I Am Not Smart Enough For Nursing And I Have No Options

K. Everly, BSN, RN · Sep 26, 2021

Mindset and perseverance are 75% of this battle, and the good thing is that those things can be cultivated!

If you think you can't, you can't. If you won't stick it out come hell or high water, now's a good time to find the nearest exit (it won't be easy, neither school nor the profession).

Alternatively, if you recognize that most things can be learned if you just understand your own learning style and find the resources that cater to your needs, you'll be able hack this. If your "WHY" for nursing is strong enough that you see the finish line now and you won't stop until get there, knowing a ton of obstacles will find themselves between you and the end goal, you'll make it. If you aren't sure your WHY is strong enough, become a CNA and that will do wonders in helping you discover.

If it gives you any hope, I've had one of the craziest tales ever to get to the place I am today - first generation college student with a very abusive childhood, a criminal record, a hx of alcohol addiction and mental health issues, another degree before entering this field, had to retake several pre-reqs, had to medically drop out of nursing school once due to a head injury, husband landed in the ICU with a rare spinal cord disorder, an expensive and lengthy process to prove my fitness to practice nursing unencumbered (due to criminal record) after completed an accelerated BSN program. That's not even all.

You know what? I did it. I passed my NCLEX in 75 questions on my first try and was granted an unencumbered nursing license and will be starting a nurse residency at a Magnet Hospital soon.

I literally had a million and one chances to say I wasn't smart enough, it just wasn't meant to be, this was all just too difficult for one person to bear, but I didn't. I never gave up on my dreams or my ability to heal the broken parts of me that were standing in my way. I'm a different person now and thank God for this journey that I used to curse.

My experience has seriously taught me that if I could do this, almost anybody can if they get their mindset right. Whenever a door closed, as many did, I had to find a window.

NewMSNCa, MSN, RN · Jan 6, 2022

Well I’m 36 went to nursing school as a career change and I absolutely hate it. I’m still trying to finish up my first semester due to having a nervous breakdown from all of the stress and toxicity of this graduate school and having no mental health care support. pretty sure nursing schools is where all of this stuff starts. It’s horrific.

NewMSNCa, MSN, RN · Jan 6, 2022

On 9/25/2021 at 9:17 PM, K. Everly said:

Mindset and perseverance are 75% of this battle, and the good thing is that those things can be cultivated!

If you think you can't, you can't. If you won't stick it out come hell or high water, now's a good time to find the nearest exit (it won't be easy, neither school nor the profession).

Alternatively, if you recognize that most things can be learned if you just understand your own learning style and find the resources that cater to your needs, you'll be able hack this. If your "WHY" for nursing is strong enough that you see the finish line now and you won't stop until get there, knowing a ton of obstacles will find themselves between you and the end goal, you'll make it. If you aren't sure your WHY is strong enough, become a CNA and that will do wonders in helping you discover.

If it gives you any hope, I've had one of the craziest tales ever to get to the place I am today - first generation college student with a very abusive childhood, a criminal record, a hx of alcohol addiction and mental health issues, another degree before entering this field, had to retake several pre-reqs, had to medically drop out of nursing school once due to a head injury, husband landed in the ICU with a rare spinal cord disorder, an expensive and lengthy process to prove my fitness to practice nursing unencumbered (due to criminal record) after completed an accelerated BSN program. That's not even all.

You know what? I did it. I passed my NCLEX in 75 questions on my first try and was granted an unencumbered nursing license and will be starting a nurse residency at a Magnet Hospital soon.

I literally had a million and one chances to say I wasn't smart enough, it just wasn't meant to be, this was all just too difficult for one person to bear, but I didn't. I never gave up on my dreams or my ability to heal the broken parts of me that were standing in my way. I'm a different person now and thank God for this journey that I used to curse.

My experience has seriously taught me that if I could do this, almost anybody can if they get their mindset right. Whenever a door closed, as many did, I had to find a window.

It sounds like you’ve been through a tremendous amount of suffering and adversity. Your experience will help other people I’m certain of it.

I will caution you, though, about how to use your story and how it can be of maximum benefit to people. What I mean is that overcoming adversity is, unfortunately not as simple as getting one’s mindset right. Hence the whole study of mental illness in the first place. Or how about social determinants of health? All people do not have the same resources, inner or outer, the same faculties the same trauma background, the same financial resources, the same genetic disposition, physiological health, education level, intellectual skill, etc. etc., to pull themselves up by their bootstraps in the same way as the next person may. And that other person deserves love and kindness and compassion too. Not, just keep trying harder and harder! It’s because you’re not trying hard enough! See, they had less resources and they could do it! Why aren’t you? I don’t know, just my two cents.