Cut my losses or see it through?

[snakes251]

I was/am a nursing student, and found out earlier this week I did not pass one of my courses. As a result, I cannot progress further in my program, and my university has me on this conditional status where I cannot retake courses in the program. So at the end of the semester, I will not be able to continue there.

I've also been having some difficulty in my clinical rotations. It's accelerated, so the pacing goes pretty fast. We'll learn about one thing (i.e. JP dressing, PCA machines) one day and then be expected to apply it the next day. With all the testing we're doing, it's hard for me to retain a lot of this, since I'll literally have a test before that class or after. So my mind will be focused on that.

I've been prepared for clinicals, but not as much as the preceptors want. They're pretty hyper-specific about meds and other procedures. For instance, in doing a history with her about one patient who was on prednisone, I was asked what it was (corticosteroid), what's it for (decrease inflammation post-op), what are side effects (immunosuppression), and so forth. She wanted to know what specific manifestation of immunosuppression, and I had to look it up (oral candida). So I keep getting dinged for these minor oversights.

I notice I'm also a little gun-shy around patients. I'm uncomfortable assessing them, and I keep missing things in terms of their assessment. It's either because I haven't seen it before, or can't associate what I've read with what I'm seeing. I'm really trying, but the one thing I miss is always something important or even critical.

I really messed up last week, and couldn't identify a PCA for morphine. Once the instructor pointed it out, I made the connection instantly, associating this back to what I'd read. But on the spot, I couldn't come up with an answer. The PCA wasn't in his chart, since he was pre-op the day before--that's the only info I had to go on, at the time.

I'm also having difficulty prioritizing. I'm trying, but I'm just not GETTING all the info thrown at me. Welcome to nursing, as they say.

Because of this, I was placed on a learning contract, because I'm obviously one of those "special needs" students now. But with this latest course failure, it seems to be a moot point. I failed that course for similar reasons.

I just wonder if I lack certain abilities to be a successful nurse. I'm uncomfortable with the fact that I've missed some key elements that could mean the life or death of a patient. To be honest, I've never done well in environments where there's multiple demands thrown at you at once. One reason I only lasted as a waiter one month.

In any case, I'm going to have to transfer to another nursing school. That much is certain. I just wonder if, based on this, if I should continue with nursing, or seek out another program where I can focus on one patient at a time, such as physical therapy or counseling. Thoughts, please.

[Jen_Loves_Nursing]

Unfortunately, this is the point where nursing students sink or swim, not all of the students accepted, graduate. I am sorry, maybe respiratory or radiology is more up your ally, more concentrated subject.

[SionainnRN]

Your description of nursing school sounds pretty standard. It's a very overwhelming, scary time. Sadly not every personality type is cut out for nursing. If you don't like having to focus on multiple things at once or a fast pace, nursing may not be for you.

If it's really your hearts desire, you can always try applying to a different nursing school and seeing if things get easier the second time around. You may find that you do better now that the fear of the unknown is gone.

Or you may want to try a different career path. Good luck!!

[Emily2016, BSN]

Being in an accelerated program sounds extremely overwhelming. I can see how anybody would have a difficult time with it. If you are passionate about nursing and want to give it another chance, I would apply to a different nursing school. But I would not do an accelerated program this time around. Try something a little slower paced and I'm sure it will be much more enjoyable and a little less stressful. Don't give up!

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

It sounds to me like you've reached the end of your time at that particular school and if you weren't going to fail out academically, you would have failed out clinically. That's not a great place to be. It sounds like you're not quite ready to put it all together. When it domes to post-op patients, often they'll be on a PCA. That won't be in the patient's chart from pre-op, but it'll be in the chart during post-op/recovery... basically the time you saw the patient. They hammer you on meds so that you know why the patient is getting the med, what to watch for if something goes sideways and so on. Pretty standard stuff.

I suggest you do some introspection as to what exactly it is that's making you uncomfortable with doing patient care in general before you embark on your next step.

Nursing School (NS) is certainly not an easy process (and I mean it really is a process) to get through. It's very different from anything you've likely ever done before and probably a lot more difficult. Some people are better suited for the job than others. This is true in any field. Also, like any field, often where there is a will, there is a way. It just boils down to the individual student. Since you're not able to progress further at your current school, you should at least start the process of looking into transfer requirements into another program. This is both for your own peace of mind and to even see if it's possible. Some NS do not accept students that have failed out of a NS within a certain time period. Around here, that time-frame is 10 years. I failed out and would not have been able to transfer absent a very good reason, to any program for 10 years. I was lucky to have been allowed to be re-admitted to the school and I ensured that possibility by following the process established in the Student Handbook. Even if I hadn't been re-admitted, I would have remained in good standing (absent the failure itself) with the program and that would have been a point in my favor for a transfer elsewhere.

You have a lot of soul-searching ahead of you right now... I wish you the best of luck, whichever path you choose to take.

[afterseason, ASN, RN]

If you have your heart set on being a nurse but find the pacing too much for you, I would try a program that is not accelerated. This allows for more time to absorb the material. If you're uncomfortable with patient care, you may want to try working as a CNA beforehand as a "warm up." I would not immediately say your future as a nurse is finished. I have known others to fail out but then get back on the horse and try again, and they eventually came out as successful nurses.

Best of luck to you.

[snakes251]

Thank you everyone for the comments. You have all pretty much confirmed what I knew, but didn't want to admit.

How should I word this? My motivations for nursing, while noble, weren't entirely thought out. I chose it because originally I thought about PT, then for some reason, I started looking at being a physician assistant Seeing how there were more prerequisites for P.A. school, I opted for nursing, because I could eventually work on being a nurse practitioner. That was my great strategy.

Now that I've seen the reality of things, I realize these maybe I did the right thing for the wrong reason. You are right--I need to take a step back, soul search, and decide from there. I've got the time now! :)

One final note: when my instructor called me into her office and notified me I didn't pass the course, I felt sad and disappointed, sure. But more than that, I felt relieved. That's telling me something right there.

[SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP]

I would definitely take a long, hard look at what you really want to do. Do you like the science of medicine, but not the patient interaction? Perhaps medical laboratory science might be more up your alley? Or maybe Health Administration?

If you've always had trouble multi-tasking, it may be that this isn't the career path for you. There's nothing wrong with that! Think about what really motivates & interests you. :)

One more suggestion: if you're strong in math & science, you might consider Bioengineering. If you're a woman going in to that field, there's a plethora of scholarships available. My son & I attended an engineering preview day at a university he's interested in. I absolutely loved the Bioengineering presentation. You have to have a background in anatomy, physiology, micro, etc. to go in to that field, so your pre-reqs would carry over. The salary potential in that field is very good, too. Take a look in to it. I was very impressed with the research projects they were doing (e.g. low cost LED biliblankets, encapsulated microcapsules that do blood work without requiring a venipuncture, etc.)

[Dohardthings]

I think you got great advice and I agree with your final assessment. I would also eliminate Physician Assistant from a choice, it's different but just as rigorous and just as hands on. Bioengineering and Laboratory Science are good options. Hope you find what fulfills you.

[Psychcns]

Have you thought of getting some career counseling? There are tests you can take to help you narrow down your interests.

That school sounded too fast paced. As far as multitasking, it takes practice.

[guest07/14/15]

I believe that you should give nursing another shot. It will not be easy but you do know what to expect. The accelerated program is tough and that is why I did not apply to one. Try another program at a slower rate where you will not fall behind as easy. Relax and breathe and do not give up on your dreams.