Dismissed From Nursing School, Not Sure What To Do Now

jennelleledesma · Dec 18, 2018

So I've been dismissed and I've taken a step back to observe all aspects of my life of went wrong. But I'm here asking if Adelphi takes chances on dismissed nursing students? Any alumni to provide some hope?

Also, if anyone knows of any other schools that do accept dismissed nursing students please let me know. Thank you!

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Dec 18, 2018

Not sure where you are located- but there are several schools in Indiana that accept previously unsuccessful students- depending on the reason for the dismissal of course.

Sour Lemon · Dec 18, 2018

So I've been dismissed and I've taken a step back to observe all aspects of my life of went wrong. But I'm here asking if Adelphi takes chances on dismissed nursing students? Any alumni to provide some hope?
Also, if anyone knows of any other schools that do accept dismissed nursing students please let me know. Thank you!

Call them and ask. That's only half the battle, though. As others pointed out in your previous thread, your prerequisite grades may not be competitive, even without considering your dismissal.

You really need to do the work yourself, here. Your circumstances are unique. General answers are not going to do much to help you.

jennelleledesma · Dec 18, 2018

Hi sorry, I'm located in Long Island to answer the previous question but to add on, would staying a semester and taking general education courses be a good choice to bump my cumulative GPA?

Sour Lemon · Dec 18, 2018

Hi sorry, I'm located in Long Island to answer the previous question but to add on, would staying a semester and taking general education courses be a good choice to bump my cumulative GPA?

That also depends on specific circumstances. Some programs look at prerequisite GPA, only. Some may look at overall GPA. Some don't consider retakes. Some average any retake grade with the first grade you made in the class. Some simply use the highest grade.

My program happened to look at GPA of the hard sciences, only.

There are so many variables that it's pointless to guess. Look at actual schools and get actual answers straight from the source(s).

MykRTstudent · Dec 19, 2018

My suggestion would be to look for a community college associates degree program in your area and go from there. This makes the most sense financially, and I've found that CC programs are usually more accepting toward/willing to take students that were unsuccessful in other programs.

MykRTstudent · Dec 19, 2018

I say go the community college route. At this point you've probably already spent a lot of money on school and a CC associates degree program will be much cheaper than most BSN programs. Also, I've found that community college programs tend to be more accepting towards students who were not successful in other programs, since community colleges are meant to be open to anybody, and for second chances, etc. There are 3 community college programs in my area that all have a great reputation and high NCLEX pass rates, so there is absolutely nothing wrong with going this route.

I personally don't think your pre-req grades are that bad, and since you've retaken a couple courses that should look good on your applications as it shows you are committed. Surprised at some of the rude comments you're getting, cut it out people, you don't know this girl personally and all she's asking for is help. If you don't have anything nice or helpful to say, don't respond at all.

Best of luck to you, and feel free to contact me with any advice as I've been through something kind of similar to your situation.

jennelleledesma · Dec 20, 2018

Thank you so much for your kind words. It's nice to see that after such a rough time. But I'm only concerned with CC is that hospitals will no longer accept you with an ADN. But if I do an ADN, should I go straight into another program or work and do school?

Hoosier_RN, MSN · Dec 20, 2018

Thank you so much for your kind words. It's nice to see that after such a rough time. But I'm only concerned with CC is that hospitals will no longer accept you with an ADN. But if I do an ADN, should I go straight into another program or work and do school?

A BSN is no guarantee of a hospital job either, in your market, but it does make you more competitive. In your situation, I would apply to CC and other BSN programs, along with appealing to your former program. With dismissal from a program, it will be hard, but not impossible if you're ready to prove yourself.

Thinking ahead, back to my original comment, be prepared to maybe not have a hospital job. LTC, dialysis, LTACH, corrections, and psych facilities are all good places to start and get experience. Especially if you do CC and then RN to BSN. Good luck!

MykRTstudent · Dec 20, 2018

Thank you so much for your kind words. It's nice to see that after such a rough time. But I'm only concerned with CC is that hospitals will no longer accept you with an ADN. But if I do an ADN, should I go straight into another program or work and do school?

It's true that many hospitals now prefer nurses with a BSN. After you get your ADN and take the NCLEX, you are still a registered nurse. My advice would be to enroll in an RN-BSN program as soon as you get your ADN, many of those programs are online, so it makes balancing work and school a little easier. This way when you apply for jobs employers will see that you are enrolled in an RN-BSN program and it will help.

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Dec 22, 2018

Hi, I've just recently been dismissed from nursing school and I'm not exactly sure where to go from here. Nursing is still my biggest passion and something I want to do for the rest of my life. I've taken a step back to examine what went wrong: I've done my notes, listened to my lectures, did my practice questions but I'm not sure if I can blame this on test anxiety. Anyways... Can I get accepted with these grades?
A&P 1 - B+
A&P 2 - B
Chemistry - C (retake of the class is B-)
Psych - A
Sociology - B
Human Growth and Development - B-
Microbiology - C (retake is B)
I have yet to receive the rest of my grades for the semester but I am determined to do this. My plan is to continue at the school as a Biology major and finish any pre-requisites possible and increase my GPA of 3.2. I live in the Long Island area and plan on maybe applying to SUNY Farmingdale or Adelphi.

So you said you were studying. What do you think the problem is? Too large inpersonal class size? Working too much and not having enough time to study? Taking too many classes at one time? You have to analyze what went wrong if you are to succeed.

You may need to cut back on working, take less classes, transfer to a smaller, private, non-profit school where you can get smaller class sizes and more individual attention. I went to school eons ago, but I actually supplemented my reading and studying materials with actual board review books focusing on the area of nursing we were studying. Now it is probably a CDROM, but that may help since exams are based to prepare you to pass the NCLEX in the end. Are you reading the books? Don't skip that.

As another OP said your "passion" to be a nurse may lead to a real let down if and when you become a nurse and are faced with the reality of nursing rather than the ideal you have in your head. Also consider other healthcare jobs such as ultrasound tech. Look into that some places even offer a BS in it vs just an associates. I think it is a better alternative to nursing, less stress, work with one patient at a time, have a good schedule and quality of life and as good or better pay than nursing and can specialize in the heart or OB etc.

I wouldn't pursue a biology degree just for the hell of it as it will only waste your time and money and will lead to more student loans to be paid back. It is really only a stepping stone degree to use for premed or maybe to advance to a Masters of Physical Therapy, which is another career option you could consider looking into.

Cora_Ann · Dec 23, 2018

Hospitals and having a BSN are not all that. You are still just as stressed and honestly will not make that much just coming out.