Advice would be appreciated :)

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Hello everyone, thank you for taking the time to even read this ^.^. Okay so I'll try to summarize my situation. My problem is that I have failed my Anatomy and Chem course 3 times in community college. I believe some colleges don't even accept students that have even failed once. There were several reasons for me failing, but the main issue honestly was me. I was not feeling motivated anymore, as well as a bad fixed mindset problem. There were some issues at home for the family, but I doubt they got in the way of school. For a very long time, I just felt exhausted and sleepy. So right now, I decided to finally listen to myself instead of relying on other people's opinions and decided to take some time off and work for a bit. I have noticed that I really enjoy working with kids as most of the jobs I have taken involved being around kids, and the latest job includes me taking care of a class at an after school program. Not too long ago, it kinda just clicked in my mind that I would love to be a pediatric nurse, and the idea makes me excited for nursing again. With that being said, I realize that I have really hurt my chances of getting into a nursing program, especially since I was very close to being complete with my prerequisites for nursing, but as I mentioned earlier, the motivation just died a while ago. But now I really want to try since my head is a lot more clear and I don't let fear hold me back from learning. I was kinda thinking of getting my LVN licence before RN to kinda prove that I am serious about becoming a nurse, but what do you suggest would help prove that I'm not some lazy or incompetent student that won't be able to finish the program? Besides Acing every class from now on of course.

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Specializes in ICU.

I think going the LVN-RN route would be a great idea for you, or even CNA-LVN-RN. That way you can ace your courses that are geared toward healthcare, and be working in the healthcare setting. Also, every school has different cut offs so if you try A&P and Chem again and pass it's possible you could get in - just depends on where you stand in ranking with other applicants. I definitely recommend speaking to an advisor at your school after taking and passing A&P and Chem to see which program may suit your situation best.

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Ohh forgot to mention one thing. One of the things that did contribute to fear/fixed mindset was the several medical issues that I had throughout the latest 2 years of school ?. Which included a herniated disc , scabies, and random pain because I can be a walking medical condition lol. I dealt with symptoms of scabies for about 9 months, and I still have a herniated disc after almost 2 years but it doesn't bother me as long as I work out safely. I think at my worst, I had herniated disc pain, scabies, and pneumonia at the same time ?.

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Specializes in ICU.
57 minutes ago, AL3Xxs said:

Ohh forgot to mention one thing. One of the things that did contribute to fear/fixed mindset was the several medical issues that I had throughout the latest 2 years of school ?. Which included a herniated disc , scabies, and random pain because I can be a walking medical condition lol. I dealt with symptoms of scabies for about 9 months, and I still have a herniated disc after almost 2 years but it doesn't bother me as long as I work out safely. I think at my worst, I had herniated disc pain, scabies, and pneumonia at the same time ?.

I think the only thing that could hinder you would be the herniated disc - for the RN program I'm in we had to get a complete physical. But, if your doctor clears you on the physical you shouldn't have any problems! Just be careful when lifting patients in clinicals!

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16 minutes ago, babysplash said:

I think the only thing that could hinder you would be the herniated disc - for the RN program I'm in we had to get a complete physical. But, if your doctor clears you on the physical you shouldn't have any problems! Just be careful when lifting patients in clinicals!

ahh i see, will definitely look into it soon. Thank you for the help ^.^

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Specializes in Nurse Anesthesiology.

You failed the same course 3 different times? Try business admin or something else. Healthcare may not be for you.

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Specializes in CCRN.

Working with healthy children is very different from working with sick children and their worried parents. I'm not saying you can't do it, but if you lost your motivation for nursing before and are only considering it because of the possibility of being a pediatric nurse, you may want to do some more research. See if you can shadow a nurse in a pediatric unit and go from there. Also, know that pediatric units can be very hard to get into, so you may have to work in another area of nursing before you get to that.

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Pass those classes then apply and see how it goes. Not every school is going to deny you because you failed a prereq but then passed it at some point.

Something that can help you a lot is to take all of your non-nursing classes. Spend a year and completely knock all of that out. Even though you failed your anatomy and chemistry classes, getting those other classes out of the way actually shows them a different student than last time. Only retaking those two classes doesn't tell them much. Taking those 2 classes plus these other classes that you'll need for a BSN tells them that you're applying yourself and that you're serious, and that you're capable of finishing and passing the program. Just be aware of whatever school you're applying to's policy. Some only look at your highest grade, some only look at your first grade at that school, but some only look at your first grade anywhere. Make sure they're not going to still be looking at your prereqs as an F after you go back and pass them. Make sure you're only applying to schools that are going to look at the passing grade.

And if there's an interview or an essay where part of it is talking about your education, even though losing motivation isn't your fault, make it your fault. Own it and explain what changes you've made to keep that motivation. Show them that you have a plan on how to succeed.

Think of this like a job/business interview/advertisement. You need to sell yourself to them to be accepted into their program. Put as much on your side as you can.

And for your herniated disc, tons of nurses have gone through it and still work. It's going to depend your individual case. But as long as you're not a high risk of injury if you work safely, your doctor will probably clear you on your physical. Before going through all of this, you can even ask him about it at your next check-up visit, and he can give you a pretty good idea. Just don't be stupid. Use your aide. That's still their patient while you're in clinical (which is why I HATE schools that want us to stand in the hall and answer call lights, there's ALWAYS something to learn about your patient and their care and how what you're learning in your classes applies to it, and that's what you're there for, not to be an aide and give free labor). If the aide is busy, get another student or your teacher. Any lifting or moving that's an injury risk to you, get help. You should be doing that even if you don't already have a back injury.

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Specializes in MSICU.

Maybe look into another field where you can work with kids. Such as a Child Life Specialist, or even a social worker. Maybe nursing isn't exactly the right fit, but there are plenty of positions which still allow you to have an active role in a helping profession.

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Three fails is daunting and may be insurmountable. If you insist on one more try though a factor which may help would be to insure that five years has passed since the last failure. At that point, most schools would require a repeat of the courses even if one got an A the first time around. This could work in your favor.

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2 hours ago, caliotter3 said:

Three fails is daunting and may be insurmountable. If you insist on one more try though a factor which may help would be to insure that five years has passed since the last failure. At that point, most schools would require a repeat of the courses even if one got an A the first time around. This could work in your favor.

I think this is a great idea. However, schools might (and probably will) require you to send in all previous transcripts. I would recommend contacting the schools you are interested in and asking how they rank applicants and what you could do to make yourself competitive.

Many RN programs are highly competitive, so it might make sense for you to start with an LVN/LPN program. Again, do some research on the schools and see what their admission rate is.

Also, I hate to say this, but I would recommend some hard soul-searching on this one. You attribute your lack of success to a difficulty maintaining motivation. While I do sympathize with you (truly!), you may want to consider if you will be able to maintain a sufficient level of motivation throughout nursing school. Nursing school is very challenging and you want to set yourself up for success.

Make sure nursing is something you really want to do. I personally know people who thought they were passionate about the profession and worked their way to and even through nursing school only to find they did not really want to be nurses. The LPN/LVN program might also make more sense for you because it is less of a commitment than nursing school - though it is still quite a big one! - and you can "test the waters" of the profession.

I wish you the best of luck with your decision and whatever career path you choose!

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You flunked it 3 times. I seriously don't understand why you would want to keep banging your head against the wall. The classes ahead of you are even harder.

Find something related but that you're good at. Social work. Teaching.

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