How to not fail nursing school

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Everyone talks about how many nursing students failed out of the program. How do you avoid these mistakes these people made. How do you stay focused and do well in nursing school? Especially with kids? Anyone have any tips?

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.
Everyone talks about how many nursing students failed out of the program. How do you avoid these mistakes these people made.

Just avoid making those mistakes.

How do you stay focused and do well in nursing school?

Don't lose your focus while in nursing school; keep your eyes on the prize.

Especially with kids?

Ignore your kids for two years except to bath them and feed them. Hopefully they go to school during the day so you don't have to deal with them. Seriously don't plan on spending much time with them.

I'm only half kidding.

Anyone have any tips?

Good Luck.

;) ;) ;) ;) ;)

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Everyone talks about how many nursing students failed out of the program. How do you avoid these mistakes these people made. How do you stay focused and do well in nursing school? Especially with kids? Anyone have any tips?

Well, m "kid" is all grown up now (24 yrs old) and out of the nest, so I can't respond to that with any authority. However, as to the rest:

1. You can't avoid making mistakes because everyone makes different ones. You can only learn from them, put them behind you, and move on.

2. Staying focused is entirely up to you. You WILL need to devote ALL your time to school, however. This means no T.V., no reading (for all you novel hounds out there) and oftentimes no sleeping!

Good Luck

Michael

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Don't slack off on any test. Some students in class started off doing bad on all their test now the pressure is on them to get all A's on the two test we have left in order to pass the class.

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It is good to develop good study habbits. That was one of my problems that I had to fix in order to pass classes. It was so easy for me to become so distracted. I have a 5 year old and a 15 month old and it is not easy. Doing it for them makes it somewhat easy though. Good Luck!!!

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Specializes in LDRP.

My husband is a really good support person for me--you can't really do this without some support in your life. The couple of people I know who havent made it through had issues outside of school that were scewing them up! Then there are those who just don't study like they should...

As for my kids, they are still my #1 priority--daddy is just there for them when I can't be--it works well.

Just be dedicated, do your best, and see what happens!

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Take nursing school seriously. If you have a class scheduled, be there and be there on time. Most programs have participation points built into their grading system. It's an easy way to get points & when often the difference between passing or failing is just a portion of a percent, evey point is important. We had 6 students join our group after our first term. They had failed their 2nd term & were repeating it. Every one of them come in late, often missed class, & passed notes & chattered in the back of the room during lecture. Two of them still didn't pass the second time around because they didn't change their habits and several more from my original group, didn't make it through to third term either.

Sit toward the front of the room. I never sit behind someone. I miss out on some of the "fun" but I don't miss what the teacher says & I can see & read the board. I am not distracted by people whispering or losing my concentration when something happens in front of me. Not only that, the teacher knows I am there, am interested & is much more willing to help me if I need her assistance. By the way, my class has 3 students who made the "high honors" list. We all sit in the front row.

I've read many times here that some students feel you don't need to read the textbook, that the guides or powerpoints tell what the teacher feels is important & that's what they concentrate on. That may work in some programs but certainly not all. I usually read my text with my study guide beside me. I add additional comments to it that I feel is important. Then in class, I add additional notes from the lecture. Finally, after the lecture, I pull out my laptop & bring up that study guide & put all my notes into it, a very good way of reviewing what I just learned and when I need it to study for the quiz or later for finals, I can actually read what I added & don't have to try to decipher some scribbles.

Realize that even as hard as you study, you may not know or have studied some of the stuff the teacher puts on the test. You're going to miss some questions. So, when you are given assignments, make sure you do it all exactly as the teacher wants. You have control over those points & if done correctly can get 100%. If you have a paper that requires APA format, make sure it is all correctly formatted, make sure your sources are right, make sure you have enough resources & the right kind, and give credit to those sources. Most teachers provide a rubric that states exactly what you need to do to get a good score & how deviations from that will change your score. Last term I had 3 huge projects. I did what I am advising you & only lost 1 point total. The teacher told us that it was the first time she gave a 100% on one of the projects & made everyone look at it to see what she was looking for. She kept all three projects to use for examples for future classes and my poster is on display in some pediatrician's office in the area. The points I got from those projects made the difference between an A & an A-. Heck, in pharm, it saved me from a B. The grade in my case isn't important, but for some of my classmates, it could have been the difference between passing & failing the class.

Finally, if you have a clinical scheduled, be there! In our program they tell us that you can miss one clinical & still pass but there is no way to miss more & pass. What they didn't mention was that your daily scores better be really high if you plan to still pass it with one absence. If your work isn't up to par one day, that may make the difference between failing & passing & in my program, if you fail clinical, you repeat clinical, lab, & class.

Good luck. I suspect that if you take even just a portion of the suggestions you get, you'll do fine.

Dixie

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Specializes in Neuro.

Wow Dixie, great post! So true on your tips. The biggest thing that I have seen (and I haven't even started NS yet!!) is that people come into class totally unprepared, not to mention late, and by the time they get their things organized enough to start listening, the class is half over and they have missed out on very important information. All along causing those of us that were there on time to be distracted by all the noise and movement from the back of the class where these type of people tend to sit. I have had people call me teacher's pet because I try to sit in the front, but it is not because I want to become anyone's pet, it is because I want to learn and not miss a thing. I do get easily distracted by noise from others who come in late, chatter in the back and disrupt the class, and it isn't fair to us who are trying to learn. The main thing is to get to class early, get your things ready and be ready to learn when the instructor is ready to teach. Same thing applies to clinicals.

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Specializes in LTC.

My number one piece of advice is go to class!!! I find that the just reading my text books isn't nearly as helpful as going to class and participating in the lecture.

Try to get all the required reading done before class. If you can't, at least skim through it and look at anything in bold letters and any pictures or diagrams so you can at least have some idea of what is going on.

Find a way to orgainize all your paperwork for class that make sense to you. I have a three ring binder and plastic dividers and have a section for notes and handouts, papers and projects, skills, and clinicals. After every class, I take 5-10 minutes to get everything punched with the three hole punch and into my binder in the appropriate section.

I also try to review my notes at least a little bit everyday. That way, once it comes time to study for the test, I already have a pretty good handle on a lot of the material because I've been reviewing it all along.

When it comes to skills, practice, practice, practice, with the instructor or a tutor if possible.

Finally, don't forget to take a break once in a while. You need to remember to take care of yourself too!

HTH. Good Luck!

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I am one of the fortunate few I have not studied at all and still pass with a "B" avg. I work fulltime as a CNA 3-11 shift, and go to school 7 to sometimes 430pm I have a very liberal work relationship thank god. But that

is me I am there everyday on time and I participate in lectures. Even if you arent sure your answer is right answer anyway I learn from being wrong. I am 4 days from my final which I need 38 points (out of a 100) There are plenty of good nurses in my class in danger of failing out. I will be reviewing

the semesters lectures in 22hrs over three days My closest friend needs 78 points or she fails. Build good study groups they are the key to passing Wish us luck Be Fearless

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.....

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Specializes in Junior Year of BSN.
Take nursing school seriously. If you have a class scheduled, be there and be there on time. Most programs have participation points built into their grading system. It's an easy way to get points & when often the difference between passing or failing is just a portion of a percent, evey point is important. We had 6 students join our group after our first term. They had failed their 2nd term & were repeating it. Every one of them come in late, often missed class, & passed notes & chattered in the back of the room during lecture. Two of them still didn't pass the second time around because they didn't change their habits and several more from my original group, didn't make it through to third term either.

Sit toward the front of the room. I never sit behind someone. I miss out on some of the "fun" but I don't miss what the teacher says & I can see & read the board. I am not distracted by people whispering or losing my concentration when something happens in front of me. Not only that, the teacher knows I am there, am interested & is much more willing to help me if I need her assistance. By the way, my class has 3 students who made the "high honors" list. We all sit in the front row.

I've read many times here that some students feel you don't need to read the textbook, that the guides or powerpoints tell what the teacher feels is important & that's what they concentrate on. That may work in some programs but certainly not all. I usually read my text with my study guide beside me. I add additional comments to it that I feel is important. Then in class, I add additional notes from the lecture. Finally, after the lecture, I pull out my laptop & bring up that study guide & put all my notes into it, a very good way of reviewing what I just learned and when I need it to study for the quiz or later for finals, I can actually read what I added & don't have to try to decipher some scribbles.

Realize that even as hard as you study, you may not know or have studied some of the stuff the teacher puts on the test. You're going to miss some questions. So, when you are given assignments, make sure you do it all exactly as the teacher wants. You have control over those points & if done correctly can get 100%. If you have a paper that requires APA format, make sure it is all correctly formatted, make sure your sources are right, make sure you have enough resources & the right kind, and give credit to those sources. Most teachers provide a rubric that states exactly what you need to do to get a good score & how deviations from that will change your score. Last term I had 3 huge projects. I did what I am advising you & only lost 1 point total. The teacher told us that it was the first time she gave a 100% on one of the projects & made everyone look at it to see what she was looking for. She kept all three projects to use for examples for future classes and my poster is on display in some pediatrician's office in the area. The points I got from those projects made the difference between an A & an A-. Heck, in pharm, it saved me from a B. The grade in my case isn't important, but for some of my classmates, it could have been the difference between passing & failing the class.

Finally, if you have a clinical scheduled, be there! In our program they tell us that you can miss one clinical & still pass but there is no way to miss more & pass. What they didn't mention was that your daily scores better be really high if you plan to still pass it with one absence. If your work isn't up to par one day, that may make the difference between failing & passing & in my program, if you fail clinical, you repeat clinical, lab, & class.

Good luck. I suspect that if you take even just a portion of the suggestions you get, you'll do fine.

Dixie

Dixie great tips!!! I will be using these tips when I start NS. Thanks for the tips!

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