Finals are Finally Over!!!

[RNSuzq1, RN]

Hi All,

We just finished our 2nd Semester Finals and have a week off to relax before 3rd Semester starts. Yippeee... My week will be spent catching up on cleaning the house and mountains of laundry - but at least my eyes get a rest from all that studying... This is long - just a bit of Venting...

I've heard that a few of our classmates didn't have high enough grades after the final to continue on with us in the 3rd Semester and I'm so sad about it. One of them is someone who's become a very close friend - unbelievably - she said she missed staying in by 1/2 a point and it breaks my heart to think she won't be in class with us anymore. She's one of the kindest people I've ever met, did a fantastic job in Clinicals - just hate it for her that she spent all that time, money, stress, late nights studying, etc. and for now at least, she's out of the Program. There were also 2 of the younger girls in class that were getting married today and heard that at least one of them didn't make it. How depressing to find out you failed out of Nursing School 2 days before your wedding... So Sad...

I have a question about tests and how they are given. Almost since day one back in August - there is one woman in class that does not have to take tests with the rest of us. We've all been told that she has a "Doctors Note" which allows her to take her tests/exams alone in one of the Instructors Offices. I'm just assuming it has something to do with her nerves - test anxiety - something like that. I heard someone once ask one of the Instructors about this and the fact that "all of us" were incredibly nervous taking these exams and it wasn't fair that one person got to take the test "alone". She just said, all I can tell you is - "get a Doctors note". But honestly, that would be ridiculous if 30 people got Doctors notes and took our exams in 30 different rooms - physically impossible...

My problem with this is - part of the anxiety during the test is sitting in a large room with a bunch of equally nervous people - some are shaking their legs uncontrollably, figeting, coughing - you hear people leaving, slamming doors, Instructors pacing back and forth looking over our shoulders, etc. It's so nerve wracking. This one person that has the opportunity to take the tests "alone" in a nice quiet room has a huge leg up on the rest of us. I jokingly told one of the Instructors the other day before the Final - that I'd gladly take the Exam in the "bathroom" - where at least I could concentrate better... A guy sitting next to me said - don't worry about it - "X" will never pass the Boards because they'd never allow someone to test alone and besides that - if she can't concentrate enough to take a test with other people, there's no way she could focus enough on a busy floor with so much going on, to get her job done. I guess he's right - just wondering if any of you have classmates that are allowed to do this???? I'm not dismissing some medical condition she might have, just something about it doesn't seem quite fair to the rest of us.

One other note about the Final. Most of us brought calculators - assuming there would be Drug & IV Calc. questions. One of the Instructors held up a basket of calculators - said she had some extras for anyone that forgot theirs. Also told us all to open up the calculators and have them in plain sight. I had no idea why they said this, but did what I was told. Well, surprisingly, there wasn't one Drug Calc. on the exam and I was wondering - why on earth were they so concerned about us having calculators - didn't make any sense. After the exam, someone told me that they heard a few people had been "text messaging" each other during prior exams with the answers. I'm just guessing that one of those text message things are the same size as a calculator and they were trying to find cheaters - that's the only thing that makes any sense. I would be so incredibly disgusted to find out that I spent many nights studying until 2am to pass the exam and someone in my class was trying to cheat their way through it.... :angryfire If you cheat your way through Nursing School - the ones that will pay the ultimate price are your Patients - it's so wrong it makes me sick... Just wondering if any of you have had similar problems in school? Sue

[VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN]

It's the law - American with Disabilities Act. Students with documented cases of test anxiety, etc., must be afforded suitable testing environments. Additionally, some students will be granted time and a half for testing.

Cheating - you're right. Calculators are being extensively used by some very technologically savvy students to cheat with text messages, etc. Many schools are banning student calculators - instructors will furnish with each test. PDAs, of course, are not allowed during testing. Many schools are also banning the use of hoods or caps during tests, headsets, and waterbottles (must have labels torn off). Also, backpacks often must be placed far away from the students' desks.

[Aneroo, LPN]

Ditto for what Vicki said. We have several people in our class who have had to test outside in another classroom, or even an instructor's office. If a classmate was coughing, had a bad cold and was sniffly, they would either ask to leave or be asked to leave and go to another classroom. A lot of classmates brought earplugs to use. Some sat in corners so they wouldn't be looking around the classroom.

As far as cheating- we had a scare once in our class. It was believed that two students were cheating. Instructors told us we were being watched, and actually turned on the TV camera's (our classroom is set up for teleconferences) to catch someone if they were cheating. They people suspected of cheating had to take their tests apart for the rest of our time in nursing school. We had to keep our belongings at the front of the classroom. You mentioned that "X" would never pass boards... We recently spent a lot of time reviewing how the NCLEX was given and everything (senior test anxiety). My understanding is that you are secluded. You had a cubicle like setting, and they are able to watch you thru camera's...it's not like you can see the other people around you. You are not allowed to bring anything back with you, but you might be able to get a locker to keep water or a snack in for a break. -Andrea

[RNSuzq1, RN]

It's the law - American with Disabilities Act. Students with documented cases of test anxiety, etc., must be afforded suitable testing environments. Additionally, some students will be granted time and a half for testing.

Cheating - you're right. Calculators are being extensively used by some very technologically savvy students to cheat with text messages, etc. Many schools are banning student calculators - instructors will furnish with each test. PDAs, of course, are not allowed during testing. Many schools are also banning the use of hoods or caps during tests, headsets, and waterbottles (must have labels torn off). Also, backpacks often must be placed far away from the students' desks.

VickyRN, Thanks for clearing that up for me, I had no idea that "test anxiety" fell under a law. As I said, my only problem with it is - we are all incredibly nervous while taking exams. About the cheating, I really hope I was wrong, hate to think that's going on in any Nursing School. You mentioned hoods, caps and waterbottles - I must be really naive, no clue what they are using those items for...