Advice on applying to other nursing programs due to clinical failure.

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  1. Which school is better for me?

    • 0
      GFU
    • 0
      NYU

So I am transferring to a different Nursing school. I live in Portland Oregon and I applied to NYU in New York as a transfer (NYU College of Nursing) and GFU Newberg Oregon to regular admissions.

SOMEONE PLEASE GIVE ME SOME GOOD ADVICE ON WHAT SCHOOLS I SHOULD APPLY TO ONTOP OF THESE.. ONES THAT WILL ACCEPT MY CREDITS AND WONT REQUIRE MORE PRE REQS..ANY SCHOOLS> I want to stay in portland but I don't want to start from the beginning.

I wont know till end of May if I got accepted but I applied to regular admissions for both. My current GPA is a 3.2, 3.3. Its confusing bc this is with my nursing classes which NYU allows transfer undergraduate nurses but GFU may just look at my pre reqs. Not Sure...

So b/c I left a nursing program both schools wanna know why. I wrote an 400 word essay to NYU what happened and if you are interested in reading it I can PM you. So GFU didn't ask for an essay but asked I sign a FERPA. The problem is also with their school they have more pre reqs I'd need to do such as communications and sociology bc apparently English and Humanities don't cover those. I feel they just want more money..Also, I spoke with the nursing director at GFU and she asked why I withdrew and I said that I wasn't allowed to retake a course and asked me to sign a FERPA so she can talk to my dean. Now they will go through my record and they will see everything and it scares me and now i'm ruined. GFU's nursing director said if they accept me they will put me in an upper division nursing course if there is room..

What Im worried about is what are my chances of getting in? If this happened to anyone can they tell me what they did and what schools accept nursing transfers like NYU and how to improve my chances of getting in. Im willing to relocate bc I have finished almost all my school with only one semester left and its very frustrating. Which school is better to attend? GFU or NYU.. and can someone tell me of other schools I can apply to? My 5 year mark of pre reqs ends this year and will expire so Im desperate.

I was forced to withdraw from my previous nursing program because I had an issue with being chronically late.. The program is 2 years and I was on my second to last semester when I was forced to withdraw. I was late to clinicals and my instructor sent me home and missing one clinical day leads to failure..(I have issues waking up in the morning and wasn't taking my adderal medication so I became very unmotivated) I still love nursing and know I made a big mistake. I know my actions may not have showed it but I will do anything to fix this because I really do wanna be a nurse.

I want to sue the school honestly because I was told this is how schools make money by not letting students graduate bc after they graduate the student isn't spending anymore money. However, if the student doesn't graduate the school wants them to continue "exploring their options" by changing their major. For example: they implied I should CHANGE MY MAJOR to one of the other caring/healthcare professions offered at Concordia University. I feel since this university is private all they care about is money..However, If I get accepted to another nursing program I may hold back from suing. What do you think a good idea is? Do you think I have a case? Honestly you can read up the stupidest cases online and people win them. What should I do? I most likely wont sue though I don't have the money for a lawyer and hardly a case..

If you want more background info on what I wrote to the Committee for my appeal PM me. I will include the process of my appeal and why I was denied. I appealed to the admissions progressions and honors committee when I attended Concordia University In Portland Oregon.

After I was denied I appealed to the dean and her findings were:

Background and Timeline:

On September 24, 2015 STUDENT was sent home by clinical instructor from NUR 406 clinical for arriving tardy for the third time. On September 29, 2015 STUDENT met with lead instructor NUR 406 regarding a clinical failure in NUR 406 resulting from the students repeated tardiness (15-35 minute tardy) during the clinical experience. STUDENT decided to withdraw from the course to avoid Failure of the course. The student appealed to re-take the course with the Nursing Admission, Progression and Honors Committee. The Nursing Admission, Progression, and Honors Committee ruled to not allow STUDENT to return to the nursing cohort.

January 12, 2016: STUDENT was notified by the Nursing Program Director that the Nursing Admission, Progression, and Honors Committee denied her request to return to the nursing cohort.

January 14, 2016: STUDENT filed an appeal via e-mail with the Dean regarding the decision of the Nursing Admission, Progression, and Honors Committee.

