Can anyone become a nurse? When do I give up on being a nurse?

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I just don't seem to be doing very well in nursing school despite having an excellent GPA before being accepted into the nursing program. I really love nursing, but I just don't seem to be very good at nursing. I have the heart and the compassion to help others, but I just can't seem to pull all my necessary skills together.

When should I give up on being a nurse and choose another career (it's not like being a nurse is the only way to help people)? Should I just keep trying to get accepted into different nursing programs, and failing and try another program and fail until I finally catch on to nursing?

I could get a bachelors in social work, and a masters in counseling, and a doctorate in religious studies, and work as a counselor specializing in people with addiction and psychiatric problems, suicidal, history of abuse, etc. I would probably do very well working as a counselor. I admit nursing is my first choice, but maybe I'm just not any good at nursing, and I should move on and consider other choices.

Any advice and insight would be greatly appreciated.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

Not anyone can become a nurse IMO. That said, I think only you can answer this question. There is no rule or set time. If you think you could do something else and succeed while still filling the void to help others and stuff, than maybe try that. If your heart is in nursing and you don't want to give up on it, than stick with it. Hire a tutor, try to figure out what the root of the problem is and work on it.

Best of luck to you in whatever you decide.

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Specializes in TCU, Post-surgical, Infection Prevention.

Don't beat yourself up, stand back and take a deep breath... You can do it - you got into Nursing school, which is a major feat in itself:yeah:.

I just started engaging/studying with groups and tutors, and up until recently had a medicore gpa. If you are closer to the middle or the end - stick it out as best you can. I lived in Florida for five long years just to have the job experience, knock out prereqs, and save some money. Five long years - I realized I needed/wanted to move back home at year 1.5, lol. But enough about me.

If you have a set of skills you are really confident in (in your clinicals, lectures), consider that mastered and start focusing on the other things you feel less secure about. So you start wittling that list of "can't do so well", and build the "yay, i'm really good at this" list. Try to get the enthusiam back that you held when you initially embarked on this path.

Yes, there are other fields where you can help and they are noble fields, but consider your first love and how it can be a spring board to some of the other occupations. I've seen RN's hired as sociology professionals, but not vice versa (my mother was a community health nurse while we were stationed in Germany).

Don't make a decision in haste is my only advice... I am sure you will make the best decision for you. And congratulations if you continue in your nursing program, that is so exciting!

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Don't give up on it until you have given it everything you care to give it and have convinced yourself that further effort is not what you want to spend time on. I met a man who took college algebra five times before he passed it. He said he wasn't going to let that one class get the best of him.

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Only you can decide when or if nursing just isn't for you. Not everyone can do it, just the same as not everyone could be a counselor, or a teacher, or a doctor, or a chef for that matter.

My psychology teacher was an admissions counselor and told us about a time when he told a student she needed to switch careers. She was failing every class, so much that she lost all of her financial aid. She was in school for 3 years and never passed the classes needed to get on the nursing waitlist. She tried tutoring and she said she worked hard. It just wasn't the right thing for her.

That won't make you any less of a good person, or a good student. Nor does it make you a failure.

BUT, don't make this decision until you have tried everything, otherwise, you will always wonder if you could've done it. If after you're tried everything, and you come to this decision, then more power to you!

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Thanks everyone...

I'm not ready to give up quite yet, but I'm trying to be realistic too. I guess the idea of doing anything else with my life besides nursing makes me feel guilty, after all the time I spent on pre-reqs. I failed my second nursing class (Assessment and pharmacology the first time I took the class, and even though I passed it on my second go around, I'm in the process of failing my third nursing class (med-surg), so as you can see I am still a beginning student and I am already failing. I study very hard and give myself every chance to succeed, but I'm just not sure I'm good at nursing. I am struggling with both lecture and clinicals, and it makes no difference if I study in a group or alone. If I fail med-surg then I'm pretty sure I'm out of the program so I guess that is when I'll decide whether to find another nursing school or choose counseling or something like that.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Thanks everyone...

I'm not ready to give up quite yet, but I'm trying to be realistic too. I guess the idea of doing anything else with my life besides nursing makes me feel guilty, after all the time I spent on pre-reqs. I failed my second nursing class (Assessment and pharmacology the first time I took the class, and even though I passed it on my second go around, I'm in the process of failing my third nursing class (med-surg), so as you can see I am still a beginning student and I am already failing. I study very hard and give myself every chance to succeed, but I'm just not sure I'm good at nursing. I am struggling with both lecture and clinicals, and it makes no difference if I study in a group or alone. If I fail med-surg then I'm pretty sure I'm out of the program so I guess that is when I'll decide whether to find another nursing school or choose counseling or something like that.

