I failed a class- should I go to Pinning?

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I failed my critical care class by 2 points and will have to retake it in the spring. I am so bummed about having to wait to graduate, but my class is allowing people who failed critical care and those who have to retake the HESI to attend pinning. I am really torn about whether or not I should go. I am worried that if I don't go it might be one of those things that I will regret in the future. I am worried that if I do go it will be utter hell as all of my classmates are graduating and starting their new jobs. I don't really want to attend pinning with the class graduating in Spring as I don't know them.

I wanted pinning to be celebratory for my family, but I am thinking that we will have a hard time celebrating. My kids and husband were going to be the ones to pin me. We are pretty stressed financially right now and this failure has made that stress feel nearly overwhelming. Celebrating feels presumptive and inappropriate. But, this is my class. My group of people that i have cried with, struggled with, studied with, and gone through hell with for the last 2 years.

What should I do?

Want to hear a twist? We had our pinning ceremony BEFORE classes were over......before final exams. Imagine this, we were all celebrating and happy, happy, joy, joy last Friday. Guess what! We took finals yesterday, appx 7 people failed the class. This final was the exam from who know where. I passed, but I am sitting here still dazed and confused.

It would be hard to go with my class if I did not pass a class, however, they are like my family. We have been thru somethings together. Did you take a class picture? Our composite has people who are not acutally graduating in December. I am looking at it right now. It says graduating class December, 2008. Go figure. Since we already had our pinning, I doubt they would attend the pinning in May.

I say go and celebrate with YOUR people and finish up classes. Just a bit of a setback. This will not even be an issue next year this time. If I was a bettin' girl, I would put money down that you will be an RN next year this time.....:jester:.

Best wishes to you

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Specializes in Telemetry, Case Management.

Back in the day, my class didn't have a pinning ceremony. They handed it to us, in a box, along with our diploma at graduation.

We did have a capping ceremony, which was waaaaaaaaaay before graduation. At that point I had two toddlers, a newborn, a drunk husband and had run into problems with my financial aid.

I did NOT go to the capping ceremony. It hurt not to go, but I didn't want to go if I wasn't going to finish, and I really wasn't sure.

I stayed home and cried all day. My money did come thru, a drip and a drop at a time, and I did manage to get enough money to finish.

It hurt just a tad when I did go back to class, and see their photos, but I had the stupid cap anyway, and no one in my family outside of myself would have understood the importance of it, so I just got over it, and finished the classes and graduated, on time with my class.

In the end, its up to you. If it hurts too much, don't go.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatrics, Wound Care.

It sounds like you and your classmates really bonded a bit with each other. The Pinning ceremony is important. You got through the whole program (except a minor setback) together. It sounds like you'll regret not going, to be honest. It may not be as great as you had hoped, but it's still important. If for nothing else, you can be there for the classmates you care about.

:heartbeat

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It has really helped reading that I am not the only one who has faced this kind of setback. Sometimes when something bad happens it often feels very lonely- like you are the only one in the world that it has happened to.

We had 400 qualified people apply to our program the semester that I started and only 120 were able to get in. Out of a class of 120 in Spring 2007 we are down to 69 for pinning. We lost people who were held back a semester, we gained people who were from the semester before, but still that is a terrible attrition rate. Out of the 69 that are actually being pinned tonight, only 62 (that I know of) will be graduating tomorrow.

Honestly, I think that anyone who hasn't gone through nursing school just has a hard time getting it. Nursing school is terribly difficult. I have a Bachelors already in Finance and that was a cakewalk in comparison with nursing school. Being something of a numbers person, the number of people that nursing schools actually manage to graduate do not seem to line up with this nursing shortage that they keep talking about.

I know that my situation is just one blip, and I feel okay with it now. I know that I should have passed this class, but regardless I would have passed by the skin of my teeth. Now, I have an opportunity to get a better grade which will help with grad school admissions. I will be okay, but I know that I am not the first casualty of nursing school nor will I be the last. The system just seems inherently flawed to me.

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Specializes in LTC.

I'm so glad to hear that your okay. Nursing school is very hard and stressful. I believe everything happens for a reason, most of the time for a good one. Now that I look back, I'm so glad that I had that time to practice my skills etc, as a nurse extern in the hospital.

If you don't feel like you'll be sad or upset then I would go if you feel like you'll regret it. I'm just telling you from the way I am personally that I wouldn't, I guess I get embarassed or whatever more easily.:p Best of luck to you, again, I'm so glad to hear that your okay. And you definitely are not the only one.

