Test taking skills vs. real life skills

[zumalong]

I am curious, when you were in nursing school did you feel that more time was spent on test taking skills (to prepare you for the boards) or more time spent on becoming a nurse? When tests were given were they all multiple choice?

I think that students need test-taking skills but sometimes this becomes so overpowering throughout the year. How can we better prepare ourselves for the real world? Can we?

[EMTPTORN]

the best way to prepare for "real life" as a nurse is to get "real experience" in the health care setting...this may be as a PCT, or in another capacity. those who choose the nursing profession without any experience in health care can be in for a rude awakening. i would highly recommend to any prospective students prior to investing time in your prerequisites, invest some time seeing "real" health care up close...

I am second semester (ADN), and our unit tests are multiple choice, but our daily quizzes are not... they are "we give you a term or principal, and you define it"...these quizzes are but a small part of the theory grade, but failure to do well on the quizzes in clinical means failure from the program.