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Struggling and I am not even in Nursing School | Will I make it in Nursing School?

Hello all,
I am 30 years old, married, and a mother of 3. I know it sounds cliché but I have wanted to be a nurse for the majority of my life. I have an Associates in Biology, and am 10 classes away from my BS in Public Health. I am in California and all of the community colleges admit students based off a point system. The minimum GPA needed is a 2.5 in the pre-requisite courses (Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology). I received a B in Anatomy, C in Physiology, and unfortunately a C in Microbiology. I took these classes in 2009. I wish I would have challenged my Micro professor because I actually had a B in the course but he failed my labs because my lab partner and I had the same answers for our labs and he told us that it was considered “plagiarism” which I was not clear on. I was under the assumption that since we were lab partners we should work together. He also scored my test wrong from a B to a C and when I confronted him (politely) he was upset and threatened to give me a worse grade by finding something else wrong. Needless to say, I received a C and my pre-requisite GPA is 2.33, not the minimum of 2.5. I tried to speak to my former JC about retaking the Microbiology but since I passed, they gave me the worst time. It is basically near impossible to try to retake it. I can either enroll at another college and start all over with 5 biology courses ( Gen Chem, Gen Bio + 3 pre reqs) or give up. My current university has a program that does not have a minimum GPA in the pre-reqs and they include Biomedical Statistics, which I have taken and received a B in. In order to be competitive I will need to get a near perfect on my TEAS V exam (90+). I also must work full time during at LEAST half of the 22 month program (if accepted). I feel like I have all these things going against me. I feel like maybe receiving 2 C’s and 1 B is indicative that I am simply not “good enough” or “smart enough” to succeed in a nursing program. Should I pursue nursing at another time in my life when the kids are older? Should I start all over at a JC, or should I just aim to get 90% or higher on the TEAS. I don’t know what to do. I know you cannot make the decision for me but I just need some perspective here. Thanks for reading, I know it was long.

-Lisa

This question was asked in the nursing forum section.

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Comments

  1. Julie says

    May 29, 2014 at 4:10 pm

    Hi Lisa!

    I returned to nursing school as an “older” adult and in older I mean in my early 40s so I was older than the average student lol. So my kids were a little more self sufficient (12 & 15) but nursing school did take a lot of time and dedication. I think if you have the support of your husband and depending on how old your children are I think you can definitely do it. But remember there will be days you will say to yourself “what in the world am I doing” and other days you will say “this isn’t so bad and everything seems to be working out”.

    Regarding the GPA thing I would take the TEAS exam and see what you score. I think the TEAS exam is not that bad as long as you really study for it. I know on this website there are so great resources to help you study for the TEAS exam. The TEAS mainly covers stuff you would find on a ACT exam and is very basic. It seems like to me that would be the best option and if you don’t score good on it then may be you should consider trying to get your GPA up. I know you said you can’t take the micro class again but could you take some other courses that are easier (you know you will get an A in) to help inflate your GPA?

    Also some words of encouragement about being smart enough for nursing school….I know nursing school has the reputation of being hard and all, but trust me if you study, go to class, and work hard you will pass. I went to school with some not so book smart people who passed and they are excellent nurses.

    Hang in there!

    Julie

  2. S.L. Page says

    May 29, 2014 at 4:30 pm

    Lisa,

    Welcome to the site 🙂 and thanks for your question on the forum. I am so sorry to hear about what happened with your microbiology class. I would be so upset especially since your GPA is just below the requirement. If I were you I would stay at your current university and take the TEAS exam and see what you score. However, like Julie said above I would study really good for it. I think that if you study hard, getting in the 90s wouldn’t be a long shot.

    Here are some resources regarding the teas exam: https://www.registerednursern.com/how-to-study-for-the-ati-teas-v-exam-ati-teas-study-manual-online-practice-tests/

    My opinion on if you can make it in nursing: At my college I basically scored the same grades as you in my pre-req. I found A & P very hard and struggled to score a B. I found that those classes (Micro & A&P) are different than nursing classes. Nursing classes to me were a little easier (but still required effort) when compared to Micro & A&P. Plus the way your professor teaches has an impact on how well you do in the course.

    My opinion on the family situation: I don’t know how old your kids are but I have a 5 month old and going back to school for my nursing degree would be very hard right now because he requires so much attention and care but if he was a few years older I would probably be able to do it. I think having the support of your spouse is a determining factor as well.

    Let us know what you end of deciding!

  3. Tammi says

    May 29, 2014 at 7:19 pm

    Were you receiving financial aid for your micro class? If so, that may be the reason they won’t allow you to retake it with a passing grade of C. You could see about re-taking it but pay for it out of pocket and you should be able to do it. I have known many people that had to work and go to class and we made it. No lie, it will be tough whether you have to work or not but having to work undoubtly makes it tougher. If this is your dream and passion, go for it. Anything worth having is worth fighting for. There is a rainbow at the end of every storm. Good luck to you.

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