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Thanks for all of the input. I did make the decision to go. My family and I got all dressed up, had a nice dinner, and started to make the 58 mile (we live far from the school and even farther from the pinning location) to the pinning site. We hit stop and go traffic about 20 miles out and my car started to overheat! We had to pull over at a gas station and after using our limited mechanical skills to try and diagnose the problem, we found a leak from the coolant tank. My car was due to have new belts and hoses, but I had been putting it off until after I graduated for time and money reasons. Well, that delay caught up with me pinning night! We let the car cool down, put water into the coolant tank and headed home hoping to make it the 20 miles back to home. At this point, there was no time to take my husband's car. By the time we got home and turned back around in his car, the ceremony would practically be starting!

So, after hemming and hawing all week about going, after all of the angst, after all of the indecision- the universe decided for me! We hit the grocery store in all of our finery on the way home for ice cream and potato chips and I had 2 margaritas when we got home :coollook:. I am okay with it. I have to be- the universe made the decision not me!

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It's a shame you didn't go ahead and go and just sit in the audience to support your friends, but to each his own. I am going to pinning and graduation in the Spring (my family won't be there) even though I am out this year and have to finish my 2nd year next Fall. A close friend of mine passed away last June from Leukemia after she dropped out of school 1st year and fought all year to beat it. I am going to put her picture in an empty chair with flowers the school is leaving for her, because I was supposed to be the one to do it before I failed the math test, so they still want me to. I got really close to these students in one years time, so I want to celebrate their accomplishment with them. I think you will make some new friends in the next class and enjoy that pinning just as much, with the stress of school friendships form fast! Good Luck to us both next year!!:D

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatrics, Wound Care.

I think it's good you made the effort to get there, despite being unable to miss it. Sorry you missed out, but, it sounds like you'll be okay with it over time.

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It's a shame you didn't go ahead and go and just sit in the audience to support your friends, but to each his own. I am going to pinning and graduation in the Spring (my family won't be there) even though I am out this year and have to finish my 2nd year next Fall. A close friend of mine passed away last June from Leukemia after she dropped out of school 1st year and fought all year to beat it. I am going to put her picture in an empty chair with flowers the school is leaving for her, because I was supposed to be the one to do it before I failed the math test, so they still want me to. I got really close to these students in one years time, so I want to celebrate their accomplishment with them. I think you will make some new friends in the next class and enjoy that pinning just as much, with the stress of school friendships form fast! Good Luck to us both next year!!:D

I tried to be there! My car broke down and by the time that we got home to take my husband's car, the ceremony was already 30 min underway. It was a 58 mile trip! I never would have made it to see anyone else pinned let alone get pinned myself.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele.
It's a shame you didn't go ahead and go and just sit in the audience to support your friends, but to each his own. I am going to pinning and graduation in the Spring (my family won't be there) even though I am out this year and have to finish my 2nd year next Fall. A close friend of mine passed away last June from Leukemia after she dropped out of school 1st year and fought all year to beat it. I am going to put her picture in an empty chair with flowers the school is leaving for her, because I was supposed to be the one to do it before I failed the math test, so they still want me to. I got really close to these students in one years time, so I want to celebrate their accomplishment with them. I think you will make some new friends in the next class and enjoy that pinning just as much, with the stress of school friendships form fast! Good Luck to us both next year!!:D

BETH! You make my blood pressure rise.

Why not congratulate her on planning to attend, rather than critisizing her choice!

GET A LIFE- I can't stand people like you!

You have lots of nerve, you have never been in that situation, show a little empathy!

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By the time we got home and turned back around in his car, the ceremony would practically be starting!

I was not trying to make you mad, I was going by this sentence in your post...based on this you made it sound like you could not have made it to be pinned, but you still could have gone...no offense intended, really:)

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BETH! You make my blood pressure rise.

Why not congratulate her on planning to attend, rather than critisizing her choice!

GET A LIFE- I can't stand people like you!

You have lots of nerve, you have never been in that situation, show a little empathy!

If I made your pressure rise you are too sensitive, she stated in her original post that she was very close to this class as I am to mine...and I believe I am entitled to my opinion. Sorry you can't stand me when you don't even know me...btw I am in this situation in case you missed it. I am having to start again w/o my friends next Fall and graduate with people I don't know as well just like her.

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