I have a friend I met when taking some science classes at a community college. I was accepted to the university in our city and my program (which is competitive) but she ended up not getting accepted to the university at all. Her original plan was to major in chemistry (which is an open, non-competitive major at this university) and try to get into the field of forensics using that degree.
I don't know why she wasn't accepted to the university. I don't know her GPA. She did okay in the science classes we took together, but I know she has failed some classes due to just not going to them and not properly withdrawing from the courses. I was helping her come up with a plan to take classes at our university as a non-matriculated student to work toward her chemistry degree in hopes that the university might see that she can handle the rigors of the upper-level classes and accept her next year. So winter she is taking an upper-level math class at the university.
Anyway, she emailed me and said if she doesn't get accepted to the university, she is just going to go back to the community college and apply to their nursing program because she needs to do something and she knows nursing is an in-demand field. I asked her why she didn't give my program a try and she said it sounded too hard.
I'm at a loss as to what to say to her. I've helped her through this entire process of applying to the university, guiding her to take some of the classes as a non-matriculated student, etc. but I really don't know a polite way of telling her that nursing isn't something that you go into lightly. The programs in this area are INCREDIBLY competitive. The one program she is referring to at the community college is the most difficult one to get into too (but it produces the most respected graduates, even above the BSN programs). I asked her to consider applying to my program, which is more in-line with her original interest in chemistry, and she said it sounded too hard and with her just having had a baby she couldn't do it. While my program is academically incredibly difficult, there is no way the nursing programs in this area are any easier.
I don't want to offend her but I think her interest in nursing is misplaced and she doesn't understand the reality of how difficult the programs in this area are and nursing is in general. I worked as a CNA when I was a pre-nursing student (before changing my major, but because I was pre-nursing I know all about the programs in this area and I have people I know in many of the nursing programs from my time as a pre-nursing student) and it just isn't something I think you can get into lightly or half-heartedly, especially when the programs in this state are SO competitive.
What advice should I give her? I don't want to be rude and make her feel like she can't do it. I just don't think nursing should be a back-up plan and I really don't think at this point she could get into the programs in this area (I would be very shocked if she did) because they like to see volunteer work, healthcare experience, high GPA's in the pre-req sciences (I know she hasn't completed some of them, but I also know one of the bio classes that is a pre-req for nursing she did awful in). I fear she would apply and get rejected and just give up on college altogether since her "back-up" plan failed.
What is a tactful way of bringing this up to her and helping her on the right path? She also doesn't seem to know much of anything about nursing at all in terms of what they do, the amount of knowledge they have, the amount of work required. I wrote out an email trying to tell her how nursing really isn't a back-up plan and how the programs are much more competitive than my program and even the general requirements of our local university (which she was rejected from), and how nursing is way more demanding of a field than I think she realizes, but I ended up not sending it because I don't want to discourage her, so I decided to come her and see if I could get some advice!
Nursing school has a way of weeding out those who really don't want to be nursesand are only in it for the money. I'd say nothing and let her find out for herself
Are you hundred percent sure of your statement?Because I still have classmates in my class that should be anything but nurses and they still to my wonder make it in nursing school.Also we lost some great ones who really had a potential to be wonderful nurses...With that said we dont really know what kind of nurse the OP's friend might turned out to be.There are some people if not a lot who went into nursing without passion and they grow to like it or discovered that it is indeed their passion...
Thank you all for taking the time to response. I sent her a email letting her know more about the nursing programs in this area but also letting her know that if she puts her mind to it, I think she can be successful in anything she chooses to do. If she wants more advice from me I'll recommend she speak with an academic adviser. I can only help her so much and I don't even know the full story of her transcript.
You could always refer her to this site and tell her to check out the students section! That alone should give her a clear picture of what she'll be dealing with. And that way you can know she knows what she's getting into, and you don't have to feel awkward!
I think you should let her find out for herself. She's the one who'll have to go through the application process and the program, and she may never get in...then again, she might make it, mature and have a solid career to provide for herself and her child.
Your friend sounds immature. If I were you, I'd only give an opinion if asked for it. I've learned that it's not a good idea to prop up irresponsible friends too much. You can't live her life for her.
lovehospital
654 Posts
Are you hundred percent sure of your statement?Because I still have classmates in my class that should be anything but nurses and they still to my wonder make it in nursing school.Also we lost some great ones who really had a potential to be wonderful nurses...With that said we dont really know what kind of nurse the OP's friend might turned out to be.There are some people if not a lot who went into nursing without passion and they grow to like it or discovered that it is indeed their passion...