Hi everyone! I'm seeking help to deal with this devastating situation. Unfortunately, I was a repeating student, so my anxiety level was out of control, always fearing "What will I do if I fail again?" Please understand, I started my first prereq almost 18 years ago, had 4 children in between, and had some unexpected turns in my life...yet I made it, all the way through. The problem was with each semester, my test anxiety became worse. During the last semester, I bombed the first 3 exams despite intense studying. The instructor suggested I take the exams in an isolated area from the rest of the class. I did, and what a difference...I got B's on the rest of the exams. Unfortunately, I didn't earn enough total points on the final to make up for the first 3 exams. I've been told "it just wasn't meant to be" and "I should consider an LPN program, or choose another major". I'm so numb inside, I don't know what to do. I've made so many sacrifices, my marriage has crumbled, my kids have suffered...for what? I've worked in a hospital for almost 20 years now, nights. (Which added to the problem, I'm sure) I know I was meant to be a nurse. I would really appreciate any suggestions to help me deal with these feelings as well as any info about not having to start from scratch, if possible.

Thank you,

Lorettaxyz

First of all, thank G*d for the instructor who realized that you needed some accomodations to do well on the tests. He/she may be your angel! Since that person obviously believes in your abilities, see if he/she will accompany you to the dean to see about starting your courses again. Maybe with the backing of a supportive instructor you might not have to start from scratch.

Second, find out if your school offers any sort of testing or counseling for test anxiety or learning disabilities. Lots of larger schools offer this on campus; smaller schools may have a system in place to refer you somewhere in the community. This may be just the ticket for you...therapy, meds (if necessary), test strategies, etc. may help tremendously AND the school may be more amenable to further accomodating any special needs you have.

Third, since you brought it up, NOTHING is worth the loss of your relationships with your husband and kids. Fix whatever can be fixed.

Well, I can start by saying that if you were meant to be a nurse, you will be. Don't let anyone else discourage you. You have made so many sacrifices already for the sake of nursing, don't let any of it get you down.

Failing is just another hurdle, you get back up and try it again but now you can do it with additional information on what went wrong. I think that accommodation for tests would be successful for you. I know someone at a school that also has anxiety and she has to have accomodation for them to be able to pass exams. She realized it in high school though.

Keep trying

I wish you the best :)

I've had the same issue. I've had anxiety from my freshmen year in high school, and my junior year I went to my doctor and he prescribed me an anti-anxiety medication. It helped A LOT! Once I started nursing though, The first exams in three of my classes I failed, despite me studying like it was for my life. I discontinued my anxiety medication and my OCD rituals became overwhelming and I felt like giving up because I thought I was stupid.

Finally, I went to my doctor and talked to him about it and he had diagnosed me with A.D.D and put me on medication. And let me tell you, I have absolutely NO anxiety going into an exam anymore (though I have general anxiety about every little thing imaginable). My professors thought I was one of those students who just rush through exams because I was always the first one to finish, well, I got A's on EVERY exam.

My advice is to see your doctor and maybe get on some anxiety medication because it honestly helps with the general anxiety. My cure to test/school anxiety was being diagnosed with A.D.D because my problem was that I couldn't focus even if my life depended on it and then I would get frustrated, and my anxiety would sky rocket because I thought I was going to fail and I'd be a wreck.

And never let someone tell you you can't be a nurse, or it just wasn't meant to be. Someone told me that when I was still in high school, and I proved them wrong because I've made it to the dean's list and am just two more semesters of becoming an RN.