So I got kicked out of nursing school after my second failed class. It has been 6 months, I have never spoken about it since then and am now comfortable talking about it. I hope to get any insight, advice, and whatever comments you may have. I was enrolled at West Coast University (private school in CA). At WCU, it is important we maintain at 76% critical grade (not final grade) to be considered a pass. I failed one of my class by 1% critical grade, retook it and passed the second time. My second failed class was because I didn't turn in all my assignments. It was a tough semester, many things were going on in my personal life. Even though my critical was passing, I still didn't pass because I didn't submit all my assignment. I am not blaming anyone or want any pity. But I was really upset with myself, I couldn't get myself to submit all my assignment. Now, I face that mistake. I now owe a lot of money since I was already half-way done with the BSN program.
It took me a while to accept my new reality. I still kept that a secret to my family and friends. I have been living a lie but honestly, I really think nursing is for me. I know I am not stupid. Since then, I looked into community college and enrolled myself into a local community college to retake the pre-req since my pre-req already passed the 5 year mark. I am also preparing myself to take the CNA exam so I can at least work to start paying off the loans from Sallie Mae. I am just afraid with how long it could take me to get back into a nursing program because I am near 30yo. I feel like my pit-fall has slowed me down on having a "real job" and starting a family.
If a 1% difference means you pass/failed they should apply that thought to tuition!!!!! Clearly if I failed, your programs sucks for ME and I should get MY money back.
There has to be a cut off point, and it must apply to everyone or it isn't fair. 1% or 10%, it doesn't matter if your grade falls below that line. This coming from someone who flunked out due to not taking mathematics minimum pass rate seriously enough and failing by a hair's breadth. I sat out 6 months and was allowed to resume the program, but I had learned my lesson and never allowed my grades to ever be that close to the fail life again.
I would quietly and kindly advise you to look at other roles in healthcare. Your odds of getting back into nursing school are quite slim on the whole. There are a lot of roles that have direct patient interaction that pay nearly as well and that will be more receptive to you.
I am sorry you are having to face this. Facing our own demons is incredibly difficult and humbling. Come clean to your family as soon as possible before this eats away at you any further.
People change nursing schools all the time. School is, after all, a business and you have a good chance of getting back in if you demonstrate that you have fresh perspective, a plan for success, and your life is ready. You can also request a meeting with the dean of the prospective schools to get a feel for if it will be worth applying. Also, phlebotomy usually pays more than CNA work and is easier on the body. Perhaps begin paying your loans off little by little now, and avoid them like the plague in the future — unless absolutely necessary, like purchasing a home.
Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.
1 hour ago, Queen Tiye said:
People change nursing schools all the time. School is, after all, a business and you have a good chance of getting back in if you demonstrate that you have fresh perspective, a plan for success, and your life is ready. You can also request a meeting with the dean of the prospective schools to get a feel for if it will be worth applying. Also, phlebotomy usually pays more than CNA work and is easier on the body. Perhaps begin paying your loans off little by little now, and avoid them like the plague in the future — unless absolutely necessary, like purchasing a home.
Yes, nursing schools are a business. However, the good ones are extremely competitive for entry. Business or no, when the majority of good nursing schools have a waiting list and a competitive entry process, the OP is going to face a very uphill battle to gain entry, regardless of who he or she meets with. Not one but TWO failed semesters of nursing school is going to be a huge hiccup and to say otherwise is to be living in a bit of a dream land. I am not saying it cannot be done. I am saying that when in this particular situation it would be wise to examine all options, including the potential to be something else.
Are you eligible for LVN challenge since you completed a certain number of RN classes?
I have actually never heard about this but went ahead and researched a bit about it. Seems like California does that. That's great since I live here. I completed fundamental, pharmacology, medical-surgical 1+2, ob, and mental health. When I got kicked out, I missed out on pediatric, public health and medical-surgical 3 (critical care).
According to the California board, there are different methods to attain LVN. I will check on my qualification and figure out how to attain this.
