I feel like a failure

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Hello Allnurses Community,

I have posted a thread before titled "HOW DO YOU KNOW NURSING IS THE RIGHT CAREER CHOICE". Well I am here again trying to find some answers to my life. I am having such a diffcult time with the college I am attending and with my family life. I will start with the college issue. I was denied financial aid for this coming academic year. I was on a academic progress plan per quarter, meaning that each quarter I would have to sucessfully complete each quarter with grades "C" and above. Well, this all started in the Spring of 2009 and I completed all of my courses with a C and better. Next, the Winter quarter comes around and I fall during finals week, so I have to take an incomplete in all of my classes. The financial aid office sends me a letter stating I didn't make academic progress. I had to file an appeal and was denied just yesterday. The college said that I have to many credits not completed. I have not received my Bachelor Degree, but have gave them all the necessary doctors notes and paperwork. The college still say NO!! Well, I have been through the death of my mother, a surgery, and having to drop this summers Physiology class because my daughter has been addicted to pain meds and is crying for help plus she has two kids. I took the first part of Anatomy in the first summer session, but the second half I have to much on my plate to concentrate. I have a question for anyone who reads my posts. The first question is how do you know if Nursing is your educational pathway? 2. Can I apply to another California state college and receive financial assistant there? 3. Do I have to take both A and P I and II at the same university? I need to get some answers. I am so upset right now. I busted my buns to try to get into Nursing School and it seems I just can't get passed these two classes. I did well on the first section, but know I might have to pay out of my pocket to take the second section again. California state colleges are in a financial mess. What should I do? I really don't think I can afford taking one class and paying almost 900 dollars for one class? Help!!! Also I am a older student and don't have no time to be playing around. I also would like to find work @ home. Is there anyone working from home?? I am currently working as a CNA and hate every minute of it. I love the patients but hate the amount of patients we have to care for. HELP HELP:banghead:

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Can't you take your finals for your incomplete classes and get grades for them?

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I'm not much help Carla, but I can hopefully give you some encouraging words. First, don't doubt nursing as your career choice because you are going through all this hardship right now. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and you can do it! Second, last year around this time I was taking online classes. I failed a class that I was taking because of some big misunderstanding between myself and the professor....I am not even going to get into that:banghead: Anyway, I ended up having to pay back the money for the class which was $750, and I only made $1200 a month at the time! Not to mention that I have that F on my record forever, and it brought down my GPA. I was very frustrated and wondered if school was even worth it if I had to go through that kind of crap. BUT, I kept on going, and I am glad I did...I am so much closer to my goal now. Just keep your head up, and you will find a way!

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

My husband is going through something similar here in MO, so it's not just CA that's having problems. He had to drop all of his classes last fall because he had an emergency spinal surgery, took in the doctor's notes, the surgery reports, showed them the nerve stimulator he had to have implanted, etc. and they still want him to pay for 20 credit hours before they'll let him have financial aid again. Needless to say, he's not in college anymore.

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Specializes in telemetry.

Here is probably all of the information that I can give you. First, about the financial aid, I would say call another school and check with them, you can probably get at least the Pell from the federal government and the stafford loans if necessary. I am not sure what you state aid looks like cause I live in NY, but I have had an experience of loosing all of my aid at the community college that I was attending for my nursing degree due to the fact that I had too many credits at that college. I was able to get accepted into another nursing school a little further from home, and am now able to receive federal aid and loans again. Also, about the AP, that is going to be more of an individual question for each school. It depends on how the school is set up and how the credits will transfer over. I would call a school that is nearby (on a day off - it could take awhile to get all of the calls done) and start asking some questions.

As for whether or not nursing is your educational pathway - I would say that just depends on you. My aunt has been a nurse for over 25 years and is now a nursing director, and she has said that nursing is basically in your blood - it's what you want to do. You can't really make a good nurse if their interest isn't in that area - even though she has seen many people that try to be nurses for the decent pay, not because they really want to do it. If you are already a CNA, I would say you probably know what you are getting into with nursing, but no matter where you go the patient load will not be ideal and as an RN you will have to supervise others under you which is also alot of work.

Keep your head up and try to stay optimistic - I was in your position just 6 months ago with no financial aid and it has all worked out. It took lots of time, effort, and lots of tears and fear that I wouldn't be able to do this. As a wife and mother of three, I feel your urgency to get this done right the first time. What you are doing is hard and be proud that you are pursuing it :yeah:! I sure hope everything works out for you.

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Specializes in telemetry.

