Suggestions for appeal letter

Nursing Students General Students

Published

Nursing student at SCC. I would like to ask you about my nursing career.

A nursing career is my Ultimate goal, because I would like to see myself to make patient feel better and comfortable. To meet my goal I have to cut my work hours and study more hours to pass the nursing course. Because Nursing is the only thing gives me sense of life.

After I have accepted to the nursing program at SCC I've understood what the real meaning of nursing so I am very connected to the nursing career. In my first semester nursing class I did not pass the course because I did not enough time to study the material. Now I would like to continue my nursing education and I am preparing myself to give more time to study the material. I would do whatever it takes until I can see my sole , mind and body is feel a true happiness by seeing a good patient care.

I am very focus on patient need, such as how to read patient feeling in physiological and psychological. I am good at how to approach all kinds of patients Example, calming agitated, anxious, distress patients. Patients are very sensitive words and action so am accountable and responsible for my action and words to word patient care.

I need your help to build my nursing skill at SCC. In my first semester nursing program, I have learned about nursing skill to promote health, to prevent illness, to restore health, and to facilitate coping with disability or death. I want to be a skill full nurse in the society. Hope you will give me the chance to grow my nursing knowledge at SCC.

Thank you for your help

Nursing student at Scc

Specializes in Occupational Health; Adult ICU.

Misrak, this is just an idea of a rough draft. It's not meant to be a final note/request so please keep that in mind. But this is the way that I would approach an appeal to be given a 2nd chance to start again:

To whom it may concern:

(Note: If you know who the person is who will make the decision to let you retake the course then address the note to that person)

I failed to obtain a passing grade during my first semester. I misjudged the quantity of time necessary to do the course justice. I am a recent immigrant to the United States and English is a new language for me. I worked (x hours/week) and it turned out that with working, I simply did not have the time necessary to study the material especially since using a new language makes it makes it a bit more difficult.

Note: (Take blame where blame is due, but also point out that you are the exception, not the norm and face difficulties that others do not.).

I would like to continue my nursing education and would appreciate a second chance. I have reduced my work hours from x hours per week to (x) hours which I believe will be adequate to do the subject(s) justice. I have obtained a tutor (I'll let you elaborate on that).

(Note: Ask for what you want. Make a clear-cut case and offer objective information that will let the reader see that perhaps during a second try you will succeed.)

Spokane Community College (SCC) (if that's the same SCC) considers, as one of its four Student Learning Outcomes:” global awareness. As a legal immigrant to the United States I both embrace and appreciate the need for awareness of those outside the United States, and those inside who came from outside. It may be that my perspective as an immigrant will be a positive addition to some classes.

(Let's face it, you are different, and there are positive aspects to that difference. SCC considers global awareness as a prime objective, so hit them with their own verbiage).

I have a passionate desire to become a Registered Nurse and to be a skillful asset to both the profession of nursing and to the community at large.

(This is enough. This says all, and more than what you have itemized previously, but it rolls it into one short, succinct statement. All nurses want to comfort patients, to be sensitive…and so on but there is little point in repeating it—if you are passionate, and you are, such attributes are already said in the words passionate desire.” This echoes Cayenne06's point of view said in an earlier post.

I would dearly appreciate having a second chance to prove myself, and I hope you allow me that.

(Say it as it is. You want a second chance, so simply ask for it).

Sincerely,

Others at Allnurses, what do you think? Let's have some concrete suggestions and perhaps a bit of the rationale as to why. Suggestions, changes, additions?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

It should sound like it was written by the student, with edits for clarity and grammar. This latest version does not flow well and has a lot of fluff . I can't edit the latest draft from the mobile app.

Are you an immigrant or an international student? What steps have you taken to improve your English language skills? Have you sought out study skills assistance at the college resource center? Have you seen if there is academic tutoring available for the nursing program? Have you considered ESL classes to improve your English skills?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I don't have enough time to study. English is my second language so I have to take more time to understand the concepts of the text book. Any students Who speaks English as a second language need more time to study. There is a lot to study in English language especially the accent. Some Americans have very good accent. I'm always learning new accent and new words it is not something I will finish studying. Even after have finished nursing program, there is more to study in English Language.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Perhaps you should attempt nursing again after you have grasped the nuances of the English language? Not being snarky, but as a nurse, you're going to have to deal with written and spoken language with doctors and patients, and it can be a safety issue if it "takes longer" for you to interpret it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

All the expert editing and rewriting in the world will not get you readmitted to this program, because the faculty who will read your appeal will know it's not your work instantly. They are already familiar with your written work and already know its limitations. These will not go away with one letter of appeal, and they have to look beyond it.

Like it or not, you are in a program where even native English speakers have to work very, very hard to learn this material AND to communicate their new knowledge to faculty, in written and testing work, and to patients. Passion and desire are not enough. Even if you were already an accomplished professional from another culture, you would not meet these basic requirements for practice here. You will also not be able to succeed in a work environment where clear and precise communication is not just nice, it's essential. A charming accent is not enough.

