program. I'm going to respect that and just take it elsewhere or through them.

I know it's frustrating to get so close, yet be told it's not quite enough. I went through that last year also, getting rejected by nursing schools because my math grades in HS were not good, even though it was (ahem!) 18 years ago. So I took a math class last semester, worked by butt off, even dealing with the death of my mother and being hospitalized twice for gastro stuff, and still pulled out the highest grade in the class. My prof. didn't believe me when I told him I flunked out of Algebra 1 in HS, then took 2 years to finish the individualized version.

You can do it - it may take a little bit longer, but then there will be NO QUESTION that it is done!! :)

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