Is nursing the right path for me?

vebb · Dec 14, 2012

I think you should keep pushing through! I also am in the same boat except I struggle with the sciences and this will be my 2nd attempt at going to nursing school! I could have been done now.. twice over! I always come back to it because I know it is what I really want to do in my heart, I've tried other things.. nothing else does it for me. I just have to get my rear in gear and get a science tutor.. whatever I have to do! One subject shouldn't decide your dream career. Good luck!!!

ChooSoul · Dec 14, 2012

I'm 20 years old. I've always wanted to be a nurse but after visiting my dream nursing school, it scared me. I knew it would be stressful but the way they made it sound made it seem unbearable.
I struggle academically as well. Mainly B's and a few C's. Math is my weakest subject. Therefore I struggle in chemistry and statistics. I love anatomy and find it easier for me. Biology is one of my strong points but my professor is horrible. He is the main reason why I want to change my major.
I know I shouldn't change my major because of one professor but if I'm struggling now, I can't imagine what nursing school would be like.
I would have my associates this time next year.
My dream is to become either one of three choices: trauma nurse, surgical nurse, or labor and delivery nurse. Naturally I am very kind, caring, and passionate. I love taking care of people. I've always been told I would make a great nurse. The only thing that is really holding me back is the amount of stress (I don't handle it THAT well) and the tests.
I'm good at remaining calm during unexpected moments which is why I would consider trauma.
The other field I was considering was radiography. I'm not sure why. I think because it would be less hectic once in the career.
Anyone else feel this way or felt this way? Advice??

Hey! We are the same. I too have straight Bs in natural sciences I only had 1 C for a Lab but I made up for it with an A in another lab. And guess what? I still got accepted into the nursing school. I was still able to compete against others who were changing majors or careers for a seat in the program.

So don't give up. and if you finish yur prereqs with the min. Required gpa you can still make up for it by working hard to get a hi passing score in nursing entrance test like the teas. It's what saved my butt. So don't lose hope just yet. You barely even started.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Dec 14, 2012

A word of caution. The "minimum GPA" that is listed in most nursing schools' criteria for admission is no where near the actual situation these days. Catalogue may state that the minimum is a 2.5, but in actuality the lowest one would turn out to be 3.7.... because of all of the super-qualified students that applied. You need to have this conversation with the admissions advisor at the programs you are interested in.

Keep in mind that there are a lot more health care professions than nursing. We're just the most visible. You may want to explore other options if you are having difficulty getting into nursing school.

amandacam · Dec 14, 2012

With academics, sometimes it's all about finding the best way for you to learn. If nursing is what you want, you shouldn't give up. Just make some changes.

I used to be the worst at math. When I started taking online math classes, I did so much better. I used examples I found online and taught myself the steps. I used my own mneumonics and now I am a much better math student. I went from C's to A's.

CDEWannaBe · Dec 14, 2012

You've gotten good advice. I'd also recommend looking at www.RateMyProfessor.com before signing up for any class. A bad teacher will make any class horrible.

I'm bad at math too but got a copy of Algebra for Dummies from the library, which really helped. If you aren't getting the material, think of other ways to try to learn it and talk to your professors.

Some people are more academically inclined than others. That doesn't mean you can't be a good nurse. I'd really recommend calling the school you'd like to attend and finding out if there is anything else you can do to increase being accepted, maybe volunteer work. Then include those things in your nursing school application.

amandacam · Dec 14, 2012

I love RateMyProfessor. I use it every semester before signing up for classes.

csmcj, BSN, RN · Dec 14, 2012

I will say this on RateMyProfessor: it's a good tool, but you have to take the reviews written with a grain of salt. I've seen many great professors rated badly by students who did poorly simply because the material was challenging, not because the professor was bad. And while I'm not saying anyone here would do this, I've also seen many use it to find the "easy" professors, not necessarily the best ones. If you do that, yes you may get a good grade in the class, but did you really learn anything? When I took A&P (same prof for both I and II), I didn't have a choice in professors simply because she was the only one at my university who taught it. However, I initially got discouraged when looking up her feedback and seeing horrible reviews. Once class started, I realized how wrong those reviews were. Those classes were some of the most challenging I've taken thus far (and the professor was one of the hardest), but she knew her subject backwards and forwards and I learned more than I ever have in any "easy" rated class. Her high standards translated into a class full of people who were struggling to maintain good grades, but who were really and truly learning the material. At the end of the semester I gave her the highest rating possible, but many of my classmates unfortunately rated her poorly because they actually had to work.

zoe92 · Dec 14, 2012

I agree with the PP about ratemyprofessor. I always use it but you can definitely tell when a rater is bias, rates a teacher badly and is bitter about their grade. I try to go through and find reviews that don't sound like some whiny college student who never showed for class & was surprised by their bad grade.

I would also say that you should just apply to a bunch of schools and see what happens. I have 2 "dream schools" that I am applying to for the fall, but I am applying to a total of six BSN programs regardless. every school looks at different parts of the package (grades or experience or admission test scores). Just put yourself out there & see what happens