I have taught many students whose first language was not English. I'm thinking particularly of Vietnamese women for whom English was a third language, after Vietnamese and French. The ones who succeeded were the ones who achieved much greater fluency than you have right now. I also had a woman who was an experienced midwife in China, but who failed basic clinical here because she did not understand the directions for giving meds, could not do patient teaching, and could not take report or give it. She also never spoke English in her neighborhood and only left her neighborhood for school. She never watched English language TV, read English language papers or magazines, or took a class. She might have been a wonderful midwife, but how could she communicate with anyone who didn't speak Cantonese?

I agree with the earlier poster who recommended you take a break from this professional program to achieve greater fluency in English, and then reapply when you can demonstrate it. That should be the focus of your appeal. Tell them you would like to defer readmission for a year to do that and will reapply then.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I don't have enough time to study. English is my second language so I have to take more time to understand the concepts of the text book. Any students Who speaks English as a second language need more time to study. There is a lot to study in English language especially the accent. Some Americans have very good accent. I'm always learning new accent and new words it is not something I will finish studying. Even after have finished nursing program, there is more to study in English Language.

This attitude, when picked up on by school personnel, will get you nowhere. Perhaps it already has achieved that result.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I will pray hard and work hard to complete my nursing program.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I will pray hard and work hard to complete my nursing program.

God helps those who help themselves. More work, less prayer.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
I don't have enough time to study. English is my second language so I have to take more time to understand the concepts of the text book. Any students Who speaks English as a second language need more time to study. There is a lot to study in English language especially the accent. Some Americans have very good accent. I'm always learning new accent and new words it is not something I will finish studying. Even after have finished nursing program, there is more to study in English Language.

Most schools will have foreign language students take the TOEFL to ensure that the student has enough basic proficiency in English. If you took and passed this test, then the school is satisfied that you understand English well enough for general attendance. It doesn't necessarily mean that you understand it enough for a nursing program though. And unfortunately, English as your second/foreign language isn't enough to require the school to make extra accommodations for you. They could if they're wanted to, but they're not mandated to.

I agree with the others--you may want to improve your English more before attempting a nursing program again. Or if you can't or won't do that, you need to accept the fact that it's just going to take you a lot more time to study the material, and you NEED to make that extra time to study. The choice is yours.

Try LiveMocha.com. It's an online language learning group where you can practice foreign languages with other speakers. You need help with English; someone else may need help with Hebrew. You can both help each other and benefit from it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
God helps those who help themselves. More work, less prayer.

I agree with this too. The Big G won't take care of everything just because one prays to Him; otherwise no one would ever fail the NCLEX and every new grad would have their dream job :)

Yes, continue to have faith, but you've also got to put in the hard work to improve your English.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg; Infectious Diseases; Research.

I am assuming your program has an appeal policy. Not all programs do. Assuming your program offers students an opportunity to appeal a grade then what usually happens is if your appeal is accepted, you would simply roll into the cohort behind you (allowing you to graduate 1-2 semesters behind schedule).

There are a few things to consider before appealing a course failure. What was your rapport with the Course Instructor? Did you attend office hours and reach out for help throughout the semester? Is there evidence that you genuinely tried to be successful? How did you do in your other courses? If your performance was weak across the board, then the chances are that your appeal will be denied. However, if this was just a bad course for you then you're going to need to highlight your strengths in your other courses.

Your passion for nursing is commendable but nursing is an art and a science. Patients' lives depend on our understanding of fundamental principles as well as our passion. If all else fails, there are plenty of healthcare options besides nursing that will feed your passion for healthcare and cost you a lot less in liability.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg, Gyn, Pospartum & Psych.

The number one reason why students from my school didn't pass the NCLEX the first time was language barrier issues. Our school recognizes this and takes great pride in the high percentage of new grads who pass the first time. We are also a community college. It also means they are harder on the people who struggle with English as a second language because they recognize that communication is an important part of nursing. Several of my study partners were from other countries and I spent a lot of study time translating cultural issues and language problems. I had a running joke with one of my friends because she didn't realize the definition of the word "stupor" as a side effect to a lot of our psych meds was "altered mental state" and not "stooped over" as in physical body position. As funny as that is, not understanding the real risk of those drugs could have resulted in poor nursing. I also was helping a foreign born classmate in clinicals...and really felt his pain when he went literally days without sleeping doing his careplan for one of our first clinicals...what took me 30 hours, took him twice as long because of the language issues. He finally dropped out of the program because he wisely understood that in a crisis, he would not be able to effectly communicate the patient's condition in a timely, clear manner. He simply wasn't "safe". I so wanted to go convince him to change his mind because he was very good with patient care but I realized that he was right about how the language issue could endanger a patient's care. Desire isn't always enough. I think you need to address how you are going to dedicate more time to school as well as how you are going to address improving your English skills. Good luck.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment