Dismissed from nursing school

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Hi, I have recently been dismissed from a BSN program. I have failed two classes. My first class I failed was my junior year, which I was able to retake and pass with flying colors. I failed my second class my last semester of my senior year. I failed the class by 3 points or 0.8%. I am a great student overall, I never miss class, I make 100s on all my clinical paperwork and quizzes. They told me I was dismissed from the program. I have tried to explain to them the stressors I went through this last semester, but they did not care to listen. My dad lost his job (which is how I am even able to go to school), my uncle was killed in a car wreck, and my grandmother was diagnosed with ALS and given less than a year to live. Family is the most important thing to me and it affected me greatly that all this was happening at once. I take full responsibility for failing my class, but I thought I could talk to my teachers/dean so that I could take this last class to graduate. I have talked to the admissions department of what actions needed to be taken in order to ask for readmission. They told me to meet with teachers and study all summer long. I have emailed teachers multiple times and they either do not anewer me or they say they are too busy to meet with me. I do not want to start the nursing program all over again since I am so close to graduating and my parents have spent over 120,000 on my schooling. I am wondering if there is anything else I should be doing when the school is being so unwilling to help me in any way or who else can I go to for help? Please let me know if anyone has gone through this or has suggestions for me. Thank you.

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For $120,000 I would be demanding answers. Keep going up the ladder.

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What is your school's published policy on failing classes, appeals, etc.? I would follow the school's procedures exactly and take advantage of every opportunity the policy offers you to appeal your situation as high up the ladder as you can, but don't expect the school to make some special exception in your case. I don't mean to sound like I'm making light of your situation, but every student who fails has a sad story about all the stress s/he was under. Plenty of people fail the last semester before graduation. And lots of people fail by just a percentage of a point, and everyone who does thinks it's unfair and they want the rules to be bent for them. If schools made exceptions for people who fail by 0.5%, then all the people who failed by 0.7 or 0.8% would want exceptions. If they got to slide by, then the people who failed by 1.0% would want an exception. It would never end (I've taught in nursing programs; I've been through this). The schools have to set limits and abide by them. You failed to meet the requirements of the program to graduate. In the end, that's the bottom line (not how much the program cost ...)

However, having said that, I hope you'll find a way to be successful in appealing and getting back on track. Best wishes!

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Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.

I agree with ellpark. Follow the appeals process outlined in your student handbook. Typically this is initiated by sending a formal letter to the dean (again, look at the process for your program). Usually, sending emails get you nowhere without having initiated the formal appeal.

Just understand that some programs have a 2 strikes and you're out rule. Just because you were able to re-take the first fail doesn't erase it from your record. I'm sorry to hear about what happened with your family. Did you discuss this with your instructor as you were going through it? Were you on the bubble the entire semester or did you bomb one or two tests? Only you know the answers to these questions.

When you appeal, they don't want to hear a sob story (not trying to make light of your situation at all, OK?). They want to see what your plan to remediate is. How would you approach the course differently to ensure success? Just saying you take full responsibility isn't enough. Show them how you determined where you went off track and how you plan to change that.

Good luck :)

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

It's terrible that you've had so much misfortune to deal with - but that does not mean that the school is required to relax their standards to accommodate your needs. In fact, this would open them up to charges of discrimination if they did not provide the same sort of consideration to everyone else... and as stated by a PP, everyone who fails a class can come up with at least one good excuse.

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Specializes in Med/ Surg/ Telemetry, Public Health.

Each school has their policies on failures. Some schools you have to wait two years to come back or you are out for good. Review your schools nursing handbook, and see if there is an readmission process. To not pass in your final semester must have been devastating. If you can't go back I say get your self together and apply somewhere else, if you are willing to start over because nursing credits won't transfer. Keep us posted and I hope everything works out.

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I understand everyone has stressors that they go through ans I'm not trying to use that as an excuse. I guess what I was trying to ask is what else can I do if a school is unwilling to help me with readmission? I am able to reapply this coming semester and I have worked all summer long on the things I was suggested to do such as created a study plan and study all summer long to prove to the school that I would pass next time around. I have also tried meetings with teachers and asking for advice, as suggested by the admissions department. The teachers either don't reply or say they are too busy. I'm trying to get back in, but they are unwilling to help. I just need to know if there is something else I should try to better my chances of getting back in?

thank you

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