Run out of nursing school - what to do?

Nurses General Nursing

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Greetings all,

I started my last semester of my RN program very badly. My clinical instructor and I had a serious personality clash. It snowballed into a big mess. I forgot that the instructor is always right. There are many chapters to this which I won't bore anybody with, other than the final one. I was made to sign a contract that said, among other things, that I would meet with the lab instructor once a week through February. After my first meeting with her, I came home to find an email from the dean of nursing saying I was going to be thrown out of the program because I did not pass my lab exam. I wasn't aware that I was being tested when I went to see the lab instructor. Throughout this crisis, I attempted to contact my advisor, other teachers, the dean, and so on. No one responded to me. I have such a bad taste in my mouth about how the entire episode happened that I don't think I would want to continue in this program even if I was allowed. Has anyone had an experience like this? Right now, my strategy is to look into other programs. I will probably have to spend a longer time in school, but I have no choice. Please advise!

Diahni

Specializes in Cardiac Care.

I feel horrible that you had to leave in your last semester. I understand that the situation at your school was very toxic.

I wish you much luck and success in your new program.

Sorry to hear about your problems. Believe me, you are not the only one, many students get blindsided. Do what you need to do to get into another program. If not possible, since I think you stated you have completed more than 50% of your current program, then enter Excelsior College as a last resort. All of the nurses (notice I said nurses) that I met who got raw deals from my school (BSN program) were able to get admitted to, and finish in local ASN programs. Try every nrsg school in your area. But before you go for the interview, make certain that you carefully think through what went wrong, and what you intend to do to see that there is not a repeat of anything on your part. Good luck.

Specializes in Pediatrics.

the environment in so many nursing schools is very toxic. Someone posted about the history of nursing and turning women compliant, and that seems very much to be the approach. Most people choose the "keep your head down" technique, but that is a very hard habit to break and makes for a very meaningless and sometimes even unethical life. Definitely choose your battles, but don't be afraid. If you have the time, are too burnt out, and need a rest, consider other programs. If you have a B.A./S., consider a direct entry MSN or a quick bridge BSN. But don't burn your bridges yet. Read and reread that agreement you signed. Does it say you will be judged at your first meeting with the lab instructor? Is the lab a resource where students can go to learn, or a testing area? Are your skills so behind that maybe you do need remedial work, or are they making things up? Can you get on a list to reenter this toxic program, just as a backup?

I've had horrible run ins with my school. The humiliation and "forced powerlessness" of being a nursing student well into my adulthood steered me to do some stupid, juvenile things when they acted unfairly towards me. I live in fear that I'm on the "hit list" to be arbitrarily flunked by my clinical teacher (since their grading is very subjective they can do that, and we've seen it in our program a few times now)-but I'm in my last semester and I'm keeping my head down baby!

I feel horrible that you had to leave in your last semester. I understand that the situation at your school was very toxic.

I wish you much luck and success in your new program.

Thanks, Don!

hmm... i wonder if you cant do same thing as what i've done. i finished first year of adn , then failed the med-surg class of second year. the lpn program classes are exactly same as the first year of adn program, so i applied to lpn program, and i only had to take 3 more classes, and i became lpn. after that, i applied to lpn to rn program which is going to take me one year. if you do that, then you only have one more year of nursing school instead of starting all over and take 2 years.

hmm... i wonder if you cant do same thing as what i've done. i finished first year of adn , then failed the med-surg class of second year. the lpn program classes are exactly same as the first year of adn program, so i applied to lpn program, and i only had to take 3 more classes, and i became lpn. after that, i applied to lpn to rn program which is going to take me one year. if you do that, then you only have one more year of nursing school instead of starting all over and take 2 years.

good strategy! i'm going to be talking to a lot of schools to figure out the best way to do it. what you describe is a common route for some of the people who dropped out of this adn problem. when there's a will, there's a way!

diahni

hey, i know what you are going through because i've thorug exactly the same thing. dont give up!!!! and dont take how your nursing school treated you personally either. its just a matter of finding a good nursing school. i found a good nursing school in which they are very supportive of nursing students. plus, i found that nursing school is much easier when i went back to school since i have a experience of real nursing world. soon or later, you are going to be a nurse. :nurse: so until then my friend, hang in there!!!! :kiss

If you are in your last semester of nursing school and held your end of the deal up honoring the contract, I would definitely re-evaluate WHY you are being kicked out. One of my fellow nursing students was "kicked out" for alleged cheating in our last semester. She wasn't cheating and went to her attorney. The attorney negotiated a deal for her. She stayed in and graduated.

I think this is a bunch of crap that they let you go through nursing school, spend the time and money to attend thinking you are doing okay - only to be let go the final semester??? Something smells bad here. Worse than a GI Bleed BM!!!

I don't think you would have anything to lose seeking counsel to figure out what your options are. I think starting in another program will just set you back needlessly. Also, fighting back through the appropriate channels will let them know that they can not take advantage of their students.

This kind of draconian nursing academia is for the birds!!! We are there to learn, not to be taken advantage of!!!

Greetings all,

I started my last semester of my RN program very badly. My clinical instructor and I had a serious personality clash. It snowballed into a big mess. I forgot that the instructor is always right. There are many chapters to this which I won't bore anybody with, other than the final one. I was made to sign a contract that said, among other things, that I would meet with the lab instructor once a week through February. After my first meeting with her, I came home to find an email from the dean of nursing saying I was going to be thrown out of the program because I did not pass my lab exam. I wasn't aware that I was being tested when I went to see the lab instructor. Throughout this crisis, I attempted to contact my advisor, other teachers, the dean, and so on. No one responded to me. I have such a bad taste in my mouth about how the entire episode happened that I don't think I would want to continue in this program even if I was allowed. Has anyone had an experience like this? Right now, my strategy is to look into other programs. I will probably have to spend a longer time in school, but I have no choice. Please advise!

Diahni

I swear the responses I see on this board are making me sick!!! To the nurses who say quit, run out, do not pass go, are coawards and are part of the reason why nurses are so disrespected!! I went through a harder time that 99% of the people here. I had to speak in front of the the president of the university and the board of trustees. I had a teacher fail me because she didnt like me. After I fought and won I was treated like a GOD by the teaching staff including the dean! Teachers and students congratulated me on my perseverance. If you quit in your last or even first semester b/c of a teacher they were most likely right. You nurses who said quit and start over again are the type of nurses that get stepped on everyday at work. RESPECT for yourself means standing up for your rights in any situation no matter how tough! This is why we need more men in nursing!:angryfire

The way I read the first post by the OP, the dean of the school emailed her and told her that she was being kicked out of the program. I didn't get that she had quit. Either way, she is on the short end of this stick. And I know of many people who have fought all the way. End of story, out of program. With or without attorney fees. SeanyRN, congratulations on winning your fight. Please do not castigate everyone else in this boat. Most people do not win this fight. You are the exception, not the rule.

Dear Diahni,

What measuring stick did they use to make the decision to dismiss you from the program? They have to prove on measurable terms where your weaknesses are are how you are not meeting their expectations - if they can't do that - I find it hard that they would have any cause to dismiss you based on subjective perceptions or personality conflicts.

If I had only 12 weeks to go in the program and good grades/clinicals prior to this I would fight like hell to graduate. I would have sent a certified letter return receipt to the person in charge to request a meeting and see if there was a way I could finish out. You have so much time and money invested and so little left to finish that it might be worth the effort to see if there is some way you can pass.

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