Need Advice: Nursing school drop-out looking at re-applying

[VCstudent]

📖 Backstory: In 2021 two days before Thanksgiving🦃, I was offered a spot in a nursing program and accepted (feeling like I had to or would lose my opportunity). When I told a few family and friends they responded with more trepidation and doubt about how difficult school would be. No support from them. Winter ❄️ was a whirlwind of getting titers, exams, books 📚, uniform etc. all squared away. Then I began the local ADN program but with a feeling of being unprepared and undeserving of my spot.

I was doing well, passing with a B+ average but I didn't have a social support net and the teachers would really drive it into us how important is was to have that, so I panicked thinking I would eventually fail because of only having myself and became depressed 😢. I also felt guilty that I was neglecting my pug 🐕 because of the demand of nursing school. It eventually led to me deciding to leave and focus on my mental health. I went on an SSRI and sought talk therapy to help begin sorting myself out. 

That same year I transferred into my local university to obtain my bachelors in health science and I graduated 👨‍🎓 this Spring with an overall GPA=3.359. My GPA would have been higher but I was still trying to manage my depression with school and two internships in my senior year. I did manage to get straight A's 📓 with my heaviest course load and make the Dean's list the semester before my last. Throughout school I was mindful of my GPA because I know that is a big factor in nursing school admissions.

I'm looking at attending an ABSN or Entry-level Masters nursing program 🎓 (University of San Francisco has a clinical nurse leader program I want to attend) but I am afraid of repeating what happened in the ADN program.

The feeling and dream of becoming a nurse has never left me. I feel in my heart ❤️ I would be a compassionate 🤗 and attentive nurse that could have a positive influence on people in their time of need. I am honest with myself that I would need to go back on medication 💊 while in a nursing program (many of my past ADN cohorts told me they were on an SSRI and I kicked myself for not doing the same prior to the ADN program). I don't know who will see this? I am looking for some encouragement and advice. Thank you for reading. 🙏

 

[Tacocat, ASN, RN]

I'm going to be blunt - what program you do depends on your resources. It is difficult to work full-time during either of those programs. Do you have financial support? Are you going to be able to afford to live while you're in school?

An MSN as a clinical nurse leader is nice, but the most effective management I ever had were ones that were willing to jump in and help their nurses when they got overwhelmed or too busy. As a direct-entry MSN, you'll be lacking a lot of experience as a nurse in your chosen specialty and it's unlikely you'll be respected by your staff as a clinical leader or nurse manager without that experiential foundation. You can always do a BSN-MSN bridge program once you have your feet wet. 

[Julia Liou, RN]

Hi VCStudent,

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! It takes a lot of courage to share this to a group of strangers. What a whirlwind you've been through, and it's amazing you ended up completing your BSc after all of that.  I think you should be fine with completing your nursing degree, especially after going through an undergraduate degree. I too have completed a ABSN, and also hold a Bachelors of Science in Biology. I  personally felt like the Biology degree was way more difficult than my nursing degree. I think it was a mix of understanding how to study post-secondary courses, versus studying like I was straight from high school, as well as meeting a lot of supportive, caring classmates whom worked as a team! Try to find a good network in your school, and you should be fine! I also found that clinicals are the most difficult to get through in nursing school, and the beauty of a ABSN is that you have less clinical hours you need to complete! So I found a lot of the people that went through my program were able to pass, whereas I have had friends that have completed a 3 year BSN that struggled more. I wish you the best of luck! 

 

[windsurfer8, BSN, RN]

Lots of excuses that you didn't have enough "support".  If an RN has a med error or sentinel event an excuse of "I didn't have enough support" or "I had to take care of my pug" ain't gonna cut it. You will be fired and most likely end up in court.  We all have challenges during school and work. Some power through them some don't.  That is a personal decision for you. Good luck. 

[londonflo]

Julia Liou said:

and the beauty of a ABSN is that you have less clinical hours you need to complete!

I have never heard this before, but I believe you. Can you tell me where this was published?