January 15, 2016: I followed up with STUDENT via e-mail to direct her to the student handbook, I outlined the academic grievance process and suggested that she consider having an advocate to help her navigate the process.

January 27, 2016: I met with STUDENT and her mother to hear STUDENT's story and collect information related to her appeal. At the beginning of the meeting STUDENT affirmed that she had reviewed and understood the appeal process outlined in the student handbook (indicated by her check box and signature on the appeal form).

January 28, 2016: At my request STUDENT sent me a reflection of her performance across her entire time in the nursing cohort.

Week of Feb 1-5: I conducted an investigation of the student file and the Nursing Admission, Progression, and Honor Committee Decision Process.

February 11, 2016: I had a second meeting with STUDENT to share with her my findings, to provide her with an opportunity to speak about those findings.

Concern: In this student appeal, STUDENT is appealing the decision of the Nursing Admission, Progression, and Honor Committee for the reasons outlined below:

1. She was not provided a reason for the committee's decision to not allow her to return.

2. She feels that she has gone to counseling and that she now recognizes her errors and that she should be allowed to continue in the program.

Finding of Fact:

1. The Nursing Admission, Progression, and Honor Committee reached the decision to not allow STUDENT to return to the program based on the committee's observation that this was a repeated pattern of behavior of arriving late, not being prepared, and not being present in the moment of learning. This pattern was observed in multiple clinical and didactic courses. Repeated lateness in clinical is inherently a patient safety concern as a student often misses critical patient care information that is presented at the very beginning of a clinical experience.

2. Repeated tardiness and dismissal from NUR 406 is documented.

3. A review of STUDENTS student file reveals that at midterm evaluation in NUR 303 (Fall 2014), NUR 401 (Summer 2015), and NUR 402 (Fall 2015) the student was not meeting competency in professionalism due to repeated tardiness.

4. A review of STUDENTS student file reveals an issue with being tardy in NUR 403 (Fall 2015). The student wrote a remediation plan and was partially compliant to the remediation plan.

5. In addition to tardiness, a review of the student file has documentation of two episodes of falling asleep during clinical and a HIPAA violation (wrote patients PII on assignment).

Decision:

Based on the investigation and discussions with STUDENT the decisions regarding each concern is detailed below:

1. She was not provided a reason for the committee's decision to not allow her to return.

Decision: The Nursing Admissions, Progression, and Honors committee is not required to provide the student with a reason for their denial. However, the investigation revealed that the decision was based on the Committee's recognition that this was a repeated pattern of unprofessionalism (tardiness and lack of preparation prior to coming to clinical and engagement during class and clinical) on the part of the student. This pattern of behavior was well documented in the student file beginning fall of 2014 and growing in frequency in fall of 2015 when the student was failed in a clinical class.

2. She feels that she has gone to counseling and that she recognizes her errors and that she should be allowed to continue in the program.

Decision: Attending counseling is a very positive first step for this student but does not reverse the pattern of behavior on which the Nursing Admissions, Progression, and Honors committee made the decision to not allow the student to return.

Final Decision: Given the overwhelming evidence of a repeated pattern of unprofessional behavior, repeated attempts to help the student remediate this behavior, and the evidence of behaviors which place patient safety at risk it is my decision to uphold the decision of the Nursing Admissions, Professionalism, and Honors Committee.

Follow up:

The student may appeal this decision to the Provost if the student feels there was an error in the appeal procedure or if the student has additional new evidence that has arisen since speaking with the Dean of CHHS. The student's appeal must be in writing and include any pertinent information or materials, a description of the process used to attempt to resolve the grievance to that point, and new evidence or evidence of a procedural error.

Advice for Student:

STUDENT still remains a student in good standing at Concordia University. It is my recommendation that STUDENT spend some time to explore career fields and finding where her passion lies. If STUDENT remains passionate about helping people in the health care setting, perhaps she might consider changing her major to one of the other caring/healthcare professions offered at Concordia University.