This method requires the equivalent of completion of 51 months of paid bedside nursing experience in an acute care facility, verification of skill competency and 54-theory hours of pharmacology. For details regarding this method please see Method 3: Qualification Based on Equivalent Education and/or Experience.
Section 2506 of the California Code of Regulations specifies that applications for licensure shall be made "on the form prescribed and provided by the Board". The Board has specific forms that employers must complete in order for an applicant to receive credit for paid work experience. This form will be sent directly to the employer by the Board, and the completed form must be returned directly back to the Board from the employer.
All documentation in support of an application for licensure should be provided directly to the Board. Employers should not provide confidential employment information on licensure applicants to individuals other than the Board.
Applicants with formal nursing education may submit official transcripts for a determination of possible credit in lieu of paid bedside nursing experience.
(See Summary of Requirements for Licensure and/or Method 3: Qualification Based on Equivalent Education and/or Experience for a detailed description of these requirements.)
ATTENTION RN STUDENTS:
Pursuant to California Board of Regulation section 2532(c), you are required to complete a minimum of 576 Theory hours which shall include a minimum of 54 hours in pharmacology and 954 Clinical hours to be eligible to take the Licensed Vocational Nursing Exam. You will receive a maximum of 54 theory hour credit for your pre—requisites. You may submit your employment verification and copy of your Certified Nursing Assistant license to complete the remaining hours. You will receive five months credit towards medical surgical nursing for your Certified Nursing Assistant certificate/license.
I would quietly and kindly advise you to look at other roles in healthcare. Your odds of getting back into nursing school are quite slim on the whole. There are a lot of roles that have direct patient interaction that pay nearly as well and that will be more receptive to you.
I am sorry you are having to face this. Facing our own demons is incredibly difficult and humbling. Come clean to your family as soon as possible before this eats away at you any further.
Thank you for your message, I appreciate it. Could you insight me on what are these "other roles in healthcare"? I honestly don't see myself doing anything else other than nursing. I am open to all ideas. I heard alot about how hard it is for students to get accepted into a nursing program, I am definitely afraid of that too. I also am aware that my chance is slimmer because I was previously kicked out of a nursing program.
However, my end-game is currently still nursing. After reading some comments, I am now going to check for my qualification to the "LVN challenge". I am currently taking my anatomy & physiology classes since they have now expired and pharmacology for nurses to refresh my medication memory. Also, I will be taking my CNA exam tomorrow so I can start working as a CNA.
When I fall I remind myself of why I start in the first place. What I look to for inspiration is the myth of sisyphus.
Sisyphus cheated death numerous times and was sentenced by the gods to push a boulder up a mountain for all eternity, however, whenever he neared the top the boulder would come out of his grasp and roll back to the bottom only to have him start all over again. He was damned for all eternity to roll this boulder to the top of the mountain only to never quite reach the top.
Included in this is a quote by Albert Camus, "One must imagine sisyphus happy.".
You must find happiness in the absurd, no matter how many times your boulder rolls back down the mountain, you are required to start pushing it back up again.
No matter how many times I may have a feeling of hopelessness or encounter roadblocks, I remind myself of this. Life is about the experience and the persistence of pushing for your goals. Your boulder is at the bottom of the hill, you have taken a rest, start pushing again.
Thank you ❤️ I agree. I am upset about my outcome of getting kicked out but at the same time, it is also a blessing for me. I am currently using my time out of nursing school to better myself so I can get back into what makes me happy. I am retaking anatomy & physiology because of the 5-year science requirement. Also taking pharmacology (again) to better myself, I want to be that nurse who really knows her meds. Will be applying to a CNA job soon so I can still be in a similar setting. Lastly, I am taking Spanish so I can better communicate with my future patients.
People change nursing schools all the time. School is, after all, a business and you have a good chance of getting back in if you demonstrate that you have fresh perspective, a plan for success, and your life is ready. You can also request a meeting with the dean of the prospective schools to get a feel for if it will be worth applying. Also, phlebotomy usually pays more than CNA work and is easier on the body. Perhaps begin paying your loans off little by little now, and avoid them like the plague in the future — unless absolutely necessary, like purchasing a home.
