Need help settling nerves...........

[karen230]

I am getting really nervous about changing careers into Nursing. I keep hearing these nasty stories about Nursing Programs in general and how they are nasty to students, fail people at the last possible moment so they don't graduate, put people through H*ll just to get them to quit and so on. Can anyone tell me what Nursing school was like for them? It is just freaking me out a little since I am "older" and am taking a huge financial hit in the Fall of 08 to attend school. I am tired of saying "I should have been a nurse" and this is it for me, if I don't do it now I know myself and I'll never do it. I have done as much as possible to prepare myself (except for the financial stuff, I'll need loans for sure and am saving as much as possible until I actually quit my job next summer). My DH has said he wishes we actually knew someone who has gone through the program so we could actually find out their opinion and get real insight so I'm turning here in hopes of finding some answers.

[karen230]

Also lately I have heard stories of how people are "targeted" for failing. One person who I used to know was expecting her BSN only to fail at the very end. Last I knew she was fighting for them to hand over her degree and I spoke to a person who talked to her about a year ago and found out that she never did graduate and is now working as an LPN. This woman knew a few of the girls she went through the program with and they told her that the profs were tough on her the whole program and that in their opinion they never had any intensions of allowing her to graduate. I just found this last part out so instead of being nervous about school in general, now I'm worried that I would somehow be a "target" since I"m older. I do know a person that went from LPN to RN later in life and even she said it was really tough but I expect NS to be that way.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

There are a few toxic schools where the instructors deliberately try to make students fail. There are instructors that target students for no good reason.

I know it exists, but fortunately it's not all that common considering the hundreds of thousands of us who become nurses.

Most schools are pretty good or at least average. The problem is nursing school is so tough and demanding that there is a high dropout/failure rate. Sometimes bitter students like to blame the school and others, and thus I think nursing school reputations tend to be falsely skewed a bit. Also, some students just squeak by and when they can't sqeak by the last semester they again blame the school. NCLEX is tough, nursing is tough, and only the strong and hardworking survive.

To date nursing school was the toughest thing I've ever done. It's not so hard, and I made A's, but it was just so time consuming (and I worked full time) and tiring.

I had good instructors, and one that wasn't so hot. But for the most part it went rather well.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

My DH has said he wishes we actually knew someone who has gone through the program so we could actually find out their opinion and get real insight so I'm turning here in hopes of finding some answers.

I would make another post in the state forum where the school is located. Ask specifically if anyone has been through that school. You can name the school, but can't name names of persons such as instructors. Good luck!

[catzy5]

Also lately I have heard stories of how people are "targeted" for failing. One person who I used to know was expecting her BSN only to fail at the very end. Last I knew she was fighting for them to hand over her degree and I spoke to a person who talked to her about a year ago and found out that she never did graduate and is now working as an LPN. This woman knew a few of the girls she went through the program with and they told her that the profs were tough on her the whole program and that in their opinion they never had any intensions of allowing her to graduate. I just found this last part out so instead of being nervous about school in general, now I'm worried that I would somehow be a "target" since I"m older. I do know a person that went from LPN to RN later in life and even she said it was really tough but I expect NS to be that way.

stop listening to "stories" thats all they are, I have also been discouraged by stories but have vowed now to stop listening and focus on myself! I don't think schools want anyone to fail, its their job to graduate people and it looks bad if they can't get people through the program, however, you need to be ready to be a nurse and if some people aren't and fail I am sure they are bitter and need to blame someone besides themselves. you can only control yourself so work on doing the best you can and stop listening to other stories.