Since STUDENT withdrew from the fall clinical course before receiving a failing grade she has the option of applying to other nursing programs. It would be helpful when applying to another nursing program if she has documented evidence of professional behavior in the workplace. Perhaps taking a full or part-time job and demonstrating on time arrivals and professionalism on the job may help this student.

Appeal Process Completed:

February 21, 2016

Dean College of Health and Human Services

Letter E-mailed to STUDENT: February 21, 2016

CC: (Chair Nursing Admissions, Progression, Honor Committee),(Nursing Director)

Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.

As a former faculty in a BSN program, I can't believe the dean met with you and your mother? The school I taught that we would never meet with the parents only the student you're considered adults after age 18. Why don't you take your mother to the meeting with the dean?

WoW! thanks for the thorough response! well to be a little more clear on everything. I currently work as a Pharmacy Tech I am certified. With my PII it was just the patients initials on an assignment I know thats still bad and not an excuse but seriously thats all it was. Also, I did not fall asleep my nurse that I was following was just mad bc even though I told her I got only 4 hrs of sleep and nodded off while she was charting on the computer she considered me as unprofessional even though I was working my ass off and paying attention. She disregarded all the work I did and told my instructor so i got in trouble.I just felt like the teachers were not a good support system at all I felt scared and intimidated by them and never wanted to ask for help because they were unsupportive.

Specializes in Allergy/ENT, Occ Health, LTC/Skilled.

Honestly your going to run into this at other schools and get the same result. If I was at work with students shadowing me and one of them fell ASLEEP while I was charting, I would be very concerned whether they got 4 or 14 hours of sleep. I do not blame that nurse for telling your clinical instructor. The nursing professors are not there to be your support system, that's what family/friends are for. They are there to teach you, yes be hard on you, and weed out the students who may not make potentially well trained and safe nurses. Not taking your medicine and as a result being unmotivated is not an excuse for being chronically late. I am shocked they gave you as many chances to remediate as they did. I am also shocked they met with your mother.

Your going to have problems getting into other nursing programs I suspect. If you still want to be in nursing, I would look into LPN programs and you can bridge later. But I am telling you honestly, your going to have a lot of problems anywhere if you can't be on time, stay awake and alert, and realize your not just going to pass because your paying tuition.

Specializes in Emergency.

Not going to read this huge all of text but saw that you were tardy on multiple occasions. All I can ask is "Why were you tardy?". That is not professional.

WoW! thanks for the thorough response! well to be a little more clear on everything. I currently work as a Pharmacy Tech I am certified. With my PII it was just the patients initials on an assignment I know thats still bad and not an excuse but seriously thats all it was. Also, I did not fall asleep my nurse that I was following was just mad bc even though I told her I got only 4 hrs of sleep and nodded off while she was charting on the computer she considered me as unprofessional even though I was working my ass off and paying attention. She disregarded all the work I did and told my instructor so i got in trouble.I just felt like the teachers were not a good support system at all I felt scared and intimidated by them and never wanted to ask for help because they were unsupportive.

after reading an awful lot of writing all I get from you is that your teachers didn't do enough for you, the school didn't do enough for you, the nurses you were supposed to be working with during clinical didn't do enough for you and at the end of it all you take your mother with you to talk to a dean about why you are being kicked out of school as an awful student who still hasn't accepted fully the consequences of her actions because you are still continuing to place blame on people outside yourself for your failures.

I think the only schools that are going to be interested in you at this point are those schools you have already slammed because they only want money. have to tell you that the only schools who are going to want a student who is always late and has been determined to be unprofessional are the schools who just want to get your tuition before they kick you out as well. sorry but that's just the truth as I see it.

WoW! thanks for the thorough response! well to be a little more clear on everything. I currently work as a Pharmacy Tech I you habe to am certified. With my PII it was just the patients initials on an assignment I know thats still bad and not an excuse but seriously thats all it was. Also, I did not fall asleep my nurse that I was following was just mad bc even though I told her I got only 4 hrs of sleep and nodded off while she was charting on the computer she considered me as unprofessional even though I was working my ass off and paying attention. She disregarded all the work I did and told my instructor so i got in trouble.I just felt like the teachers were not a good support system at all I felt scared and intimidated by them and never wanted to ask for help because they were unsupportive.

