I need a lot of help, failed out of nursing school

Nursing Students LPN/LVN Students

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I guess I need encouragement or experiences or something. I’m so depressed I cannot even think straight.

I’ll try to make this short. I was in a LVN program up until this past Thursday. I was doing very well. I was passing everything and I have so many A’s and 100’s at that and I was so proud of myself. I know the book. Test me on it now and I know I will pass. I didn’t memorize it, I learned it. And my skills, my grades are nothing but 100’s. But at my school you must pass everything you do with no less than a 70.

If all your grades are 100’s and your final average is an A or a B or even a C but you fail the final, you are out. You must pass everything you do. And I was passing. But my very last final, the very last thing, last test, last sheet of paper I would be touching for this portion of my courses, I got so nervous while taking our test ( a skills test!) and I went into panic mode and I froze. And I am now paying for it. I made a 66. I missed it just by 4 points.

This was only my first semester and only the first portion of a year program. I am 26 years old I will be 27 in September. I feel so old, if I wasn't busy with my husband when I was 21 I would have been finished with this by now I think.

I know there are other nurses out there that don't start till 41+ but I had/have goals I have set for myself and this has set me back. I feel so bad and so low and so dumb and worthless. They make us pay for all our uniforms and our classes for the semester at the beginning of the program before we even need our uniforms and classes for the 2nd half which I did not make it to, you pay of it and if you do not make it you are just out of luck and stuck with 4 ugly sets of scrubs that you will never use again that cost a total of $300. Not to mention the classes that I paid for that I don’t even have a chance to take and I can’t get my money back for now.

I go tomorrow to talk to the head of the department and see if she will let me back in the program. They have a rule that you may have a chance to redo the program but you are given only 1 redo but they make you take the entire level and all the classes over again just because you messed up on one test. If I get a chance at my 1 redo I know I will do good I will keep myself calm.

It wasn’t that I didn’t know what I was doing, it was that I froze. I have been doing so good. I was so proud I wish I could show you all my 100’s. I’ve been devoting my life to this.

I’ve wanted to be a nurse since I was 6 years old and I put off everything for my husband when we were younger. We got married young and he was in the military. Now I feel so sad and depressed.

I’m not looking for pity here, I’m looking for options and to see if there is anyone out there who can say, hey I was where you are and now I made it, this is how…I have a 2 year old daughter. My mom even quit her job so she could stay home and watch my baby for me. That makes me feel like crap. I do everything for my daughter and feel so bad, I feel like I let her down. I feel so low.

I was a medical assistant before I started this program so I knew a little going in and I love working with patients and I’ve always wanted this. I feel like it is the end of the world, although people tell me it is not, I can’t help but think it. I need to work on my test anxiety, I was doing so good. It wasn’t that I didn’t know what I was doing. I just can’t believe I did this to myself. I do have dreams of getting my MSN and for my daughter I still want to get there.

I have 6 more classes to take to be able to start a BSN program. I had a plan to just start with LVN and get better at skills and also a way to get my foot in the door over all. But now I’m just so depressed. If I get another chance I will not be able to start school again till August, it is to late to enroll in any other classes at the moment and I quit working so I do not have a job at the moment.

I feel like sewage, if it wasn't for my daughter I wouldn't have even got out of bed today. Prayers and any info or thoughts, experiences, anything, anyone can give me would be nice. Thanks.

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I am sorry you're going through this. I wish you luck! I hope your meeting goes well. I think they will allow you to redo the course. You seem to have a history of doing well.

Best Wishes

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You know, all you can do now is just keep pushing. Go tomorrow with a positive attitude, and I think there's a good chance they will let you re-do the course. It's easy to beat yourself up about this, try not to get too down on yourself, it happens.

I didn't pass one of my pre-req courses for nursing, and I almost thought about switching my major. It has taken me longer to get into my school's program than some of my friends, but I am here. You just have to keep going. Good luck!:redpinkhe

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Specializes in ICU, Float RN , Quality & PI.

Best Wishes and lots of support. Nursing school is no walk in the park. It hard real hard. You sound determined and dedicated. Try again and show them your meant for this program!! You can do this not just for your daughter but for YOU! good luck...

:)

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i know exactly how you are feeling and this too shall pass. I am a single mom and 34 (NOT OLD) ;) and i failed nursing school twice. I too thought my world was ending, but as of december i am a RN!! fight the good fight! i know you will get back in!

