How do I respond to a poorly written request to be a nursing student?

[BrentRN]

I am a faculty member who monitors a web page for additional information or comments. I usually just have to point someone to web page or answer a simple question. Today I got the following question from someone trying to get into our second degree program. I have pasted the message just as it came. The nursing school name has been deleted for their protection:

I PREVIOSLY ATTEDED NURSING SCHOOL AT **************, HOWEVER, DO TO PERSONAL PROBLEMS I WITHDREW AND SWITCHED TO PSYCHOLOGY. HOEVER MY PASSION TO BECOME A NURSE HAS PLUMETED OVER THE LAST YEAR. I CURRENTLY WORK AS A CNA AND LOVE WHAT I DO... WOULD MY PRIOR ATTENDACE TO NURSING SCHOOL AND SWITCHING TO PSYCHOLOGY EFFECT MY CHANCES OF GETTING ACCEPTED TO YOUR ABSN PROGRAM? i AM HIGLY MOTIVATED MORE THAN I EVER TO BECOME A NURSE.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at such a poorly written e-mail. I would like to know if she ever had to write anything in English at her previous program.

My question is: I would never want someone who is this illiterate to even enter my program. I could just tell her she isn't qualified (and from her description she doesn't have a bachelors degree yet and would be ineligible). Should I comment on her lack of professional writing skills, just comment on her qualifications, or both?

[manstat]

I'd avoid any discrimination situations by simply falling back on the admission guidelines and dismiss the applicant.

[Black Jade, BSN, RN]

Really?

OK....................new thread here:

Thread title: "Signs that social networking has changed the world around you."

First post: "I find punctuation, spelling and grammar attractive."

I honestly can say, I never thought I would hear someone say that in my lifetime. I feel so old now, the world is changing.

I find this to be good thing. It's all about the writer attracting the reader's attention and stimulating the mind.

[PraiseMariahCarey]

This makes me wonder how evident is discrimmination against minorities and foreign exchange students in healthcare. Do you see how quick most of you jumped on the "she must be foreign" bandwagon.

[Samantha79]

Two things:

1. When I was applying to nursing school I welcomed any and all criticism so that I could make the changes needed to reach my goal. I would have gladly taken another writing class if necessary to be accepted in the program. Explaining to the student her poor grammar isn't being rude, it is helping her improve herself.

2. As a student I expect others in my program to conduct themselves as professionals. They are going on interviews and identifying themselves as students at XYZ University. If they act like total idiots, then that reflects poorly on all of us. Say I walk in right behind that student for my interview and they see I am a student at XYZ as well, I'm sure they already have a prejudice based on the moron that interviewed before me. High standards are part of the package in becoming an RN.

[Turd Ferguson]

English as a second language or not, all caps is not called for.

[AOx1]

The first year I taught, I encountered first-semester students and thought "This person will never be a safe nurse" or "That person will be a great nurse." In many cases, first impressions are quite important and are often accurate. Over time, you develop a fairly accurate idea of who will excel and who will struggle.

Over time I learned something even more important: people will always surprise you. I've had brilliant but lazy students who fail out. I just watched a student with a severe learning disability graduate. That student was always told (by family) that she was stupid. We got her help, and over time her true abilities came out. Will she be the next poet laureate? Doubtful; she struggles with spelling and grammar. However, she is an excellent nurse, and I would let her care for me any day. There is someone similar in nearly every class I've taught. I've learned that the way to bring out potential in most students is to have extremely high (but realistic) expectations. Tell them they are capable; show them you expect their best. Demonstrate excellence and professionalism at all times.

I will also say I would never post a student's email on a public forum for ridicule. In the time it took to bemoan this student's poor command of English, you could have ascertained the root cause and offered some assistance. How does this in any way lead the student to improve? Students aren't stupid. Our attitude towards them comes across in our actions. I wish I had known this my first year when I was very judgmental of weaker students.

[BrentRN, PhD]

I will also say I would never post a student's email on a public forum for ridicule. In the time it took to bemoan this student's poor command of English, you could have ascertained the root cause and offered some assistance.

I did debate whether or not to address her writing ability, and if this should be posted. I posted it because my first reaction was disbelief that someone who has attended college could have such poor writing skills. I was very tempted to address her writing issues but I first sought the opinion of the students and nurses on this forum. After reading the comments I decided to not offer writing assistance because she was not my student and was only requesting information about admission. Only the e-mail writer knows who she is, so perhaps if she sees this forum she will be motivated to write better.

I was not in a position to "ascertain the root cause" of her problems. She wanted to enter an accelerated program filled with students of the highest academic achievement. She is welcome to apply and have her application and essay stand its own merits. We have hundreds of applicants for a few spaces. We are forced to turn away hundreds of highly qualified candidates. Not everyone gets to be a nurse just because they want to be a nurse. I also hoped by posting this message that prospective students here at allnurses.com will realize how important it is to write well in any sort of professional communication.

My posting may me look like like a cold-hearted brute but I do everything I can to assist students who are admitted. I take a great interest in my students' success and I help them find the resources they need to succeed. The e-mailer was just submitting a form to a web page asking for admission information. I gave her the information she requested. I was concerned that addressing her writing was giving advice she wasn't seeking, and in my experience unsought advice is unheeded advice.

[LadyinScrubs, ASN, RN]

I did debate whether or not to address her writing ability, and if this should be posted. I posted it because my first reaction was disbelief that someone who has attended college could have such poor writing skills.

I am hopeful that the person whose note you posted is not a member of AllNurses. If this person is, could you imagine the mortification?

[manstat]

I am hopeful that the person whose note you posted is not a member of AllNurses. If this person is, could you imagine the mortification?

I'm not a lawyer, but I would also becareful posting things that would not be considered public record. Depending on the OP intentions, which I see as simply discussion, however harmless, could be bordering calumny?

[bsnanat2]

I'm not a lawyer, but I would also becareful posting things that would not be considered public record. Depending on the OP intentions, which I see as simply discussion, however harmless, could be bordering calumny?

Nice vocab stab, but wrong word. No ill intent. No falsehood. No calumny, but maybe time to close the thread.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

I am hopeful that the person whose note you posted is not a member of AllNurses. If this person is, could you imagine the mortification?

This person has not been identified. If she feels mortified, so be it. It just may be a great catalyst for change and development. Just because something makes you uncomfortable does NOT mean it should not be said.

"If you're not uncomfortable, you are not growing."

[VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN]

This discussion should serve as a warning and motivation to prospective nursing students to hone their writing skills. Like it or not, writing is an essential skill and if a person cannot write, he/she will not get far in the academic or professional world. I have seen writing assignments of astonishingly poor quality from college students of varied backgrounds. It is evident that many junior and senior high schools are simply not teaching their students proper grammar, spelling, and syntax usage. The applicant obviously is blissfully unaware that she can't write. Her ignorance, however, is not a good thing, and will result in closed doors at every turn. IMHO, she needs to be told that her career choices are severely hampered because her writing reflects poor grammar, spelling, and syntax. In terms of defamation, no laws are broken (i.e., FERPA) by posting this e-mail on the Internet, since there are no identifying features to the e-mail.