She Failed Her Nursing Licence Exam Twice — Now She’s Building a Nursing Career in Saudi Arabia

A Tanzanian woman’s story of failing her nursing licence exam twice, returning home to work on her mother’s farm, and eventually building a nursing career in Saudi Arabia is resonating with nursing students and graduates across East Africa.

From Two Failed Attempts to a Third-Time Pass

Regina Nyamicho shared her journey on Instagram, opening up about the shame and uncertainty that followed each failed attempt at her nursing licence exam. Rather than treat those setbacks as the end of her story, she now looks back on them as early chapters in a much longer journey, one that eventually carried her far beyond what she once imagined possible.

After failing the exam a second time, Regina didn’t rush straight back to try again. Instead, she went home and spent a period working on her mother’s farm, a humbling turn for someone who had trained to join one of the world’s most respected professions. It was during that quieter season, away from the pressure of the exam hall, that she decided to give it one more attempt.

That third attempt changed everything. She passed.

The World Didn’t End”: Life After Passing

Reflecting on the moment she finally passed, Regina described how much changed once she cleared that hurdle. She became a nurse, built her career, and eventually saw the world in ways she once could only imagine. Roughly two years before sharing her post, she packed her entire life into a single 23kg suitcase and relocated to Saudi Arabia, where she has since built a nursing career and travelled to places she once only dreamed about.

Her message was directed squarely at nurses, nursing students, and graduates who feel they’ve failed one too many times — a reminder that a difficult result isn’t necessarily a final verdict.

Why Regina’s Story Resonates Across East Africa

Regina’s story taps into a fear that’s common but rarely spoken about openly among nursing graduates across East Africa, where licensing exams can feel less like one step in an ongoing process and more like a final judgment on someone’s entire career. Her willingness to speak candidly about failure — including the period spent working on a farm while her peers moved ahead — gave her post a rawness that clearly struck a chord online.

Her advice to nursing students and graduates currently facing a disappointing result was simple: a single exam outcome doesn’t define who you are. Sometimes, as she put it, you’re simply still on your way and the next attempt could be the one that changes everything.

Conclusion

Regina Nyamicho’s journey, from two failed licence exams and a season working on her mother’s farm, to a nursing career that eventually took her all the way to Saudi Arabia, is a reminder that setbacks in a demanding profession like nursing don’t have to be permanent. For the many nursing students and graduates across East Africa quietly carrying the fear of failing a licensing exam, her story offers a straightforward but powerful message: one result isn’t the end of the road, and persistence can still lead somewhere unexpected.

FAQs

Who is Regina Nyamicho? Regina Nyamicho is a Tanzanian nurse who failed her nursing licence exam twice before passing on her third attempt, and who now works as a nurse in Saudi Arabia.

How many times did Regina Nyamicho fail her nursing licence exam? She failed the exam twice before passing on her third attempt.

What did Regina Nyamicho do after failing the exam? After her second failed attempt, she returned home and worked on her mother’s farm before deciding to sit the exam a third time.

Where does Regina Nyamicho work now? She relocated to Saudi Arabia roughly two years before sharing her story and has since built a nursing career there.

What is Regina Nyamicho’s message to nursing students who have failed an exam? She encourages nursing students and graduates not to let a single failed exam define their future, reminding them that a setback doesn’t mean the end of the journey.