Watch CBS News

Students Devastated After State Shuts Down Nursing Program

QUINCY (CBS) - In the middle of National Nurses week, nursing students at Quincy College are facing a major setback.

Wednesday, the State Board of Registration in Nursing (BORN) withdrew the approval for the nursing program at Quincy College.

"Frustrated, upset and you know, disappointed," said nursing student Lauren Mazurkiewicz to describe her feelings. "I found out from my professor as I was leaving my final exam."

The decision comes just a year after the school was given a warning by the state about students' low test scores.

Now Lauren and her classmates are scrambling to figure out the future. They say, so far they've had little direction from the school.

Quincy College
Quincy College (WBZ-TV)

"I know a few of my classmates say they don't mind starting over if they can get their money back," said student Georgianna McDonald.

Mazurkiewicz isn't confident that others want to take that route. "People have quit their jobs to accommodate for clinicals. People are single moms. They have kids. They need to get through it and they don't want to waste more time," she said.

Administrators at Quincy College released a statement on the school's Facebook page on Wednesday evening.

The statement says in part, that the college "immediately filed an appeal" of BORN's decision and that the college is "committed to working with [students] to ensure they can pursue their course of study."

"I do hope that they will help. But I think it's also going to take us out there rallying ourselves as well," said Mazurkiewicz.

One option may be enrolling at another local school. That option may not be as easy as it sounds however. Students say that often, curriculum differs from one school to the next and nursing programs are competitive.

"A lot of school's fall deadlines have already passed so I'm probably going to have to take next year off," said McDonald.

Quincy College administrators announced Thursday, that a meeting will be held Friday at the school's Quincy and Salem campuses. Students are hopeful they will get more answers.

"I just hope they can find some sort of way to make it all, not for nothing," said McDonald.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.