Struggling NP student in need of advice !

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Hi all,

So, I am new to allnurses. I have heard great things and often been referred to this site through google or friends.

I have been a nurse for four years on a cardiothoracic unit. Though I love it, I've been very burnt out because we don't only get heart/lung patients but we get it all. Also, being short staffed doesn't help. I am usually a very motivated energetic person especially at work. However, recently have been feeling the opposite. I am also in my NP program. I didn't start off on the write note and continue to struggle in Np school and struggle to strike a balance between work and school. I have finally updated my resume and considered going part-time or finding a new job so I can maintain my mental sanity. I studied in nursing school, however I never had to be that person that locked themselves up in their room for hours to do well in exams. Gradschool was a major eye-opener. I realize I need to put in hard work and the level of difficulty is much higher. I am wondering what happens if you fail in a NP program? I took patho and pharm this summer and regret it because I had way too much going on to give it my undivided attention. I am doing better in pharm but what happens if i fail the courses and get kicked out? Usually not a pessimist but I would like to know if that ever happens? I am not going to lie I am freaking out a little. I would do anything to bounce back and give school first priority. There is so much I am capable of doing, I just need a second chance!

Please guide me!!

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Well, first off, this is why I often argue on this board that the lack of admissions standards at many NP schools sets students up for failure. Some students just are not ready for graduate work, whether it be to other commitments, or just a lack of ability to handle higher level work, not every RN should just be able to go to night class in their spare time online and become an NP.

Having said that, I don't know you, so this may not be the case. Maybe you are highly intelligent, and COULD handle NP work, but you are stretching yourself too thin by trying to go full-time while also holding a full-time job. This is another issue that seems to be only prevalent in nursing (trying to work full-time while going to school). Your goal here is not just to hit the minimum and scrape by in school just so you can graduate...you need to really learn and understand the material. You will be responsible for making life or death decisions upon graduation, and your patients will expect you to know what you're doing. You say you are not giving these courses your undivided attention and that it's possible you may fail - do you think that's good enough for the people you will be treating one day? Would you feel comfortable receiving prescriptions and diagnoses from a provider who almost failed pathophysiology and pharmacology?

I think you should step back and decide what is more important to you right now, working as an RN or becoming an NP. If you really are committed to becoming an NP, then please drop your hours at work to per diem/part time (or better yet, quit working completely) and spend more time studying and learning these important NP concepts. If you need to work full-time and won't be able to commit, then maybe you should take a step back and take a leave from school until a time later in your life when things are more calm for you. I'm not sure why everyone feels the need to start their NP degree ASAP, even if it means barely paying any attention to their studies. This is training to be a provider and should be taken very seriously, otherwise you are doing yourself and your future patients a huge disservice.

As for what happens if you fail in an NP program, it's school dependent. Some hold you back and let your repeat, some dismiss you from the program entirely. If you're dismissed from the program, it may difficult to ever go back into an NP program (as it should be), so I suggest you think it through thoroughly before you decide to just forge ahead with things as they are now.

I hope my post doesn't come off as mean or aggresive, as I truly do not intend it to be. I wish you luck and do hope everything works out for you, I just think that a lot of the nurses on this board need some "tough love" when it comes to NP school.

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Specializes in allergy and asthma, urgent care.

I'm sorry you are struggling. Grad school is a whole different ballgame than undergrad, and it does require more time and attention. I think working full time is very difficult to do while going to school, especially if the job is very stressful and leaves you so drained you can't focus on school. Perhaps a move to part time hours or to a less stressful floor would make things more manageable. Could you take a semester off from school while you re-group? Can you talk about this with the director of your program and see what your school's policies are? It is not in the school's best interests to have students fail. They may be able to offer you some support and help you fix this situation.

Best of luck to you.

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You took patho and pharm in the same semester? That is a very large workload! Is that your school's recommended curriculum plan for your program? Plus the summer semester (atleast in my school) is shorter in length. I would not have recommended you to take both of those courses the same time, work full time, and take it during the shorter length semester. My school had those courses at different semesters during the Fall and Spring. Both patho and pharm take about 30-40 hours a week of studying and reading a piece.

I really think you may have overdone your scheduling.

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Specializes in Emergency.

OP -

Sorry to hear about your struggles. As others have pointed out, it sounds like you tried to bite off a very big bite of the ol' apple. I would also suggest you discuss your situation with your advisor or someone at your program (I don't know how your program is structured). They may be able to help you figure out how to adjust the workload so that is it more manageable and will fit within your needs.

Everyone I know, struggles at something, many of us have failed before. It's not about if you fail, it's about how you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and figure out how to go on. Have faith in your own abilities, hold your head high and figure out what it is going to take for you to succeed at this.

Good Luck!

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Specializes in Emergency, ICU.

Hi pkakar!

I think you are just overwhelmed with a stressful job and two very intense courses. If the summer semester is still going on, are you able to withdraw from the courses? Withdrawal is a waste of money as you will have to re-enroll and re-take the courses in the future, but at least it does not impact your GPA.

I know coming here for help is a good way to see how others handle the workload of graduate school and work, but really, your best resource is your academic advisor. That is their job! Please call them up ASAP and talk to them about the best option for you in order to save your GPA and your sanity. Maybe a leave of absence from the NP program for one semester would be a possibility. If you that, you can take that semester to carefully search for a less stressful job, or a per-diem job for example and then start up again with more time, focus, and energy.

Good luck to you!

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I don't advocate for, "watering down the NP curriculum or making it as easy as possible." Good luck on your journey of starting grad school FutureeascoastNP.

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Specializes in allergy and asthma, urgent care.

No one here is advocating "watering down" programs. That is not the purpose of this thread. The OP came here for support and advice. If you want to talk about program issues, there are plenty of threads for that. If you want to be helpful, supportive, and offer insight based on experience then by all means, please do. But please get off your soapboxes and put your agendas away. This is about an individual asking for help. Nothing more, nothing less.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Off topic posts deleted. Thanks

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I don't know about your school, but in mine, you must pass every class. There are absolutely no second chances. You fail one class, you are out. Your best bet, if your school has the same conditions as mine is to drop the classes that you feel you are going to fail so that you can have a chance of taking the class the following semester. Contact your advisor to know about your options. Taking Patho and Pharm is no joke. Graduate school requires some level of maturity. The school treats you as an adult leaner who can plan her/his life in a mature way so as to focus on school. I honestly hope that you were not having fun at the expense of your studies.

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Specializes in psychiatric.

Summer classes are very difficult to do well in (in general) in my experience and that is at the undergrad level. I did my first graduate class during this summer and I was hammered, and it wasn't even one of the harder ones like patho or pharma. If you work on a cardiothoracic floor I'm sure you have many skills and a good knowledge base, especially after 4 years. Everyone else said it and I 100% agree, talk to your advisor, I don't think a lot of students realize how helpful and supportive they are. Working full time is difficult according to my coworkers that are in the FNP program, most of them tried it and had to go per diem or school part time. I am per diem now and I think it will difficult but doable. Don't give up on yourself, explore the other options.

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Specializes in Adult Nurse Practitioner.

OP, both of those classes are heavy hitters and very important as you progress into your actual nurse practice. I took Pharm with Research Methodology and LUCKILY I was able to not work. I can't imaging taking it with Path! Are you at a point where you can drop one and pick it up at the next session? One thing I have learned is the classes do not get any easier...they get more detailed and labor intensive, but then, we are progressing to a whole new level of patient care. Good luck!

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