Help my school is crazy

Nurse Salt · Oct 8, 2008

I'm confused, if you missed 3 questions you would have an A, but 4 and you fail...? This doesn't add up. Also, one test and you fail the course? While it sucks there was no answer blank, you should have just written the answer in, but I feel there is more to this story...

beth66335, BSN, RN · Oct 8, 2008

I am not trying to criticize, but did you notice this question had a problem during the test? If so why didn't you point it out to the teacher then? At our school you can't complain after the fact about something you noticed during the test and didn't bring attention to right then. I tried to explain my test anxiety to the Dean after I failed our math comp exam and my words fell on deaf ears...she said they couldn't give retakes to people who came to them after the test and said they got nervous, and although test anxiety is nothing like "getting nervous" (it is actually much worse) I am resolved to wait until next Fall to finish school b/c I didn't take time to get my disability documented like I should before this test, so I can sort of see their point. Sorry this happened to you, and good luck...

waterbug1 · Oct 8, 2008

I'm confused, if you missed 3 questions you would have an A, but 4 and you fail...? This doesn't add up. Also, one test and you fail the course? While it sucks there was no answer blank, you should have just written the answer in, but I feel there is more to this story...

Yes, this was a final. You cant proceed on without a score of 90 on your test, and this is just weeks into the course. Since our school figures you cant really harm someone with a 10% mistake with their meds, you have to make 90 to pass. 89 you fail. The reason I did not answer the question is because during review she told us, I will put a lot of info in the questions but that does not mean you use it. Take what you only need for your dosage calculations. The question had 2 parts to it. I answered them because there were blanks for them. The 3rd part was just a question about insulin. And because I did answer the third part, that counted as 3 mistakes. This was a dosage calculation test. During tests you are not allowed to ask the teacher any questions. 2 students got up and approached her and they were told to sit back down.

Nurse Salt · Oct 8, 2008

Y The 3rd part was just a question about insulin.

You said it here... It was a question, you should have answered it. On the floor you will find situations where instructions are unclear and you will be expected to proceed safely with or without clarification. I'm sorry if this seems harsh, but I agree with your school. On the test, you did not address a problem regarding insulin, in the real world not addressing insulin issues can have very negative consequences... Learn from your mistake, I'm sure it is not one you will make again. Good luck.

beth66335, BSN, RN · Oct 8, 2008

I still don't quite understand...are you saying that you knew there was a question about insulin on the test but you didn't answer it b/c there was no blank for the answer to go in? Please explain a little better if you can for me, it may just be that it's late but I'm not following you...

TessaMae · Oct 8, 2008

not sure but i think she is saying that the instructor said some questions are going to have more information in them than what you need and to just pull what you do need out and ignore the rest - as a test taking strategy.

i am curious what the rest of the class did, did everyone else leave it blank too?

i have never heard of not being able to ask a question if you think there is a mistake on the test. at my school we can't get up we need to raise our hand so people are not walking around but you can ask questions.

my guess is that most of the class answered the question because if there was an error on the exam they would have made the adjustment.

it really sucks being on that side of the fence but in a real life situation, if you need to give insulin and there is no room on the mar you still give it and get a new sheet (maybe not the best ex)

i think you might have took what the instructor said about ignoring the extra stuff too literal. like the order is for 40 mg of solumedrol. on hand you have 125mg in 2ml. the patient weighs 150lbs. how many mls do you give? you would ignore the patient weight in this case because it is just extra information that you do not need to solve the problem.

cheesecake89 · Oct 8, 2008

"The question had 2 parts to it. I answered them because there were blanks for them. The 3rd part was just a question about insulin. And because I did answer the third part, that counted as 3 mistakes."

She said that she did answer the third part... to those of you that said she didn't.

Even knowing that, I still don't understand why that made you get all 3 parts wrong, for answering the third part.

confused...

beth66335, BSN, RN · Oct 8, 2008

The reason I did not answer the question is because during review she told us, I will put a lot of info in the questions but that does not mean you use it. Take what you only need for your dosage calculations. The question had 2 parts to it. I answered them because there were blanks for them. The 3rd part was just a question about insulin. And because I did answer the third part, that counted as 3 mistakes.

She meant she didn't answer it it's just a mistype the 2nd time b/c above she says she did not answer it...

Sara5229 · Oct 8, 2008

This is really confusing to me too. I'm not understanding why you missed it for answering the third part too. I'm not understanding why you wouldn't have just drawn a line and answered it. Same thing happened on one of my dosage calculation test.. there was no line to answer, so I drew one and answered it anyways. Did you only get one chance to take the test? We get three chances to take our dosage calculation test, but we have to make 100 on it.

TessaMae · Oct 8, 2008

Did you get all 3 parts wrong for not answering that one part? or did you get different questions wrong?