Would you be mad if a fellow nursing student did this?

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So today one of my suite-mates came to me and had told me something about her I hadn't expected. She will be going into her senior year of nursing this fall, but confessed that she isn't going to become a nurse.

Since her sophomore year she has been completing the pre-reqs for medical/dental school at the local CC (to keep it as low key as possible). She has since been accepted to dental school.

She told me she hasn't told many people this because many students see it as a bad thing. She feels like she took someones spot who wanted to truly be a nurse, but she had the 4.0 and has maintained it so she was of course at the top of the admittance list. She argued to me that all pre-meds/pre-dents sign up for a major they don't use, but she is under scrutiny because its a nursing major being unused as opposed to history or chemistry.

At your schools have you seen this situation? I feel for her because she has been almost living a secret double life for a few years in fear. Would you guys see this in a "she took someone elses spot" way or in a "she chose a practical fall back major" way? Or somewhere in between?

I just thought this was very interesting, is it common in NS?

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Specializes in Critical Care.

During pre-reqs for nursing school, I saw all kinds of majors. In my A&P class, I had a pre-dental student, pre-dental hygiene students, and even a pre-radiology student in with all the nursing students. Not sure what the big deal is.

Why is your friend lying? Is preference given to pre-nursing students in registration?

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I think everyone has the right to major in anything they want for ANY reason they want. If she wants a nursing degree but never plans on using it, she has that right. She's using it for a stepping stone, not an endpoint. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

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Specializes in CNA.

I don't see a problem with it either. Yeah, someone may have wanted it more that was one spot away from getting it, but hey I guess they should have tried harder? I believe if anyone needs a "fall back" career, nursing is the way to go. She seems bright being that she wants to go that far so two thumbs up to her. Having a nursing background might even help her be a better doctor.

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Specializes in Med Surg - Renal.

I'd see it as she wanted to get into the Dental program, but did not want to exit the Nursing program until she was in.

I wouldn't be mad. At first I was confused but now I think I get it. My CC has extremely good Dental and Nursing programs and they are very competitive. I imagine your classmate realized she wanted get into the Dental program, but did not want to drop Nursing in case she didn't get into the Dental program.

If there was any way to do this change, she did it pretty well.

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Not at all. On the contrary, I'd privately be happy that my classmate with a 4.0 won't be competing with me when it comes time to apply to jobs! I wouldn't worry about all the other people who didn't make the nursing program's cut. Clearly your classmate had the academic credentials to get in, and it's her right to change her mind about what career she wants once she's in.

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Very interesting responses! I've certainly seen threads on this board "Should I be an RN or MD?" However, I've never seen anyone attempt getting their BSN while pursuing dental (or medical) school. It's also impressive how hidden she's kept it, understandably. I'm sure it would cause some drama among our program.

I'm honestly pleasantly surprised by all of your responses. I would have expected "That's ridiculous, some people have quit their jobs, moved across the country, taken years of pre-reqs, (insert other reasons here) because they LOVE nursing"

In fact, her methodology makes since. She felt nursing was a career to fall back on if she didn't get accepted and something to pick up a weekend shift while in dental school. Plus, she said she is going to have a better view point than other dentists who had biology majors. Almost makes me wonder why more medical/dental school hopefuls don't major in nursing. The perspective could certainly only benefit them in practice.

You guys never cease to amaze me!

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Specializes in NICU.

I would hope that she takes and passes her NCLEX, or else she won't be working as an RN while she is going to school. I know a pediatrician who worked as an RN for that purpose.

Then there is my stepdaughter who went through school to work as an Xray tech, did very well with a 4.0 GPA and decided she didn't like it and never took her boards. She is now on her fourth course of study, and we hope that she sticks with this one! She's paying it all herself,scholarships, loans etc., so maybe this will be it!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Postpartum.

Don't get why someone who be "mad" for her career decision? You may not have chosen that path, but she did. There are people in my program who is there because they didn't get into the med school. They figured getting into the health care field by way of nursing was the second best option.

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Specializes in Psych,Peds,MedSurg,Tele,OB,Subacute.

I am sorry to be the bummer but I would be very upset. Maybe it is because of where I live, a very rural area with exactly 2 nursing programs, one of which is over an hour away. The first one accepts 20 students per year the other accepts 30. We do have alot of students that live on campus from out of state as well so it ups the college population immensely. The next nearest program is almost 3 hours away, in another state actually, and there are people so desperate that they actually do that commute (they only accept 20 as well). None of them do wait lists nor lottery system, it is 100% based upon GPA, entrance test (TEAS,Kaplan,etc),and essay. I have wanted to become an RN since I was 17 years old (I am now 32), I have raised 4 children which I had very young, and my youngest is 12 and oldest 17, when they were younger I didn't want to take away from them for my dreams. Well now that most of them are doing there own thing much of the time, I have the ability to take on school. I worked in the medical field as a tech for 10 years, so i know what nursing is truly about including the not so pretty parts. I am just 1 of many with similar stories. So yes I think it is not cool to take a spot in a highly competitive program for a profession you have no intention of going into. Now if when she went in she DID intend to be a nurse but things changed halfway through or whatever, than OK I get that things change....but if she did it knowing full well she would never practice, that isn't cool. But that is just my opinion.

Karla

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There is no moral issue to be learned here, folks, Move along. There's nothing to see...

USA is a free country. People can earn any degree that they want and then use it. Or, they can get a second degree, or a 20th degree, and then go into any of those fields, or into at a totally different field. Or chuck it all and become an OTR truck driver.

That student did nothing illegal, immoral, or unethical. If it "causes a lot of drama" when people find out that someone completed a nursing program and then isn't going to work as one, I'll just chalk that up as one more proof that that the nursing curriculum is boring, and that the majority of people who are drawn to the field have a very high tolerance for regimentation and sameness. And also tend to take themselves far too seriously.

I can, off the top of my head, name at least 2 women who hold RN licenses and one licensed LPN, all of whom have chosen to be housewives or sales clerks and have never and will never, ever, go anywhere near nursing again.

If you want to be a nurse and your heart is set on it, do that before you have the kids. It's much easier, and you'll be free to move if you don't have a mate and kids in tow.

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Specializes in Medical.

One of the women in my training cohort only studied nursing to marry a doctor - she met her aim and never worked once registered. I'd much rather a place was taken by someone interested in working in health care than looking for a partner :)

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