Advise on failing out of Med-Surg ASN program

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:banghead::banghead:i am a 47 yr old mother of four grown children. nursing will be my second career. i raised my children working a career i hated and knew what i was suppose to be doing, but waited until all my children were grown to pursue this. i left my job to attend school full-time and go after something i know i am suppose to be doing. i started with gpc in jan 2007 and was dean's list and over 3.5 every semester. i have attended the won't mention the name nursing program since fall 2009. i barely passed fundamentals, and i failed med-surg last spring due to grades. and that was rightfully so. i didn't get how to take the test and no matter how i studied couldn't get better grades. it was two horrible semester, and i even became sick with all anxiety of not passing. but i was good in my clinical rotations and i passed all my skill checks offs.

my clinical instructor and advisor told me since i failed to find a job in a hospital, work on my test taking skills and apppeal. i did this. i talked to my first clinical instructor and used her as a reference and got on at a[color=#366388] hospital as a sitter. i talked with my daughter, cousins, and two aunts who are nurses, and spent the summer and part of the fall with them. i learned how to take the test, what to study, and how to apply what i have learned. i was accepted back on appeal and attended remediation class with ms. bright. i passed my check offs with her, and she felt i would be successful returning to the program.

i returned this spring to med-surg and have proven in my grades that i earned the right to be there. i have received as exam grades 80, 80, and 88. knowing this was my last go at this added so much pressure, i was scared to death, especially at skills check offs. mainly because i knew that even though i had better grades i could still flunk out the program with the check off. i have failed again because of my nerves. i did everything right with my math but was so nervous, i drew it up wrong. yes my fault i know, but felt i needed to tell this to somebody.

i know i am suppose to be a nurse. during clinicals rotations and during studying i felt i had finally found where i was suppose to be. i need some advise on what to do now. i am depressed, but not totally defeated. i need some direction on what to do next. will any other asn programs take me now? has this happened to anybody else?

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I guess the general advice is keep your chin up. Your determination comes thru in your post. You've already worked on your test taking skills. See if you can appeal to get another chance at your check off. My check off strategy is to wait until last and keep questioning everyone coming out about how they messed up or saw anyone mess up. If the instructors aren't really trying to catch anybody off guard, people will tell you. If the instructors are trying to catch people mess up certain steps, you'll hear about it and know what you need to be careful about. If you can't get back into your program, you might consider working as a CNA until you can get in to another program Good luck either way.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I am a little surprised you were failed out for one faulty draw. Is that accurate?

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Yes Maam that's accurate, you actually get three attempts at it. It's no excuse but knowing this may get you out of the program leads the nerves to be off the chain. My hand shook uncontrollably.

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I feel like you are writing my post! I was on probation for clinicals last semester, but getting good grades. I was in my 3rd semester(rn adn program), and was told I failed 5 weeks into it for clinicals. I was already on probation from 2nd semester. I went into 3rd semester just like you, with no confidence, and nervous as hell! I am now out of the nursing program too!:crying2::crying2: It is so depressing. I am a single mom with 3 kids, and now I just feel like such a failure, and all I want to do is sleep. I failed just last month. I am going to try and challenge the lvn board of nurses to see if I can take the NCLEX for the LVN program. I can't stop crying. I feel your pain. I damn near killed myself studying to get good grades to provide for my future. Hang in there. I know it is hard. At least you know you are not the only one going through this.

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:):)Thank you so much for your comments. For a second with not many replies, I did think I was the only one. I have not given up. I am going to apply at other schools. I'm just wondering if they will take me.

And don't just sleep. I know I want to, but realize that's just depression. I came a long way and so have you. If we really want to be nurses, we have to keep going and find another way at it.

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Specializes in Medical Assisting.

.. I too would go into skills check offs nervous and my mind would blank out. A/B student otherwise, good clinical skills in rotations. I would like to know what transpired afterwards... as I have failed one class of the 2nd semester of LVN school...

Consequently, I have to repeat the 2nd semester (if they accept me, I'm sure that they will...). Have to wait until January or enroll elsewhere.

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