Dismissal from nursing school without failing any course

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I am supposed to enter my senior year in a BSN program by August, i already completed 3 semesters in the program. I just found out my nursing program sent my a dismissal letter for what they tagged "unprofessional" behavior. These behavior includes calling my teacher less than one hour to a lab class to get permission to be absent due to sick health, waking up late due to a sickness and could not attend a 6:30am clinical which i already made up, not being able to review my nursing exam afterwards because i wad having serious anxiety attack, etc. The point is that look for every opportunity yo write me up because I'm one if their best and the only black.

They already told me at the last disciplinary meeting that i have one chance before being kicked out and i have not used that last chance and they sent me a letter of dismissal when I'm already away for break.

My questions:

1) Can i appeal this successfully?

2) Can another school accept me if i choose to transfer?

3) Is it advisable to make this a court case and will it have any effect on finding a job here afterwards?

Note: I am an international student on an F1 visa for now.

Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
Sorry girl. You dug your own grave with this one. You could try to appeal with the dean but I dont think you will have much success. Take this as a lesson learned. As for the other posters before you start griping about the race card, have you ever experienced race discrimination? Please believe if you experience it you wi definitely recognize it so please refrain from dismissing the feelings of OP. Makes you sound real ignorant.

I was the fat girl in my nursing program.

I had so many issues with nursing tutors and registered nurses who wanted to make my size an issue, who even went as far as telling me that if I didnt make a serious effort to loose weight it could stop me from graduating.

In my second year when I failed my careplan and had to apply for a resubmit and got declined on the basis 'Tenebrae has insufficient clinical knowledge for a year two nursing student"

That was despite at least five clinical evaluations from experience registered nurses who among other things said "tenebrae has exceptional clinical knowledge for a year two nursing student". I remember thinking "did you guys even read my appeal and documentation?". I'd passed every assignment up until that point. Another student who had multiple reassessments had their appeal granted and got their resubmit.

While I have no proof, I'm damm sure that the people involved hoped at that point I would just give up and quit. And I contemplated it, however at that stage I had committed two years and I wasn't prepared to give up with nothing. So I tamped down the anger, decided to play the game and faced and extra year in order to graduate.

OP, if there are people who are going to make your race an issue, you have to be doing it better and cleaner than everyone else and not giving those who would use your skin colour against you any reason to try and stop you from graduating.

It shouldn't be like this, we shouldnt have to deal with people who want to get at us because of body size, skin colour, religon, ethnicity, it is,

Before you reengage with this, I would work on dealing with your anxiety. If its debilitating as a student, its likely to also impact you working as a nurse. I have major depression and anxiety, and a combination of CBT and mindfullness strategies help me manage anxiety attacks in the work place, and no one needs know whats happening.

All the best OP

Specializes in Med-Surg., LTC,, OB/GYN, L& D,, Office.

It seems to me that we can't be getting the entire story but enough of a blurb for you to get some advice on how to proceed legally, presuming you are a 'wronged' party. In YOUR SUMMARY in YOUR WORDS you state, 'They ALREADY told me at the LAST disciplinary meeting that i have ONE CHANCE before being kicked out and i have not used that last chance and they sent me a letter of dismissal when I'm already away for break.

1.How many disciplinary meeetings have accumulated and for what offense?

2.How did you come by the BREAK? Requested and approved, Taken through no-fault of your own, or

taken with little or no notice as in THE REMAINING CHANCE imploding...

it appears as if you may have practice twisting things to place them in a better light.

IF I AM WRONG: I DEEPLY APOLOGIZE but for now the only color I feel is a flush of frustration. There is no excuse for a poor excuse for a nurse, and frankly a liar and manipulator of facts is not only detrimental but dangerous. Otherwise call me color indifferent...unless it is being true blue to one's responsibilities.

Specializes in Private Health Advisor and Writer.

