Is all hope lost for Nursing?

JeffreyJ30 · Feb 7, 2018

I am a firm believer in the idea that if you want something bad enough, you can make it happen. You say you're intellligent and that the low grades and GPA are from poor habits. If that's the case, then you can absolutely work your way back into the program. In fact, I've heard your exact same story from many of my fellow classmates who partied their way through their first few semesters of college and landed at GPA's much lower than yours. If your heart is really in it, you should have no trouble.

The first thing you should do is find some colleges in your area and speak with counselors there. Do your research into their requirements. In the area I live, GPA requirements range from 2.5 to 3.0, and many accept a limited amount of students based on their A&P and Microbiology grades. If the schools in your area have other prerequisites like that, it may be a good way to start working your GPA back up without doing busywork classes.

If the schools you are looking into have a high GPA requirment and the prerequisites won't cut it, I would again recommend you speak with that school's guidance counselors. They will better understand your strengths and weaknesses based on your transcripts and will be able to help you choose classes that fit your learning style.

The biggest point I want to stress though is to make sure you know what you're getting into. Having a Pharm. background is nice for certain parts of the program, but nursing school is about a lot more than meds. I am sitting at a 3.5 GPA, A's in all of my sciences including A&P I, II, and microbiology, and scored in the 99th percentile on my NLN (entry test) with very little studying. I love math and science and have never struggled with these topics. I STRUGGLE with nursing school. You have to know meds, yes, but you also have to know why and when you give them. If a terrorist attack happens or if your hospital only has a certain amount of equipment on the floor, who do you help first? If you give too much of a certain vitamin or mineral, what are the side effects, what happens to the cells, how do you fix it, do you call the doctor, etc. You have to know diseases, you have to know signs and symptoms of those diseases, you have to know the legal and ethical sides of the health field, it seems easy in writing but critical thinking shocks a lot of first time students. Look up NCLEX example questions to get a bit of an idea.

It isn't high school level stuff, so there is no partying your way through it. If this is something you really truly want to do, you'll really have to buckle down. Most of my classmates have quit jobs and moved back in with family in order to have enough time to study. I have friends whose husbands and wives have had to take second jobs to support the families. I put in about 2-3 hours a day in studying and I still get B's and C's on tests.

It could very well be different for you, and you may breeze through it. If so? Great! And I don't mean to scare or dissuade you, I wish you all the luck in your path, I just want to make sure you know that this is a serious courseload, especially if it has been a while since you have last taken classes.

If I missed anything or if you have any questions feel free to ask. Research your local colleges, get an idea of the GPA requirements and prerequisites, and speak with some counselors to develop a real game plan. Like I said, I have classmates and have talked with nurses in the field who started with far lower GPA's than yours. It will take time and hard work but it is absolutely possible for you to get there.

RainbowSprinkles · Feb 7, 2018

I graduated from BK College in 2011 with a 2.27 g.p.a. I started my pre reqs very shaky, I got a F in ap 1. Years later, I got serious. First, I started with chemistry and earned a B+. The next semester, I registered for microbiology, nutrition, and Ap1 (again). I earned my first 4.0 g.p.a within a semester. All my other necessary pre reqs I received A's. I personally had to let go of the straight absn or bsn dreams because of my originally low g.p.a and because there is little financial assistance for 2nd degree students. I'm going the adn route to bsn. However, anything is possible I believe its important to be realistic and to form a strategy that works for you. If you have the time, money, and know what school your interested in going to, you can always enroll in that school kill your classes and apply to their program.

neoanderson · Feb 7, 2018

Jeff,

Thank you for your quick and detailed response. This post of yours has allowed me to see things in a much better perspective. To be clear, I truly want to do this. I've been sitting on the sidelines trying to figure out how to go about this career path. That is why I have posted on this forum with the intent of gaining knowledge from those of you who are more aware of the academic side of things. Indeed, it is my purpose to become a Nurse. I would actually like to get a PHD in Nursing and serve in the military. Learning is not my issue. Yes, my heart is truly set on this. I plan to join the military after graduation in order to serve the country. I understand high school is not the same, I did not go to high school in the USA. It was a very tough education over there but I added that point to give anyone reading some perspective. Without putting too much of my personal information out there (for obvious reasons). I understand some of the inner workings of hospitals and have a very solid idea of the industry.

My issue is if I went back to school, would I have a chance at all if I did all of the Pre-reqs and aced every single one of them?

neoanderson · Feb 7, 2018

I graduated from BK College in 2011 with a 2.27 g.p.a. I started my pre reqs very shaky, I got a F in ap 1. Years later, I got serious. First, I started with chemistry and earned a B+. The next semester, I registered for microbiology, nutrition, and Ap1 (again). I earned my first 4.0 g.p.a within a semester. All my other necessary pre reqs I received A's. I personally had to let go of the straight absn or bsn dreams because of my originally low g.p.a and because there is little financial assistance for 2nd degree students. I'm going the adn route to bsn. However, anything is possible I believe its important to be realistic and to form a strategy that works for you. If you have the time, money, and know what school your interested in going to, you can always enroll in that school kill your classes and apply to their program.

Thank you very much for your response. This gives me hope. So how far along are you in the program and where did you end up attending? I'm open to any and all suggestions. I am also willing to move anywhere in the United States to achieve this goal. I would need to take; A&P I/II, Gen Chem. The rest of the Pre-reqs I actually have A's in them. Only issue is I took most of them years ago. So any further advice would be happily received.

Have Nurse, ADN, RN · Feb 8, 2018

It's amazing how the years show us things. Yes, you could go back to school, and have another financial burden, but in this day and age, there are many facilities that would hire you regardless of your G.P.A. You strike me as a workhorse and I think if you were given the opportunity to prove yourself, you would succeed. If you can, find a potential employer who would back your education costs for a few years of employment in exchange. Just and idea.