Any hope of being readmitted?

[justus501]

Hi everyone,

I appologize if this has been asked previously and I missed the reply.

10 years ago (I was 27) I was expelled from a CRNA program. I was doing well with grades, getting mostly A's.

I was young and stupid, had a chip on my shoulder. I was going through multiple stressors in life...divorice, forclosure of home, mother ill...many excuses. I had missed some clinicals and when approached about it, did not handle it well. In summary, I mouthed off to my program director and was expelled within days for "unsafe clinical practice". Up until that day, all evaluations had been very good, both by physicians and CRNA's. I was six months away from graduation from a 27 month program.

Much has changed in the past 10 years. My desire and passion for anesthesia has not. I have earned my Masters Degree in Nursing Education with excellent grades. I have matured, and see the error of my behavior.

Do I have any hope/chance of admittance to another program or am I black-balled from the profession??

Any guidance is appreciated.

[Cathylady]

There is always hope in all things.

[nurse2033, MSN, RN]

I don't have any direct experience but I would say try again. Have you been in critical care those ten years? I think that might have more impact. Your past will require explanation but is understandable. You'll never know until you try.

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

The previous post asked the most important question; what have you been doing the past 10 years?

There's a big difference between 37 and 27; you're more mature, more able to handle pressure, and have proved that you can cut it from the academic point of view. That should tell in your favor.

To be quite honest, I feel that your expulsion was unnecessarily harsh; handling the stress of the course, while trying to deal with outside pressures of that level, I would have advocated a few months break to sort out your personal life, so that you could resume your studies at a later date, with a clear mind. Unfortunately, it seems, from what I pick up on AN, that very little slack is cut students, and I presume this is more so for student CRNAs. What bothers me is that you were expelled for "unsafe clinical practice", yet your evaluations from doctors and other CRNAs were good. Did you ever appeal your expulsion, or request at least a written explanation as to where "unsafe clinical practice" came from?

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

I would certainly try again. Without mentioning the mouthy part, I would offer that I was immature, having stressful life issues, etc and now feel prepared to do what it takes to complete the program.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

i doubt you have been blackballed. Get out there and start applying. Your experience over the past decade will probably carry more weight than your mouthiness back then.

[ssrhythm]

We've all made mistakes in the past, and some of them just end up being trickier and costlier than others. This is just me, but if I were you, I'd personally go and meet with your old program director and start there. You both know the reasons behind what happened, and his reaction and actions may have been overly harsh as already expressed. Regardless, I'd start with an appology to him for putting him in the very stressful position of having to boot you from the program. Let him know that you feel awful about what happened and wish you could take it back, but since you can't, you are here to appologize and ask for his/her help in righting your previous wrongs. I don't know too many people in positions such as his that do not understand that people grow from their mistakes. Looking at it from his point of view, if you were missing clinicals and then not reacting well to their handling of that situation, then he had to make a decision. Being unreliable and then insubbordinate could very well be considered clinically unsafe or whatever the term he used as reason for expulsion, and this is true regardless of the reasons. That said, I'm sure that he knows your clinical competence and ability and would probably help you out with a letter of explanation and recommendation if you went to him in a sincere effort to express your understanding of the past and with a sincere effort to show him that you have changed. I think everyone on here feels sick for you regarding what happened in the past, and I for one admire the heck out of anyone who can admit their past mistakes and take on the challenge of making them right vs running away from them. If the director will not help, at least you've done something that will ease your mind and soul. I truly believe that being honest in your interviews will earn you a great deal of respect; people are often much more understanding and willing to forgive and help than we often give them credit for. Go for it, and I truly hope and think that you will make it. Good luck, and I'll send up some prayers.