Why Aren’t Nursing Majors Staying Nursing Majors?

The pre-nursing advisor is discouraging students from pursuing the nursing program.

A lot of nursing majors come to USC Aiken with the expectation of joining the program with the help of the pre-nursing advisor. Unfortunately, this is not the reality for many students, and they are being encouraged to change their majors.

A junior nursing major, who wishes to remain anonymous, has been at USCA for three years and has yet to start the nursing program. During their freshman year, the pre-nursing advisor did not inform the student about a class they could have taken toward their nursing GPA. This led to the student having to take the class during the summer going into their second year.  

During their sophomore year, the advisor told this student that their nursing GPA does not seem to be improving and suggested thinking about changing their major.

The student stated, “That made me feel like I wasn’t good enough to get into the nursing program or to be a nurse”.

When these students did apply for the USCA nursing program, they were put on the waitlist. Once waitlisted, they decided to apply to other nursing programs elsewhere and were accepted. This student will be transferring to another college to continue pursuing the nursing field.

“I understand you have to be honest but have some faith in your advice,” commented the student.

Another student, who also wants to remain anonymous, was discouraged from their freshmen year after receiving a C plus in a class.

The student said, “She always made me feel like I couldn’t do it and I started believing her after a while.”

During their junior year, they decided to change their major to exercise and sports science.

This student declared, “She does nothing but put me down. I have never heard encouraging words from her. The most I have heard her be encouraging is when I finally decided to change my major from nursing to exercise and sports science.”

 In the meanwhile, this student was working as a certified nursing assistant.

Regarding becoming a nurse, the student voiced, “I know that’s all I want to do in life, like, I can’t see myself doing anything else.”

They have decided to transfer elsewhere to continue pursuing a nursing degree.

Concerning the pre-nursing advisor’s behavior they stated, “There is nothing wrong with being blunt, that’s what people need sometimes but she is rude.”

Brianna Williams, a previous nursing major, was told to change her degree program by the pre-nursing advisor. While in the Pacer Pathway Program during her freshman and sophomore years, Williams was advised by the program’s advisor. At the end of her sophomore year, she was informed that the pre-nursing advisor should be advising her from then on.

 In the first semester of her junior year, the pre-nursing advisor never reached out to Williams, and she took matters into her own hands. Williams emailed the advisor, and they began advising through email.

Williams announced, “We never met in person, we only emailed.”

 She was instructed to change her major because she would not be able to apply for the nursing program with her current GPA. Though, Williams still had the opportunity to increase her GPA because she had not taken all the nursing prerequisites yet. She has since changed her major to business.

When asked about ever experiencing discouragement, a current nursing major commented, “I have heard that she has been rude and discouraging to other people.”

An advisor’s job should not be to discourage students from pursuing their education. A competitive and challenging nursing program is expected but the challenge should not be the pre-nursing advisor.