Does your school offer tutoring services? Our school has it and it's free, they also have free counseling for students or even students and their partners and stuff for free as well. A lot of people have utilized the tutoring. It's best to get in there as soon as you start doing bad. It's a lot easier to get out of a hole when it's just begun rather than wait until your sinking.

Pharm and med/surge are tough classes for a lot of students. We lost most of our students that haven't passed from those 2 classes so if that is the only ones that have given you problems and this is still what you want than hang in there.

I lost my focus in school and let a lot of outside distractions get in during my med/surge class. I went into 3 exams without any sleep and failed all 3 exams. They were my first F's in nursing school. I really felt like giving up and started doubting myself. I went into the final having a very narrow margin that I could miss and after the final I walked out feeling like there was no way I was going to pass. I mean I pretty much had to get close to an A and it was twice as many questions as our normal exams, it was tough and I already did bad on the other tests so it being cumulative I figured I was doomed. I managed to pass though, I don't remember what it was I needed but like I said, it was a pretty narrow margin I had. I got the EXACT number I needed to pass. That was all that I needed to get my butt focused back again and I was back to doing a lot better.

I am doing well again now and even still some days I wonder if this is what I really want, I know I do. I know I will make a great nurse. I might not get the best grades in the class, but I know I will be a good nurse.

Don't give up on yourself.

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Are you failing based on the lecture portion of the course or the skills aspect? If the latter get yourself into lab and PRACTICE. If the former I agree to get tutoring, get a study group, find a way. For me the nursing testing is like nothing I've ever seen. It was really hard for me my first quarter but I got the hang of it. Go over your tests with the teachers and look at every aspect of what you're missing. If it's content that's one thing, but if it's just learning how to test that's another and much easier to fix. GL.

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

Hang in there. Nursing is such a varied field you can find your niche once you graduate.

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Hey mi vida loca, you inspire me and I have been where you were a many a time. I've sort of gotten caught up in the school drama( and it's been some drama) and have lost focus. Hearing you lets me know that I'm not the only one who's done that and it feels great but heck, life happens.

To you satyadhi I agree with all the OP'S don't give up if you are close to the end. You never know, you could get a job after school and shine on the clinical floor and I believe that your skills are there and always have been you just gotta be confident enough to perform them. You can do it an don't give up!

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I decided the first week of school that I was only giving it one shot. If I flunked out, then adios. Then, I realized that I possibly have the worst instructors in history. We've only had one test so far and I got an 86. So, we'll see how that goes.

But yeah, not everyone can be a nurse. My problem is that I know I can do it but with no actual instruction at all, I'm having trouble foreseeing how it is going to happen.

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I think there is a lot of pressure to continue in NS even when you have serious doubts that this is the career for you. It sounds like in your case you really love nursing, and it's your passion. It darn well better be for many of us; the cost, both familial and financial, the years of pre-reqs, the admissions process, the tests, etc. are all high bars. Each time, we jump, and pray that our hard work and dedication pays off. And after all that, to be in school and wonder if it is even the career for you, adds more stress. Everyone I know, know's I'm in NS. Everyone has an opinion. I will never give up on this dream, it's what I've always wanted. But, there have been times when I've wondered if I'm going to be good enough. And when I start down that path in my mind, the thought of all the people who've invested time and money, besides myself, start filtering in. It's hard to say to other people, "you know, I tried my hardest, but it just wasn't meant to be." Even having a change of heart, you still feel like you are letting others down.

So, the point of this long, meandering post, is that if YOU really want it, then you just keep truckin'. Find the help you need, somewhere, somehow. BUT if you do not want to keep going in a direction your heart is not in, then forget the other voices influencing your decision. No one else has to do the work, go through the process, live your life.

My DH's aunt always wanted to be a nurse. But the math held her back, then she got married, and had kids, and had a really fulfilling, influential career, in a totally different arena. She's been volunteering at a local hospital for almost 30 years now, and is so proud of me for going into nursing. She mentions every single time she sees me, how she wanted to be a nurse. And I can tell you, this lady would've been an awesome RN. Don't be her. She's one of my favorite people in the world, and has a very full life. But the sadness in her eyes and her voice when she talks about nursing breaks my heart. And motivates me to work a little harder for her.

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