Nursing versus PA route due to set-backs

Froggybelly · Nov 18, 2017

My local PA program has around a 5% matriculation rate, so I would imagine they have extremely competitive grades to get in. My associate level nursing program had a 23% acceptance rate, but they waitlisted or denied students with a 3.9 gpa in the sciences. I don't think nursing is the easy way out for people who have difficulty with science or testing. Most nursing school grades hinge on NCLEX-style timed tests and even after school and the real NCLEX, there's a career full of certification and competency exams to look forward to. Healthcare will involve a lot of testing, regardless of the route you take.

allnurses Guide · Nov 20, 2017

I feel like coming to a nursing website and asking if we think nursing would be a good step ("down" is implied) since you can't cope with medicine or PA studies is probably unwise. If you feel that the medical field is really where you want to work, I would recommend stepping back from school and continuing to work as a CNA while doing more study or taking some tutoring so that you CAN grasp the material. Nursing as a profession needs smart, persistent, hardworking new members. Here's your chance.

Nurse JaneDoe · Nov 20, 2017

I think you need to consider what you want out of what you want....both are distinctive professions with different routes and systems. One follows nursing model the other medical model. I would look into retaking classes and really working towards what you want because in the end time is going to pass either way.

RNintraining817 · Nov 20, 2017

Ok so your organic chemistry class might be easier but nursing school is NOT easier than a PA route (or med school). Sorry to burst your bubble. Don't go into nursing just because you think it's an easy way out, there are a ton of people on waitlists who actually want to be nurses/know how hard nursing school is going to be.

I'm sure that OP doesn't think nursing school is the "easy way out". Orgo and nursing school are completely different. They're both difficult in different ways. Orgo requires you to think a different way about things and it's really hard to explain to someone who's never taken an orgo class. Some people's brains just have a way harder time grasping the material. It depends on what kind of learner you are.

I think you should maybe shadow an RN to make sure you really want to switch. I pursued pharmacy school for 3 years before spontaneously switching to nursing. I wasted a lot of money and time. You should make sure that it's something you're truly interested in before you go ahead and switch majors.

I'm telling you, as someone who failed orgo 1 and then came back and passed orgo 2 with an A, it can absolutely be done. So do not let that awful class get in the way of what you want to do! lol

Destin293 · Nov 20, 2017

Recently, I made a decision to switch my goals from a physician to a physician assistant; and am now considering changing to nursing. I've failed upper division organic once and dropped it two times. I can't seem to be able to grasp the material enough and can't finish the tests in under 40 minutes. I've thought about applying for DSS for test anxiety but wondering what's the best route to take in general. I also am in upper division anatomy and probably going to just pass. Would it be wise to just go for nursing and finish all prerequisites literally in 2 quarters and apply for nursing school connected w/ my college? I would also consider academic forgiveness to remove the failed organic and physics class as well. Otherwise, it could take me almost 1-2 years just to get my B.S in biology due to not passing organic and more then likely a not so great GPA. The teacher in my school gives us 40 minutes or less in biology major organic classes for tests and it would probably take me 1-1/2 due to anxiety and making sure I'm accessing the question correctly.
Winter and Spring quarter this year as of now won't benefit my PA- path that much. Only teacher teaching organic is a tough grader, intense, and made me look extremely stupid in front of class when I asked a question. Basically, that would be a waste of my time and I could use those quarters to finish all pre-reqs for nursing. I know the health organic/ nursing is a lot easier in comparison to pre-med level. If I did nursing I could always pursue NP degree in future once I've matured and gained actual experience.
Please let me know if you have any advice or suggestions in this matter?

I was a lot like you in my thinking when I first made the decision to enter nursing. On paper, I would look at the requirements and think, "All I have to do is XYZ, I will be a nurse in a little over a year. No big deal. Nursing is not that hard." Once you start that pre-nursing process and begin to apply for programs, you find out it's a totally different animal.

Nursing schools have a lot of red tape you need to walk through first. Every program is different when it comes to their admission requirements. Some schools only require you to have stellar grades in your pre-reqs and do well on an admission test (usually the HESI or the TEAS). Others require personal statements, interviews, and look at your entire GPA. You have to see what your school requires. If they look at your overall GPA, regardless of what your previous career goals were, those failed and withdrawn classes may take you out of the running. Admission committee's usually aren't sitting back at thinking, "Well, gee, this person wanted to be a physician and failed organic chem, we can just look past that" because they very well may have applicants who took that class and passed. They will also have applicants who didn't take that class, but who were focused on nursing from the very start of their academic career.

Lastly, get a handle on your test anxiety BEFORE nursing school. Nursing school is very heavily based on tests...very heavily...and they can be quite the mind ::BLEEP::. Everything you do has an end goal of the NCLEX. Nursing schools will put their entire focus on passing the NCLEX and you will hear over and over and over, "When you have to take the NCLEX...." "When it comes time for the NCLEX..." "The NCLEX will...". It's constant. At my nursing school, all of our exams were on the computer. You don't realize how your anxiety level rises when you have to press that "next" button knowing you can't go back. And there's a joke in nursing school that, when it comes to tests, the answer you select may be right, but it's not the most right. And that is absolutely true. Nursing school exams are based on how you apply knowledge so every choice is correct, but which one is the proper intervention you will perform first? And then there are the select all that apply which do pop up frequently on the NCLEX. Pick a choice that was wrong, or fail to pick a correct choice, the whole question is wrong...no partial credit. It's totally different than science based classes where you have to memorize concepts.

If nursing is something you really want to do, switch your focus now before you bury yourself with more failed courses or courses you're barely passing. I found nursing to be a very rewarding field and you do have a lot of options for future career goals in nursing. Best of luck to you!