You have to remember the school is going to go by what the school says not what you say. And it still sounds like a lack of ownership phrasing it like that. Nodding off and falling asleep are in the same boat. What if you stop taking medication again? Will your behaviors return? Even if you think there is a slightly different interpretation it doesn't change what the paperwork says.

Agree with the advice to compile a record of on-time behavior at your job. Take an LPN program. Work as an LPN while retaking your then-expired science prerequisites. Work on your health concern and how it affects your professional life. Once you have done these things, you will have a solid case to enter an LPN to BSN program. And you will be the better for it. Good luck.

WoW! thanks for the thorough response! well to be a little more clear on everything. I currently work as a Pharmacy Tech I am certified. With my PII it was just the patients initials on an assignment I know thats still bad and not an excuse but seriously thats all it was. Also, I did not fall asleep my nurse that I was following was just mad bc even though I told her I got only 4 hrs of sleep and nodded off while she was charting on the computer she considered me as unprofessional even though I was working my ass off and paying attention. She disregarded all the work I did and told my instructor so i got in trouble.I just felt like the teachers were not a good support system at all I felt scared and intimidated by them and never wanted to ask for help because they were unsupportive.

I'm confused -- how is "nodding off" not falling asleep? And, yes, that's unprofessional.

Have you actually spoken with NYU about your situation, or just identified online that they have a transfer program? Most nursing schools won't accept student from other programs unless they left their previous program in good academic standing, which is not the case in your situation. I believe that you're going to have a v. hard time finding another program that will take you. Your best bet is probably the for-profit schools that will take anyone, regardless.

I understand your situation, and that there was really nothing you could do about being late due to your medication. However, the nursing program has no obligation to accept you. I think a lawsuit is completely unfounded. I don't know of any other program that would accept you without you going another route. I would take their advice, I don't believe they are out to get you. Try doing something else nursing related, like respiratory therapist, or phlebotomist, psychiatric technician, CNA or some other leg-in. Then after a couple years you can re-apply. You might have to repeat all the prereqs at another school. It sounds like you are being really pushy, that you have to have it your way--in regards to you want to get into a school on your terms.

Try a community college, get an ADN, and then go from there. It will take a couple years but that is unfortunately what the circumstances are presenting you with, and that is how life goes. There are tons of people entering the nursing profession after spending a decade on another career, or 7+ years in school already, or already have Masters degrees in other things, so it's just another situation where things didn't turn out like you hoped, but you have to present reality with your best foot forward and make a plan for what your next step is.

Specializes in Critical Care Transport, Cardiac ICU, Rapid.

Nodding off at clinical because you slept 4 hours? I work overnight 12s then come to class or clinical for 8 hours multiple days throughout the week. Drink an energy drink or coffee, no excuses. Many of us don't have any options and have to just push through rather than using our extenuating circumstances as excuses

Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

OP- I am dumbfounded. A lawsuit?

Specializes in ED, psych.

Good gracious, OP. You are thanking people for thorough responses; however, are you truly reading them???

Your last post is nearly as full of justifications for your behavior as your first post, while, to be quite honest, none of the behavior you exhibited is truly justifiable. Nodding off = unprofessional, despite "working your ass off" -- all that is moot at that point. Listen to yourself:

"Teachers were not a good support system at all I felt scared and intimated by them and never wanted to ask for help" -- unfortunately, it's *your* grade and performance, not theirs. You *need* to get over the intimidation and seek help.

"I have issues waking up in the morning and wasn't taking my adderal medication so I became very unmotivated" -- this isn't their problem, it's yours. I hope you are now taking your medication and have learned strategies in dealing with this.

Your lack of motivation shined right through, unfortunately.

"I want to sue the school ..." Why? For the above reasons? I'm glad you're seeing the light in that you don't have a leg to stand on, but it shouldn't have even crossed your mind to begin with.

I understand you're frustrated. Learn from this. Re-read the previous posters advice. It's time to have a really long heart-to-heart with yourself. None of the behaviors you exhibited were anyone's fault but your own; the consequences are yours.

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