Has anyone else had to withdraw from their program and then return several semesters later?

[studentbear, CNA]

I'll try to be as brief as possible with the backstory for brevity but this post will probably be quite long. I had some health issues during my second clinical semester (fall 2017.) Near finals, it became apparent I would need to withdraw, regroup, and return to retake the classes the next semester. I ended up needing more time than that and then some other life things occurred (my marriage fell apart and was followed by mental/financial issues related to that.) Needless to say, the time off from school was much longer than originally anticipated.

I always did the appropriate paperwork (readmission application, etc.) and made sure to stay in contact with my advisor. Each semester I touched base with her and each time she said it would be okay for me to delay. Fast forward to now and apparently the nursing director needs to review my application. My advisor never mentioned that someone else would need to review my application so it's not something that I anticipated. It makes sense but now I'm unsure what the outcome may be. I'm beginning to get anxious because some of my pre-reqs are 5+ years old, which obviously could create complications should I need to reapply at the same school or elsewhere.

I'm just wondering if anyone else has been in a similar situation? What was the outcome? Were you able to return? Did you get rejected? Etc. Obviously nobody can predict my situation but experiences from others in the same situation would be so appreciated!

TLDR; I had to withdraw from my nursing program in fall 2017 and am hoping to return fall 2019. My advisor unexpectedly needs the nursing director to review my application and I'm concerned about the outcome. Looking for experiences from others.

[HannRN, ADN, BSN]

First takes deep breath, it’s going to be ok. This review process is fairly common for students who took time off and are returning. Policy’s are in place because something occurred in the past in a different student situation that had a negative outcome. Reviewing your application is just a basis of “confirmation” that it was “fair” for you to return to the program. I doubt that you will be required to retake all your pre-courses over.

You could also set up an appointment with your nursing director to discuss the process, you may find that you feel better about the outcome.