I wanted to share some insight and knowledge I've learned since beginning my nursing program in 2010. I'm sharing this story so that other nursing students can be better prepared when choosing a school. Do your homework so you don't have to withdraw 4 weeks prior to graduation.
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Do a lot of research before choosing which school you would like to attend. If possible, interview the head of nursing. Review the textbooks they are using and ask where the questions for their test are obtained. Ask if they rewrite the questions they use or if the questions are verbatim since NCLEX style question are thoroughly researched.
Talk to students already in the program and get a perspective on the teaching styles of the instructors, the flow of a semester, etc. I realize we're all in a hurry to get accepted into a program and most of us will take what we get. By doing your research ahead of time you'll be confident that you're not wasting your money, time spent away from family and friends and sanity.
I say all this because I just dropped out of nursing school 4 weeks before graduation. The straw that broke the camels back? Four weeks before graduation I was told I couldn't graduate because I hadn't completed a basic English class. The fact is I did complete the class on my first go around in college.
The class fell through the cracks during admissions and when I provided proof of completion, with transcripts, the credit was not accepted. I followed the chain of command all the way to the president of the school and was given the same response at each level. I attempted to offer evidence based research papers as work already complete (made a 97 or greater on all papers) and they were not acknowledged. I felt as though I had no advocate and was defeated that the powers that be wouldn't help in some fashion.
I had to fight to stay in a program that I was paying for out of my pocket.
Anyway, I began the program and after two weeks was separated from my husband. I had to find somewhere for me and my daughter to live. We moved in with a girlfriend from school, was there two months then moved into an apartment.
For the next six months I fought through a bitter divorce.
Life changing event #1: I maintained my grades and was still able to work. The second blow came after a major rotator cuff surgery last May. I missed two days of school because I hurt so bad I couldn't dress myself. The third day I was late for clinical, again a challenge with dressing with one arm. I followed school protocol and called my instructor to let her know I would be late.
I called multiple times without an answer from her. When I arrived to the site she stated she hadn't received any calls from me, belittled me in front of my classmates, then sent me home. This pushed me over the hours allotted to miss for the semester and I was kicked out of the program. I was written up and kicked out of the program. Later in the day I was reinstated. The following day the instructor apologized and stated she acted inappropriately. Unfortunately that wouldn't undo the damage already done to my record.
Life changing event #2: The math competency test. The first one I failed and the second go around I made an 89. You have to make a 90 to pass. The head of nursing would make no exceptions and stated I would be kicked out of the program. I went to the director of nursing with evidence that we were not consistently tested on the math and with each test the rules changed. The instructors did not follow the math rules outlined in our math book. I ended up having to go to the dean and was able to retest. The curriculum was changed as a result of this and now math is reinforced in exams and reviewed prior to testing. I was allowed to retest and was successful.
The straw that broke the camels back for me was the unwillingness to accept a class I had completed at another college, for credit to graduate. Nursing students shouldn't have to fight this hard to stay in a program. It's hard enough without all the pitfalls.
Also, find out what grading scale your college of choice is on. The one I attended used a 7 point grading scale. The colleges around them, offering the same program, uses a 10 point grading scale.