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Sorry to hear about what happened. =(

Just wanted to wish you Best of luck with everything.

:redbeathe

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

I say go to RN school, either ADN or BSN. The programs are pretty different than the lvn program. They dont fail you out on one grade, it is the overall average. Either way I am guessing you start at square one with the LVN program so just write off one more year and go for the two year program right off the bat....

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Specializes in babysitting.

if you failed the last exam then it means you didn't know the material the way you thought you did. even if you are nervous, if you know the material and it's multiple choice you should have gotten it. you appear to have other distractions in your life like husband and whatever. you can retry the nursing program or look into something easier like surgical tech. you can radiation therapy or ultrasound.

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Specializes in OB/GYN, Peds, School Nurse, DD.

Ok now, deep breath. You didn't blow up the World Trade Center, nobody died, you failed a test (albeit, an important test.) Your situation is painful, but not irreparable. It's okay to feel sorry for yourself today but you can't allow it to become your identity. That's called sitting in your own poo, and you sure don't want to do that. You have someone depending on you to make it.

First, let's wait on the recriminations until you actually talk to your dept head. Perhaps there is something they can do. Try your hardest to keep control of your emotions in the meeting. I would point out that all your scores and feedback has been excellent up to this point. It wouldn't hurt to ask for a retake, since you froze up. If a retest is not possible, then ask how soon can you re-enter the program and start planning accordingly. It's not the end of your nursing career unless you let it be. You're only 27. I know you said that you have aspirations. Well, don't stop having them just because things didn't happen the way you thought they would! That *would* be disastrous.

Have you always had test anxiety or is this a new thing? The reason I'm asking is that if this has been a life-long thing, you can get therapy for it. It's possible that medication might help, too. If you have legitimate test anxiety, you will like qualify for accomodations under the ADA. It might be worth pursuing.

Please go easy on yourself tonight. I know you're terribly disappointed but you're get through this. I doubt that your mother is upset with you--if anything, she's probably heart-broken for you. You're a mother. Would you feel disappointed just because your daughter failed a test and had to postpone her studies for 6 months? I highly doubt it. But you'd probably try to console her and boost her up so she can try again. Let your mother in on your pain so she can help you through this. You really are going to be all right.

Okay, now. Out of the poo.:twocents:

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Specializes in LTC.

You've told us you're a good student with great grades and I believe you. You also sound like you have the drive and desire to do well and you will! Dust yourself off, get back on the horse. You said it yourself - this is a set back, not "game over".

:heart

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if you failed the last exam then it means you didn't know the material the way you thought you did. even if you are nervous, if you know the material and it's multiple choice you should have gotten it. you appear to have other distractions in your life like husband and whatever. you can retry the nursing program or look into something easier like surgical tech. you can radiation therapy or ultrasound.

First of all, My husband and my daugter are not distractions they are the reasons I am doing this.

Second, I KNOW the material. I was nervous. It was not multiple choice it was fill in the blank and as I have said before, it was a skills test. And on all my skills I had gotten 100's. If you must know since you are so quick to judge, it wasn't even a writen out question. It was a small table with a scenario and then we had to write out what the scenario was and write out what the scenario was and we had 5 minutes to do it. I have anxiety and it got the best of me when I was taking the test.

I do not want to be any kind of tech I want to be a nurse.

I knew someone would be quick to tell me I didn't know the material. If I didn't know the material then I do not know how I was able to pass every single little thing they gave me with not only an A but a 100.

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Specializes in babysitting.
First of all, My husband and my daugter are not distractions they are the reasons I am doing this.

Second, I KNOW the material. I was nervous. It was not multiple choice it was fill in the blank and as I have said before, it was a skills test. And on all my skills I had gotten 100's. If you must know since you are so quick to judge, it wasn't even a writen out question. It was a small table with a scenario and then we had to write out what the scenario was and write out what the scenario was and we had 5 minutes to do it. I have anxiety and it got the best of me when I was taking the test.

I do not want to be any kind of tech I want to be a nurse.

I knew someone would be quick to tell me I didn't know the material. If I didn't know the material then I do not know how I was able to pass every single little thing they gave me with not only an A but a 100.

ok, you said it was written test then i understand. i meant husband as a distraction in a different way, becuz that can be a distraction in a way when you have to spend time with them it takes away from your studying. what will you do then if you dont' want to be a tech. but can't get back in the program?

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