THANK YOU! ❤️ I actually thought about phlebotomy too since I had experienced during my medical-surgical 1+2 clinical. As a nursing student, I was actually told by nurses that I am good at it. I will look into it, thank you again.
Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.
14 hours ago, Maddelyn said:
Thank you for your message, I appreciate it. Could you insight me on what are these "other roles in healthcare"? I honestly don't see myself doing anything else other than nursing. I am open to all ideas. I heard alot about how hard it is for students to get accepted into a nursing program, I am definitely afraid of that too. I also am aware that my chance is slimmer because I was previously kicked out of a nursing program.
However, my end-game is currently still nursing. After reading some comments, I am now going to check for my qualification to the "LVN challenge". I am currently taking my anatomy & physiology classes since they have now expired and pharmacology for nurses to refresh my medication memory. Also, I will be taking my CNA exam tomorrow so I can start working as a CNA.
Other roles that pay well (phlebotomy doesn't) - Respiratory therapist. Sonography technician. Anesthesiology technician. Surgical technologist. Radiology technician. Physical therapist or physical therapy assistant. Cardiovascular technician.
These are just a few. All have excellent job prospects, many of them have a lot of patient contact, including care and teaching aspects and most of them pay rather well. As you get your CNA and if you are able to work in a hospital, take the time to look at all the roles that influence patient care. You may find something that is very much to your liking. Looking into the LVN challenge is a GREAT idea as well. Then you can work on getting into an LVN to RN program.
Whatever you wind up doing, I wish you an excellent future.
Before wasting your time and money, make sure you talk to a few comm colleges and find out if they'll take you, because as far as I know, if you fail two times no one is going to take you. Maybe I'm wrong, but find out first.
I did an LVN program in Orange County (Stanbridge, it’s expensive but not as expensive as WCU) and two girls from my cohort came from the same position you are in. One started from the beginning with us but the other was able to skip the first semester because of her credits and they both finished! So that’s always an option and then you can do a bridge program.
You should not let this deter you but seriously clean up your act the second go-around. You need to submit your assignments. Failing for having low grades after really studying hard is one thing but submitting assignments is a simple thing to do! It’s about priority and keep organized in nursing school!!
I would quietly and kindly advise you to look at other roles in healthcare. Your odds of getting back into nursing school are quite slim on the whole. There are a lot of roles that have direct patient interaction that pay nearly as well and that will be more receptive to you.
I am sorry you are having to face this. Facing our own demons is incredibly difficult and humbling. Come clean to your family as soon as possible before this eats away at you any further.
This is not true. I’ve met four people throughout my schooling who all failed out of nursing programs, got accepted into another program, and have graduated. They are now all working as nurses. What a discouraging piece of advice for the OP.
Anyway OP, I was in nursing school at one time and failed a course myself. I had the opportunity to retake it, but was turned off to nursing in general. Long story short, I realized how unhappy I was in nursing school and switched gears- I went back to school for respiratory therapy, I loved it, and just graduated this summer.
I think community college is the best way to go for those who were unsuccessful in previous nursing programs. I’ve found that CC’s tend to be the most accepting, and will give you a second chance- plus money is another factor, CC’s are usually the best options financially, so if you already have loans to begin with that’s a no brainer.
Like others have said, if you change your mind there are other professions in allied health that pay well and you can use your nursing pre-reqs for. Some examples would be Respiratory Therapy (what I chose), Radiology Tech, Surgical Tech, Medical Lab Tech, or if you can handle a little more schooling there’s also Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy. Respiratory Therapy would be the closest to nursing out of all of these.
CharleeFoxtrot, BSN, RN
840 Posts
There has to be a cut off point, and it must apply to everyone or it isn't fair. 1% or 10%, it doesn't matter if your grade falls below that line. This coming from someone who flunked out due to not taking mathematics minimum pass rate seriously enough and failing by a hair's breadth. I sat out 6 months and was allowed to resume the program, but I had learned my lesson and never allowed my grades to ever be that close to the fail life again.