Lost and need some direction.......

First off congrats on juggling a job, a child, and school...that takes hard work and dedication and not everyone is willing do that. Your current situation isn't fun at all. However, if you want to make any changes happen at your school b/c your situation is totally unfair...you have to appeal. My sister filed appeals at her nursing program about courses she didn't pass and had to retake and eventually graduated and became a LPN. I made formal petitions and appeals at my program about them wanting to make me buy a new laptop which wasn't happening, graduated, and became a RN. So as someone who has rocked the boat..I encourage you to rock the boat. Look at it this way...you have to take care of your son...nursing is going to put food on the table...don't let these people stand in the way of your dream. So please by all means file an appeal/make a formal petition...go over the dean's head if necessary. Someone has to be the impetus for change to take place or else this will happen to some other poor student. Don't worry about those teachers that label you troublemaker...b/c at the end of the day they aren't going to take care of you or your son. So file an appeal and stand proud with your head held high, finish the program, and graduate. :redbeathe

You better strap on some thicker skin and rock the boat if you're going to be a nurse.

The punishment doesn't fit the 'crime'.

The VERY worst that should have happened even if they do wanna be all "we don't care if you witnessed a lightning strike and successfully resuscitated 22 people all by yourself" for turning something in late on the day it is due should be a 1/2 grade deduction for the assignment.

I think there is where you have the compelling case, without even needing to make it about the specifics of your situation.

I would appeal. If nothing else look at it this way: You're already not graduating as it stands, the worst outcome from the appeal is that they say no and you're in the same boat. I feel like it is ridiculous to judge someone based on an 'emergency' situation. I know I have many things arise from having kids, and I like to think that a school place importance on an instructor's ability to be understanding.

Yes appeal. Tell them all you have done like you did in this post. Hopefully you do not have past issues/unexcused absences or tardies/emergencies. Do you have any medical proof- Was your son take to the doctor? Do you have any proof of your colitis? Even as a nurse if you miss work like this some managers will ask for actual medical proof, your school is still being harsh. For them to go this far over just not having your portfolio at 8 seems stretched so I wonder if there is something else or this has happened before? Update this post after Monday's meeting???? Please.

You are not rocking the boat. You are being ASSERTIVE. This is a quality that you MUST have when (yes, I said when) you become a nurse. Right now, you are being your own advocate as opposed to a patient advocate.

Let me pose this question to you: What advice would you give to a dear friend in a similar circumstance? Would you look her in the eye and tell her "Dude, you really shouldn't rock the boat. I would just drop it. It is not worth it." OF COURSE YOU WOULDN'T!!!

You have been through the mill, no doubt. You are SO close to your goal. If you quit now, you will never forgive yourself.

Take your parent's advice. Keep at it. Go to the meeting, state your case, and finish. So what if other people view you as rocking the boat? You aren't exactly going to go home with them are you? Do you plan to hang out with them after you graduate? No? Then (insert favorite cuss word here) them! This is YOUR life.

Here's the thing that I did not mention about why I don't feel I can win the appeal...no I haven't been late or anything like that previously, and I have never had a U period throughout nursing school. Yes I do have proof of my colitis; I had went to the dr on Sat bc I couldn't stand it anymore and my PCP is well aware of what has been going with nursing school. I didn't take my son that morning to the dr bc we literally couldn't get out the door, which is why I didn't go to class. He is 3, and potty training...the diarrhea was BAD. But the thing is that it says in the syllabus that late work will count for 0 pts, and since my portfolio is late, they are saying that instead of a U for this particular assignment, that the 0 pts keeps me from graduating bc the portfolio is part of the requirements for graduation. So in other words, I feel like they were basically saying "you got what you deserved" in this situation bc I didn't call at 0700, not that there is anyone in the nursing office at that time, or not that they would have made an exception bc they stated during our meeting with the dean of nursing that they wouldn't have; but they stated that I should have called my instructor at home to let her know or I should have (directly quoting here) "put a diaper on my child and came to turn in my portfolio because it was such an important project." The instructor announced in lecture that day that she wouldn't be grading portfolio's till Fall break, which is the 2nd week of Oct. Do you see what I am conflicted about? Yes I may have made the wrong decision in that morning, and yes I am definitly sorry for it, but I did email her and I did get my portfolio to her after lecture. So does appealing the decision say that I am not taking responsibility for my actions? That's part of what I'm afraid of. I don't want to look like the stupid student that just can't follow the rules...but this is ONE mistake versus everything else that I have done right over the last 2 years.

so curious to know...I know this is a while ago...but what happened...did you appeal? did you win?