Changing nursing major to something different

Nurses General Nursing

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I have been taking my nursing prerequisites for about 1 and a half years now. This would be my last semester since I have applied to the nursing school for next semester. My advisor told me that with the GPA I have (3.2) and not having any experience as a nurse aid or LPN, I will not get in because I do not have enough points on the ranking scale. With that said I feel like after taking all these classes and not doing as well as I wanted that nursing just may not be for me. The only problem is that I all I have to show for my two years of college is nursinng prerequisites. What could I do besides nursing with these types of classes without having to take extra time in college? I appreciate the answers.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Home Health.

um, I dont understand why a GPA of 3.2 would keep you out of nursing school. Most of the people I went to nursing school with had no previous experience either, most dont. I woulnt accept that at all. I would go to a different school and transfer my classes if I had to. If you have one class that you got a very low grade on (one that is lowering your GPA significantly) maybe retake it to increase your GPA? 3.2 is better than most, where I went to school. Is there anyone else you can talk to about this?

Yep a 3.2 doesn't sound bad but, our school suggest that you have a 3.5 to at least be competitive. I've noticed a lot of students going into the education major after not getting into nursing school. I've also seen people majoring in pharmacy. Check with your advisor to see what credits will transfer. Best wishes!

Exactly. A 3.2 isn't that bad but the average GPA of the students who get accepted into our program is like a 3.65 and anything below that is pretty much put aside. My advisor has not been very helpful to me these last couple of semesters when it comes to what I would have needed to be competitive and also I heard from some of my peers that she gave them a couple tips on how to set up their schedules in ways that would produce the least amount of stress, which I was never aware of.

Specializes in OB.

Please do not give up your goals based on what your advisor has said. Getting into a nursing program is competitive, but a 3.2 GPA is respectable. If the average GPA of students getting into your program is 3.65, then that means 50% of the students that got into the program have below a 3.65 GPA and the other 50% have above a 3.65 GPA. Don't give up!!

Respiratory therapy

Dental hygiene

Radiology tech

Don't harbor the thought that your GPA means you are not cut out for nursing. It might mean that you are not accepted at that particular program at this particular time and that is all it means. I got a rejection letter one time that said essentially that while I met the minimum requirements for admission (that meant I was good enough), that they took those who were better qualified than me (their GPAs were higher). I just went to another school and that is what you should do. Good luck.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Home Health.

Our school didnt look at GPA for the first cut. They looked at ACT scores. Once they got thru those, then they took the higher GPA's. I wish you the best. But if nursing is truely what you want to do, please dont give up on that.

Hello,

In our school the average GPA was 3.8 combined with TEAS scores, but there were ADN programs at the local junior colleges that admitted based on lottery. The qualifying GPA was 2.7. I think most of the programs moved that up to 3.0. If nursing is what you want, then have you considered going that route? I don't know where you live, but in CA 70% of the nurses are ADN level. If you decide you really want to get a BSN then there are lots of RN to BSN programs that are easier to get into.

Some majors that our college offered as alternatives to nursing, that carried many of the same prereqs.: Dental hygiene, Health Sciences, Nutrition.

Best of luck to you.

Yeah at Chaffey where i attend its based on a lottery. But the better GPA for yourself, the more you have challenged yourself to get better grades because the program i hear is tough. I am myself doing my pre courses and it takes forever! It is very easy to get discouraged. You can also try and finish your AA in science. I read that they are getting rid of the Lvn bridge programs so it should not make a difference with experience once you get into the course. But never give up on your dreams! It makes it all the more sweeter when you do achieve that goal! Good luck to you.

Well, there is one thing to address here.. Do you want to be a nurse?

If the answer is yes, then you need to keep trying, and keep looking. There are other Nursing schools out there. I had a 'rough' undergraduate semester (I was in and out of the hospital, resulting in a very low semester,) meaning that my GPA suffered down to a 2.7. Our schools has a minimum GPA of 2.5; I was accepted the first time I applied, despite not being an LPN/CNA. This was actually the case for a LOT of people in my program. Surprisingly, they take a lot of people on first-come first-serve basis.

Also, you could apply for an LPN program, or even a CNA. Try working at an assisted living facility, or LTC. Even volunteering at a hospital on weekends is a wonderful foot in the door.

If Nursing is not something you are die-hard about, I would not pursue it any further. I have changed my major, oh, three times I'd say. Nursing pre-reqs can be used as "Elective" credits for a lot of majors. I would recommend trying to take a semester to simply try a VARIETY of classes--just see where your interest is pulled. Even an aptitude test might help--you might be surprised by the results.

I think you should try another school first. Some nursing programs had the craziest ideas for denial, but I left the state, and I am now attending a university. I was unsure because the buzz is that most new grads are having hard time getting employed. But after talking to my husband, and post on this site I said I am soooo over worrying about a Job. Just like I got over where I was going to school. I don't take no for an answer for anything I want (as long as it is in within good reason), and YOU DONT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER EITHER!! especially if it is something you really are passionate about. Your GPA isn't an issue the school is, find another school.

I wish you the best of luck hun:D

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