I'm Stuck - Need to Make a Quick Decision

[Nurse Beth]

Dear Nurse Beth,

So I am kind of stuck and don't know how to navigate myself out!. I have been in School for my RN to BSN since Aug 2015. This program is fairly new so they keep changing things last minute CONSTANTLY . I work in Pediatrics full time 3 days a week. I go to school on Wednesdays and now my school just told us we have to do specialty clinicals and Leadership clinicals which is 2 separate days. My job will accommodate my school, But won't accommodate my clinicals. If I don't take clinicals it's an automatic failure.

Here is where it gets difficult. Since 2015 I have been easily going to school and going to work with no problems. I am the sole provider in my home and haven't had any issues thus far. Now because of all this, I can't afford to quit and have to make a quick decision! What can I do?

I already emailed my school to find out what my options are and there answer is there is nothing they can do and that's the rules. I was thinking about transferring to an online college but I always felt online college looks bad on a resume.

What are your thoughts?

---

Dear Stuck,

I'm sorry for the spot you're in. It's not easy providing for a family and going to school.

Is there any way you can take out a loan or a grant to help out? Check with your school's financial aid office. Some grants do not have to be paid back if you qualify.

It would set you back to transfer or try to transfer to a different program. All RN programs require

clinical hours as clinical training is an important part of the program.

There are reputable online schools, but you have to do due diligence to find them. Either way,

you will need to complete clinicals to finish RN school,

The other option is to temporarily drop out of school. Save up some money and return to school

when you can work part-time or work around clinical hours. Check to see that your credits are transferable.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

[Bell13, ASN]

Nurse Beth gave you bad advice. I agree with above, school cannot change curriculum for the time period you enrolled. They can change it for incoming students but not existing. Make a stink and do not give up without a fight!

[NurseDiane]

So, this was a sudden, "last minute change" in your curriculum? When did this "change" take place? I would think that if they changed the rules after you enrolled, where as before you did not need to do clinicals & now you do, you would have good standing to challenge it. You based your decision to attend that program based on their requirements, correct? Any "changes" made to a curriculum couldn't legally be applied to current students, only incoming students. I am sure you have documentation that explains the classes for each semester when you enrolled. If you can prove that there were no required clinical when you enrolled, you have excellent grounds to legally fight it. This sounds more like a money grab than an actual requirement for the BSN program.

I am assuming that you are going part-time if you only go one day per week. Throwing a 2 day clinical requirement into a part time enrollment is upping the credit load to full time, I would have to assume. Unless, the clinical days would replace the one Wednesday you are currently going to school now. You might be able to get clinical time on the same day you have been going to school---Wednesday----which wouldn't change your current work schedule.

If your school constantly "changes" the rules, you might want to look into transferring to another school. You can't go on not knowing what the next semester (or next week, for that matter) will be. What you signed up for is what it should be, not constant, last minute "changes" to the curriculum.

[jennyflier]

You are already working as an RN in a great field, which means employers are going to be more concerned with your work experience & that you eventually get your BSN, but will pay much less attention to what school you earned your degree from. Most of the people I know doing RN to BSN programs are doing them online. The programs are not viewed as substandard in my area & they do not require extensive clinical time. You will have to decide what takes priority in your life right now, but I would advice finding a program that fits better with your work & family responsibilities. Good luck!