Anyone here ever failed out of nursing school?

fleurafor · Jan 19, 2011

what happens if you fail out, come back a year later, pass and then fail out again the following semester? do you let you back in? how many times can you fail out and come back?

MotivatedOne · Jan 22, 2011

I failed my first semester of my ADN program by 2 points. I was devastated and cried the whole way home but there was hope...I was allowed to reapply for the following fall semester and because I had nearly all of my prereq's for a BSN degree completed, I had a great chance of getting back in the program. All of the community colleges in NC just changed their ADN curriculum. The class I started with Fall 09 was the last class under the old curriculum. So in a way, I lucked up failing my first semester rather than the second, third, or fourth semesters.

If you fail your first semester of nursing school, here in NC, you are allowed to reapply but you are not guaranteed acceptance. If you fail your second semester or any semester after, you are readmitted on a space available basis. Those who were in my original class of 2011 and failed the second semester had to retake the final from 1st semester of the new curriculum and pass it in order to start with the second semester students under the new curriculum. For those who didn't pass the final, they were given the option to either audit my new class of 2012, or apply elsewhere.

If you fail out of the same school twice, you can no longer reapply at that school, you'd have to go somewhere else and start over because it's highly unlikely for a nursing class to transfer to a different school, even if we are under the same curriculum.

I don't think there are any schools here in NC with year long wait periods. If you're put on the alternate or wait list, you're given a number and if someone doesn't turn in their required forms by the due date, the schools usually go down the list to see if anyone else is interested in taking those available spots.

My first time applying, I was #10 on the alternate list and was later accepted. When I reapplied, I was accepted flat out.

We started with 80 and I think we're now down to 65.

Good luck!

MotivatedOne · Jan 22, 2011

This was Fall '09, and they said I would be allowed to REAPPLY and maybe regain entry fall '12. I decided I did not want to wait that long, or give them anymore of my money for them to humiliate me like that anymore so I applied to every nursing school within an hour of my house. It was a long shot because a 12 credit "F" really messed up my GPA, not to mention it says right on my transcript "Nursing 1 - F"
I did a really good interview I suppose and got into my first choice. I was one of 65 picked out of over 500 applicants, and I am so happy I went through it all. This program is a million times better than the other one and I will be graduating Aug 2012 (when I would have been restarting at the other horrible school)..

I think it's ridiculous that because you failed clinic, you failed the class...they could had at least given you a D.

Anyway, congratulations on your acceptance and good luck :-) I too will be graduating a year later than my original graduation date (May 2011)

johanna767 · Jan 22, 2011

I was dropped from nursing school my first time around. I was in my second semester and going through a divorce with two children - I missed 2 clinicals which at my college was an automatic drop as at that time they did not allow any make ups (they have since changed this policy). I remember being so angry with the instructors as I was passing all of my classes with A's and one B, I was the student Rep and attended all of the faculty meetings, and was also very active in the student nurses association. (I noted many people posted changing what classes you take - many nursing programs do not allow that. We had to have all prereqs finished before starting the program, once in the program there was no choices - you took the classes in the order they made you with a full load each semester).

I reapplied the next year but because it was for the 2nd semester and no one failed during the 1st semester there were no seats available so it took me two years before I could start back up. I did look into other nursing programs but they would have required me to start from the very beginning so I waited.

Looking back - those two years off were a gift. I did continue to take a few college courses, got my EMT-B (which I found to be sooo helpful when I returned to nursing school). I also was promoted by the hospital I worked at and was trained to be a certified hyperbaric tech. Also the nursing program had made many positive changes and I felt I received a better education on my return.

As many others have stated - you should think long and hard about your decision to be a nurse. If you know that is what you want by all means fight for it. But - never expect a free pass. Nursing really does involve life or death decisions. Time management and knowing your stuff play a vital role in being a good nurse and watching out for your patients. While I always bounce questions off of my coworkers there will be times you have to act fast - no time to stop and think. That is why nursing school has to be tough. Better to learn the hard truths while a student then to have an easy path through school and be responsible for someones death.

TheCareerStudent · Jan 22, 2011

Hey,

I hear that it happens a lot. Yesterday at orientation we were talking to a senior and he said that out of the 30 people in his original class, only 7 original students are left.

Nursing school is hard so don't beat yourself up. You can always go back and try again.

Good luck!

BA_anthropology · Jan 22, 2011

Not yet, but this next exam (first med-surg) is not looking good...

ErinRN2B · Jan 22, 2011

My OB theory teacher said that she failed out of nursing school the first time she went. She was right out of high school, and wasn't ready to commit to college yet. She later went back and got her BSN, and years later got her MSN. She worked for years as an L&D nurse at a small hospital and now works in geriatrics in addition to teaching OB at my CC. She's a great teacher, and I'm sure she's a great nurse! It really does happen to a lot of people. Keep your head up! :nurse:

lilmith · Jan 22, 2011

when you fail clinical you get an F for the clinical. your test grade should not be affected. you might have to repeat the whole class and clinical since it's together.

tech1000 · Jan 22, 2011

Once you fail out, you're kind of stuck. What school is going to accept you into a nursing program when you've failed THREE nursing classes?! Wait it out. If you want your BSN, take some core classes for that in the next year.

kgh31386, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 23, 2011

I think it's ridiculous that because you failed clinic, you failed the class...they could had at least given you a D.

a D is still failing

kgh31386, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 23, 2011

i was never given a proper clinical evaluation like all the other students in my clinical group,my instructor was absolutely crazy and everyone in my group knew it. she would target one student for a while until she moved on to the next one. everyone learned to kiss her butt except for me and i failed.

They do all say that, and I find it hard to believe the teacher would do that for no reason. the student evals would show it and the teacher would be moved somewhere else or replaced. They do take those seriously

CrazziiRN913, ADN, BSN · Jan 23, 2011

@ my school u can only fail one nursing class one time and u have to wait 1 year to retake it, so for 3 classes consider yourself lucky that your not totally out of the program all together...good luck!!!