Here is probably all of the information that I can give you. First, about the financial aid, I would say call another school and check with them, you can probably get at least the Pell from the federal government and the stafford loans if necessary. I am not sure what you state aid looks like cause I live in NY, but I have had an experience of loosing all of my aid at the community college that I was attending for my nursing degree due to the fact that I had too many credits at that college. I was able to get accepted into another nursing school a little further from home, and am now able to receive federal aid and loans again. Also, about the AP, that is going to be more of an individual question for each school. It depends on how the school is set up and how the credits will transfer over. I would call a school that is nearby (on a day off - it could take awhile to get all of the calls done) and start asking some questions.

As for whether or not nursing is your educational pathway - I would say that just depends on you. My aunt has been a nurse for over 25 years and is now a nursing director, and she has said that nursing is basically in your blood - it's what you want to do. You can't really make a good nurse if their interest isn't in that area - even though she has seen many people that try to be nurses for the decent pay, not because they really want to do it. If you are already a CNA, I would say you probably know what you are getting into with nursing, but no matter where you go the patient load will not be ideal and as an RN you will have to supervise others under you which is also alot of work.

Keep your head up and try to stay optimistic - I was in your position just 6 months ago with no financial aid and it has all worked out. It took lots of time, effort, and lots of tears and fear that I wouldn't be able to do this. As a wife and mother of three, I feel your urgency to get this done right the first time. What you are doing is hard and be proud that you are pursuing it :yeah:! I sure hope everything works out for you.

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Please dont take this the wrong way - and maybe I read your post wrong- but if you hate being a CNA why do you want to be a nurse. In most cases having a large amt of patients can happen at any level of nursing. Do you truly hate being a CNA? I know you mentioned the ratio, but have you thought about how you would feel as a RN in the same situation- just slightly different tasks? I to sometimes get annoyed with being a CNA - its not always roses - BUT I would never say I hate it - even on my WORST day. Maybe you were just venting - but I wanted to ask.

Yes- I have a friend who does a work and home job and makes around $8-10/hr

The site is called work at home agent.com

It is telephone customer service- no start up fees I believe... She has been doing it for 2 years.

Hope that helps!!! Dont have much advice on financial aid

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WldChrry,

Thank you for the encouragement. Yeah, I just admitted my daughter into detox. I am going to continue with my class. If I have to take it again I will. I wrote the professor yesterday, she said if I pass the lab I don't have to redo that portion of the class, so I just have to worry about the lecture. I really appreciate all your encouraging words. I really enjoy this website. Since my mother just recently passed away and my father passed in 2003 I spend a lot of time on this site. I thank you again. Carla

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Commanderzoom,

I am so sorry to hear about your husband. Yeah, the college where I go to school doesn't care at all. I even had the Dept. Chair of the Nursing Dept fill out a reinstatement form. I guess I have to check with other colleges. I am taking my last class now and will have to probably retake it in the spring, it will sent me back another year if I don't pass with a least a C. I just have to keep plugging away. I wish you that best of luck with your husband. What was he going to school for? Do you expect him to be going back? Thank you for replying. God Bless Carla

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Specializes in Hospice.

I don't know what to say in regards to financial aide in CA. Here in GA, we have the workforce investment act that is offered through the department of Labor. And this act allow people who are unemployed or loss their job an opportunity to go back to school to pick up a trade. I'm not to sure of what conditions have to met here in GA or CA but I'm looking into it for GA. I think you have to be unemployed at the time you apply for assistance and I heard they pay for tuition and books at approved schools. If you have to keep your job, I've heard you can take leave for about a week from your job and apply for the assistance through this ACT and then the following week you can go back to work. I'm not sure if that is wrong or not, but in the nursing program here, you don't really have time to work, so when I start in Jan. I'm seeking any and all assistance I can acquire. Check with the CA depart of labor and see if they have a program of that nature and what you would have to do to qualify. I would encourage you not to give up if you can help it, do it for your kids, I'm sure going to school while trying to keep up a family is a tough job because I heard to many nurses say it was for them but they said that making sure they could provide a better life for their family in the long run gave them the drive to continue and strive. Check online for free grants and scholarships. One website i tried was www.fastweb.com. :nurse:

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Amymina,

Thank you so much for replying to my post. I think what I have to do now is research everything out. I only work one time a week. I have been looking at ways to make money from home, because if I have to repeat this class I will have to pay over 900 dollars @ the University level. I will have to save just to complete this one class. I only have about 10 more months living in the house that I am living in. The city will be demolishing about three street rows of houses, and one of the houses is mine. I have a lot to think about in the next few months. Thank you so much for the encouraging words. Are you currently a Nurse. How old are your children? I wish you the best of luck in whatever you do. your friend, Carla

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Tameika,

Thank you for your advice. I look into seeing if there is a program like that in Ca. I will do that today. I do need to get all the help that I can to finish school. I am not going to give it all up. My kids deserve so much. Are you in Nursing school yet? I know I will have to save to try to finish my BSN program. I will be looking into other schools too. Thank you again and I wish you luck with your future. Carla

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