Why is it so hard to get into nursing school? Let me please ask that you not make mean comments here, I'm already heartbroken. But I seriously don't understand why it's so, so hard to just get IN to nursing school. I have heard that nursing school is hard enough as it is, and I don't have a problem with that. Let people in who want to be a nurse and the school itself can be the factor that makes or breaks you.
Heres my story (long story short) I have wanted to work in healthcare my whole life. I finally decided it was time this year and quit my job in Oil and Gas Accounting to go full-throttle. I worked hard, maintained a 4.0, got a job in a hospital, did all the right things. I took the HESI A2 and got a decent score, but I was less than comfortable with it and studied more and re-took it 2 days before the application to my desired program was due. Unfortunately, test anxiety kicked in and I raised my score by one point. ONE point. If you know the HESI, you know it can be taken twice in a year. That's it. So I turn in my application and anxiously await the decision. I kind of knew that my score wasn't enough to put me on the top of the list but I did hope to make the alternate list. Nope. 106 people applied, which is double what we were told was the norm for Spring admittance. They selected a measly 35 candidates. Out of 106. That means that 70ish people got rejection letters on Christmas Eve. I wanted it so bad. I feel like I deserve it and worked extremely hard to get it. I'm not saying I want it worse than anyone, but I am having a really, really hard time not feeling like there's some in that 35 who thought "what the heck, I'll take the test and see what happens" and got in. They don't even know if they want to be a nurse, they just think it's the fastest way to make a decent living. It kills me. I have made huge sacrifices to get here and just like that, my plan is derailed. I'm not saying I won't try again, but being logistical, the same test score must be used for the next application window, as I can't test again for at least 11 months. Same score for fall semester...hmmm. Test again in fall for spring...it's an entire year setback. And taking a $40k paycut and being set back a year when you have 4 kids, is a major derailment.
It breaks my heart. I feel responsible now for picking up more shifts so that we can build savings up again and not live paycheck to paycheck because I didn't make it. I feel like I let everyone down, including myself.
I know I will get past this and things will eventually work out how they're supposed to, but today, that doesn't help me understand why I can't just get my foot in the door and show them how bad I want this and how hard I have and am willing to keep working to get there.
Specializes in Oncology, Rehab, Public Health, Med Surg.
In a way, this might be seen a prep for the world of nursing.
Wanting something, sacrificing for it , even wanting it for the 'right' reasons, still doesn't mean that promotion-shift change-schedule change is yours . It just doesn't.
Many many times I have seen the better qualified applicant for an opportunity overlooked for variety of reasons-- best friends with boss, better interpersonal skills, boss likes redheads, whatever. It happens.
Work on the test anxiety. Turn this into the opportunity to make yourself the applicant they can't turn down. Not because you want nursing for the 'right' reasons or you sacrificed for it but because you've used this experience to make yourself the best you can be.
Here are the facts. Everybody falls. Eventually, we all get up, but what separates people is how they are feeling afterwards. Some may develop a fear and find ways to avoid falling, but there are some that just keep going and don't give a damn. They always keep going. I know you were expecting some good news for Christmas, but you just need to keep moving on. I'm sorry, but posting a long sob story on this forum will not help you in any way my friend.
Watch this TED talk if you want to. It helped me a lot.
Something that has never let me down is GRIT. I have gotten let down so many times. It wasn't just rejection, it was more. But I kept going. This is nothing my friend. Apply again and keep going. The fact that you tried to go towards nursing school with 4 kids is already impressive. You have grit my friend. Use it. Keep using it.
Josephkey14
24 Posts
Hang in there OP.