Nursing school, as I am sure you are aware at this point, is unlike any other discipline in the world. There are no second chances, forgiveness, or even sympathy from anyone in that realm. The criteria, rules and regulations are laid out in the very beginning and for those who think that a gray area exists within those rules are left in much of the same situation you are in. I am sorry this happened to you and you can try for appeal, but do not be surprised if it does not pan out. Being late, missing any classes or clinicals, and anxiety attacks are all very good reasons to dismiss a student. You are being expected to meet higher expectations because that is what our patients deserve. I wish you the best of luck.

Specializes in Telemetry, Med-Surg, Peds.
Maybe you and sister had a bad attitude. If you have the mindset that every non black person is racist than that's what you'll see. And it's not only black people that have difficult everyday experiences. Get off your pitty pot. White people .cant blame racism on their failures but rather on performance. So should you.

Wow! The use of the "angry black women" stereotype to back up your argument is a cheap shot. Not surprising though, especially given how many posters are whining about the "race card".

OP - if you felt discriminated against there are laws that prohibit it. Speak with legal council.

Specializes in Case Manager/Administrator.

I am not going to address you being black and say we belong to one race the human race. Your explanations were somewhat disjointed and it sounds like you have a lot of emotion inside you. What I would do is this

1. Look/reflect on your life and where you are now and what brought you here...meaning the decisions you have made.

2. Think of how you can improve, think of how you can take care of yourself better so there is no interference with your learning and work on that.

3. Once you get yourself together maybe you can reapply in a year or so.

Good luck to you.

Specializes in Psychiatry.
Maybe you and sister had a bad attitude. If you have the mindset that every non black person is racist than that's what you'll see. And it's not only black people that have difficult everyday experiences. Get off your pitty pot. White people .cant blame racism on their failures but rather on performance. So should you.

I truly loathe people like you!

I don't agree with the poster at all, but what you've written here is full of hate.

Are you honestly trying to downplay what African Americans go through by lumping them in the same boat as white people?

You really think white people get things accomplished because of performance alone?? What version of American are you on right now?

Specializes in Med-Surg., LTC,, OB/GYN, L& D,, Office.

We need more soldiers like you in all walks of life...

Specializes in Gastroenterology.

Not to be too mean but I had breast cancer during nursing school and made every day except one. I wish I had excuses. My teacher didn't even give me leeway when my mid term was two days after my FIRST surgery. I had to take it in order to get full points. I scheduled every treatment around school. Maybe the dismissal is the best thing for you right now. Sounds like some reflection is in order. Good luck to you.

Specializes in Med-Surg., LTC,, OB/GYN, L& D,, Office.

Your strength and perseverance are remarkable...traits enviable by many of us.

Specializes in Med/Surg/Infection Control/Geriatrics.
I mentioned that I'm the only black not so much in the negative sense. I actually started calling more than 2 hours prior but i forgot to send an email for documentation purpose. I only reported to school in mufti less than one hour to the lab when the teacher refused picking my call. I went to see her in person to explain and get permission yet i was written up.

I am afraid I agree with my colleagues. It seems you also have trouble accepting constructive criticism. You can't win this.

But, you can learn from it going forward. Best to you.

Honestly, while reading your post, even if you had left out the fact that you are black, I would have thought "welp, that's what happens when you miss too many clinicals/labs etc". Also, I am slightly confused, if you had to stay after to review a test and you had bad anxiety, was it because you did poorly on the test? If so, are you REALLY one of the top students in the class? If not, I apologize but that part seemed weird. We are allowed to miss 1 clinical (with a write up), 2nd missed clinical is a dismissal from the program. And that's not per semester, that's per the program. We were well advised of that at orientation (which was actually considered our 'verbal warning') and in our handbook. That's why I don't think it matters what color you were in this situation, it sounds like they likely had a valid reason for dismissing you. Not to say you can't attempt to appeal; others have attempted, some fail, some succeed.

We need more soldiers like you in all walks of life...

How is she "a soldier"?

I don't know that she is a victim, a "soldier," a slacker, or any other descriptor without more information. We really don't know the whole story here.

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