Failing a nursing course is one of the hardest moments in nursing school.

I failed by less than a point. Is this my life now?

My school makes me wait a whole year. I don't know if I can do this.

I'm embarrassed to tell my family. I feel like such a failure.

I'm working full time. Maybe I just can't do this.

This is what actually happens next.

It is one of those ugly truths that no one wants to think about. Sometimes, students fail a course in nursing school. This is a big deal! It feels terrible emotionally and maybe even physically.

To add insult to injury, there is time, money, and embarrassment involved. Most schools have strict rules about returning to school or repeating courses, too.

Before getting into what happens after a failure, it helps to understand the structure you're working within. Nursing courses are not a single grade. They're three gates you have to clear simultaneously: a theory grade built almost entirely on unit exams and a final, a pass/fail clinical evaluation tied to professional performance and safety, and a pass/fail benchmark exam, typically ATI or HESI, with a required minimum score. Fail the exams, fail clinical, or miss the benchmark cutoff, and the course ends there. By the time you realize you aren’t doing well enough to succeed in the course, the choices can be pretty limited.

Practical Advice, From an Assistant Professor of Nursing

First, Do Not Panic

What can you do if you were unable to succeed in a course?

I have personally come unglued in the face of failure and have also witnessed students completely melt down when they fail a course. It is totally understandable, but do not do this. (At least limit the outbursts and who witnesses them!)

“Failure happens all the time. It happens every day …

What makes you better is how you react to it.”

—Mia Hamm

Most teachers actually understand. Some of us teach because we want to make nursing school a better place than we came from. We may not be able to help once failure of the course is inevitable, but we do care about you.

Grieve what you need to grieve and keep moving forward. You have more work to do!

Second, Determine Your Next Step

There is always a next step.

Was there a truly unjust situation within the course that qualifies you for an appeal? This is rarely true and even more rarely successful, but it is something to consider. If you need to take the appeal route, keep in mind that humility and accepting responsibility are key to the success of an appeal.

“A failure is not always a mistake, it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances.

The real mistake is to stop trying.”

—B. F. Skinner

Is there an option to repeat the course? If so, just do it. There is always more to learn that you missed the first time around. Appreciate the learning experience and let the anger go. Harboring anger only serves to poison your efforts and is toxic to the people around you.

Many people repeat courses, achieve their goal, and barely reflect on the experience once they are taking care of patients and raking in that steady money.

Occasionally, a new school is the best option. This is a tough route to pursue. School don't readily want to accept a nursing student from another program because it is complex. Credits rarely transfer, so you will be essentially starting over. On the other hand, if being a nurse is your goal, this is just another part of the journey.

Would you be best served by taking time off from school? I know that sounds like defeat, but it is not. Many students have faced seemingly insurmountable circumstances: immaturity, financial strain, unaddressed learning disability, death of a loved one, loss of a home, and so on.

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is take some time off from school and pursue another job while you fully address the issues that interfered. Come back later. Nursing school is not going anywhere.

Third, Just Own It

Do not blame anyone. What’s done is done. It is nothing to be ashamed of. Anyone who has never failed at anything has never tried very much, either.

Elvis Presley drove trucks after a few years' worth of failed attempts to secure a recording contract. They told him he couldn’t sing. Stephen King’s first book was rejected by 30 publishers before finding its home. And Lady Gaga was bullied by classmates, demeaned by boyfriends, and rejected by record companies. Do we need to tell you how that turned out?

“There’s a discipline for passion, and it’s not about how many times you get rejected or you fall down or you’re beaten up.

It’s about how many times you stand up and are brave and you keep going.”

—Lady Gaga

Honestly, the list of people who are successful only because they did not give up, choosing instead to change course or strategy when needed, is astounding. That might mean you choose a different career, and that is fine! However, our profession needs great nurses. If it takes you an extra semester or two to join us, we’ll be here, waiting to greet you! NCLEX Mastery is built to support you in exactly this moment.