Can't Pass Fundamentals of Nursing!!!

Kelly185891 · Feb 26, 2014

I don't have a learning disability, I graduated from college with honors with a BS in Biology. Maybe I'm not cut out to be a nurse since I'm so stupid and have a "learning disability."

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Feb 26, 2014

First Learning disability does not = stupid. Einstein had a leaning disability and I seriously doubt anyone would refer to him as stupid.

Perhaps you need to change your method of study and learning what to focus on. Nursing is not just memorization but application of knowledge and critical thinking.

And yes it's very well possible that your brain is not designed to "think like a nurse". Just like not everyone can be an artist,musician,chemist,engineer or architect. Not being able to apply the knowledge/critical thinking is not indicative of intelligence.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Feb 26, 2014

I don't have a learning disability, I graduated from college with honors with a BS in Biology. Maybe I'm not cut out to be a nurse since I'm so stupid and have a "learning disability."

No one said you were "stupid" I DO NOT use that word. Nursing is different from anything else you have ever done. People with learning disabilities are NOT "STUPID"! They have a disability and people with disabilities are not "STUPID" either. I am disabled and I am far from being "STUPID".

It was an honest suggestion...if there is something that has been discovered because nursing isn't standard education/studying, it's a whole new ball game, and you can learn to fix it...you will succeed.

Nursing isn't just book learning it's lateral/critical thinking and consistent application of that knowledge that makes it so different. It is also about taking constrictive criticism and learning from it to beciome a better nurse.

I have a favorite quote...."Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted" Ralph Waldo Emerson

I wish you the best.

vanessaem, BSN, RN · Feb 27, 2014

I don't have a learning disability, I graduated from college with honors with a BS in Biology. Maybe I'm not cut out to be a nurse since I'm so stupid and have a "learning disability."

Like I said before, I think you're cut out to be a nurse, don't let anyone tell you otherwise and no you're not stupid. Talking to faculty is good but I found for the most part they may or may not care or be sympathetic to your plight depending on whom you speak to. I'd be careful with that. You seem to be only struggling with one particular class and not the entire program so I still say you need to change your studying strategies.

RescueNinjaKy · Feb 27, 2014

What are you focusing on? Personally I find that fundamentals usually cover topics such as nursing process. So learn what is assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning, intervention, evaluation.

Prioritization, who needs your attention first. Abc, airway breathing circulation. Think about which needs your help immediately and which can wait.

Delegation, what is the role of a rn, lpn, cna. Which patient falls within their scope of practice and who needs the most help.

Med math, drug calculations, flow rates drop factors, patients rights, med rights, injections, insulin

Communications, how would you communicate with the patient, types of therapeutic communication, verbal and nonverbal, cultural awareness

Safety, what is safe for the nurse, what is safe for the patient, things like ambulating, side rails, bed level and brake, call bells, hand hygiene

Charting, legality, hippa etc.

Then the specific systems that your professor is covering that week. For instance if on gu think about what normal findings are, what abnormal findings are, and very important that you think of what the nurse should do then. If patient is constipated what can you do, consult his dietary restrictions, encourage and teach about fiber and fluid intake and inform doctor and doctor might give stool softener or enema. What diet should a constipated patient be on, etc.

What I'm trying to say is that studying a lot and practicing nclex isn't going to help if you don't think about what they're asking of you. The focus of fundamentals, at least in my case, is to get you to think like a nurse. So think of what i wrote above and then you should have better clarity on what you should be focusing on when they're going over specific systems. Knowing the terms and definition is good but not enough. Knowing how to do our when to do something is also good but not enough. You want to know why. you need know what to look out for and why you should do something, and how to do something

Kelly185891 · Feb 27, 2014

First, I would like to apologize for my comment about disability. I should know better I said that out of stress and anger, my twin brother has ADHD so I feel horrible for saying such an ignorant comment. Second, you guys are right I am quitting nursing school. I just didn't have what it took, and when I drop fundamentals last semester it turns out Sallie Mae and my private loans started my grace period which will be up in a couple of days. I needed 6 credits while I was in school for them to back off, so I can't afford to continue nursing school and pay back my student loans that I have from my BS degree in Biology. Thank you for all of your helpful comments I really appreciate it. I just have to really look at myself and find out what I love doing and what I'm good at and find a master's degree program to attend.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Feb 28, 2014

First, I would like to apologize for my comment about disability. I should know better I said that out of stress and anger, my twin brother has ADHD so I feel horrible for saying such an ignorant comment. Second, you guys are right I am quitting nursing school. I just didn't have what it took, and when I drop fundamentals last semester it turns out Sallie Mae and my private loans started my grace period which will be up in a couple of days. I needed 6 credits while I was in school for them to back off, so I can't afford to continue nursing school and pay back my student loans that I have from my BS degree in Biology. Thank you for all of your helpful comments I really appreciate it. I just have to really look at myself and find out what I love doing and what I'm good at and find a master's degree program to attend.

Apology easily accepted ((HUGS))

If your twin has a disability I think you should really look into that you might have a slight disability and ability to focus that has reared it's little head in the nursing program. Nursing is a unique set of skills that require a different type of focus. Don't throw nursing away without getting evaluated by your PCP. You might be surprised.

Look at social worker. If helping people is what you want that may be a good choice.

I so wish you the very best.

Namaste883 · Nov 18, 2014

So I realize I am commenting on this much later and that you may or may not be into your second semester at school now. I just wanted to reach out and thank you for posting this because currently I am in my first semester and have really been struggling. I came in with a 3.36 GPA and for one reason or another have not been able to pass a single exam. I did end up withdrawing from Fundamentals as advised by my professors and student advisor. It was such a difficult decision to make because the other students who aren't passing just stuck it out, even though they are going to fail and will have to re-take the coorifice again in the spring. I too have studied harder, longer and have tried several different methods of studying, including all of the ways you described. From what my nurse friends have told me eventually it will click. It happens for students at different times, but if I just keep at it at some point this whole critical thinking stuff will just click. I firmly believe that. Although I am bummed out about having to re-take Fundamentals, in the end I am glad because I think I will actually understand things even better. I wish I had made testing arrangements at the beginning of the semester because I think that would have helped me immensely. Eventually I did get to take my exams in a private room and had extra time to take it. The exam I took with such arrangements went much better and I passed with a 76. I don't know how things have gone for you now in the fall but I hope to hear that it's going better than last semester. You're not alone in this. Thanks again for posting this and reminding me that I am not the only one struggling.

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Nov 18, 2014

In addition to all of the suggestions that everyone else has provided you, they are great, work on learning how to study more efficiently because harder is not working for you. I'm not saying that you are a bad student at all, just that you're probably less efficient at studying than you could be. Perhaps nursing isn't for you, but it shouldn't be because you can't figure out how to study efficiently. Being able to study efficiently is not something that we're often taught how to do... we're kind of expected to learn how on our own.

Nursing school is just one of those experiences that can cause a perfect storm for students. The test questions are different. The volume of info thrown at the student is quite high. You're expected to think at the application level, something not usually done before. Grades are expected to be good to continue in the program. You're expected to be able to perform what you learned in lab on the clinical floor. All this and throw in a touch of test anxiety and inefficient learning and it's just not at all surprising that some students (high achievers all because just getting into school is tough!) have trouble at some point during nursing school. I did... and I was able to figure out some of my own issues and roared back and graduated with honors.