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| |  Testing week, freaking out a bit!
So I'm entering week 4 of nursing school, and for some brilliant reason they decided to have our first written exam and our first skills test in the same week (yeah, this week)! I'm not *as* worried about the written exam (although I AM worried) because I tend to test well and I've studied a lot. The only reason I'm still somewhat concerned is because until I take the first exam I won't really know what they're like. Getting an A is probably more important to me than it should be  .
But the skills testing is another animal altogether and I'm really worried. Yes, I do know how to take blood pressure, but no, I don't always get it exactly right. We have to get it within 4 on the sims arm thing. So if this happens to be one of the times when I don't get it, it's a pass/fail thing, and I fail . . . this is going to seriously exacerbate my nerve problem to have to re-test. I'll be an absolute basket case, so it would be a downward spiral kind of thing. Obviously I desperately want to pass the first time.
So that's my situation and I know I'm not alone! Any encouragement from those who have survived these things already?
Kelly
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Sep 16, 2007, 01:02 PM
Re: Testing week, freaking out a bit! Originally Posted by kluellen  So I'm entering week 4 of nursing school, and for some brilliant reason they decided to have our first written exam and our first skills test in the same week (yeah, this week)! I'm not *as* worried about the written exam (although I AM worried) because I tend to test well and I've studied a lot. The only reason I'm still somewhat concerned is because until I take the first exam I won't really know what they're like. Getting an A is probably more important to me than it should be .
But the skills testing is another animal altogether and I'm really worried. Yes, I do know how to take blood pressure, but no, I don't always get it exactly right. We have to get it within 4 on the sims arm thing. So if this happens to be one of the times when I don't get it, it's a pass/fail thing, and I fail . . . this is going to seriously exacerbate my nerve problem to have to re-test. I'll be an absolute basket case, so it would be a downward spiral kind of thing. Obviously I desperately want to pass the first time.
So that's my situation and I know I'm not alone! Any encouragement from those who have survived these things already?
Kelly
Sounds like your doing well. Study your clinical notes and you'll do fine, the worst part of the whole things is, that your teacher is watching, thats what makes it so nerve racking. If you have to do it over, then know you'll get it right the second time. Trust youself and your knowledge-do the practicle as if you done them forever. Good LUCK.
| | No. 2 |
Sep 16, 2007, 02:46 PM
Re: Testing week, freaking out a bit!
I just went thru what you are about to do except I had 3 test and my validation too. you will be fine. My instructor was great told us not to waorry and she actually talked a few mins about when she was in school to get me and my partners mind off of it. She relaxed us both.
I have another validation on Asepsis this week along with two more tests. WE test every week.
Best of luck to you and remember to take a deep breath and just breath...you'll do great | | No. 3 |
Sep 16, 2007, 11:32 PM
Re: Testing week, freaking out a bit!
I understand what your going through my advise is to remember to breathe. There is nothing worse than being so nervous that your shaking and need a steady hand. Just take a deep breathe and do the best you can. Good luck!!
| | No. 4 |
Sep 17, 2007, 01:02 AM
Re: Testing week, freaking out a bit!
I know how you feel. I am also in week 4.
I had a skills test on Friday 60 questions, including math.
This week:
Monday, Concepts test and Skills competency for bathing and making an occupied bed.
Wednesday, Micro test
Thursday, Assessment test
Friday, Skills quiz about 20 questions
Also 4 discussion postings due for Micro and Fundamentals.
Next week Fundamentals test, 6 page lab report and more discussion postings due in Micro
This is overwhelming!  | | No. 5 |
Sep 17, 2007, 10:13 AM
Re: Testing week, freaking out a bit!
I just had my first exam in Fundamentals, now I'm waiting for the grades to post. I have my first serious skills checkoff at 2, and I'm about to review the videos again. We've had essentially no practice time, and need to get checked off on enemas, NG tube insertion, and enteral feedings today. GULP! Our CNA duty checkoffs were easy, but I think the instructors were too rushed to really worry about how well we did - it was in a crach course skills day so we would be able to do something at our first clinical.
| | No. 6 |
Sep 17, 2007, 12:33 PM
Re: Testing week, freaking out a bit!
We had the same thing last week, our third week of school. Our practicum included occupied bedmaking, BP, apical and radial pulse, respirations, transfer to chair, handwashing and one of 9 draw skills. Our theory exam was Tuesday and people tested their practium on Thursday and Friday. It wasn't so bad.
Good luck!
| | No. 7 |
Sep 17, 2007, 05:12 PM
Re: Testing week, freaking out a bit!
...update...I got through my first tough day with flying colors. I got a 97 on my Fundamentals exam and got through all my checkoffs with no or very little prompting from my instructors. It really wasn't scary at all. Now I can do this stuff supervised at clinical Wednesday if possible, and get checked off there too! Next week: exams on med-term (pass/fail) and for physical assessment, and we're learning Foley catheterization for checkoff the following week.
| | No. 8 |
Sep 18, 2007, 09:08 AM
Re: Testing week, freaking out a bit! I got through my first tough day with flying colors. I got a 97 on my Fundamentals exam and got through all my checkoffs with no or very little prompting from my instructors. It really wasn't scary at all.
Good for you, congrats!!! I did take my written exam yesterday and I'm quite sure I didn't get a 97! But I'm hopeful for a B. Really want an A, but there were a lot of questions I wasn't certain about, and one I know I got wrong, bleh - I didn't know what epistaxis was! And I bet I'll never forget it.
That's encouraging about the skills testing. I'll do better if I go in thinking "This isn't scary"! I'm really only worried about flubbing the BP, like letting the air go out too quickly or that I just won't be able to hear well enough. We do have three chances to pass, so I know I'll make it, I just really want to get it right the first time so I don't have to go through the stress of re-testing.
Kelly
| | No. 9 |
Sep 18, 2007, 09:49 AM
Re: Testing week, freaking out a bit!
I don't know if your checkoffs work the same way our do - we get checked off once in lab and then twice in the hospital on each skill. Our lab competency is being able to "verbalize" the process and equipment needed with "minimal" prompting. You demonstrate as much as is possible, but a lot of it is, "Now, I'm checking the pH to see that it's less than 4 since you didn't really aspirate anything out of the dummy's stomach." If you forget a step, at least at my school, the instructor asks you a question that should remind you - "How do you know that the tube is in the right place?" Or something. I don't think anyone in my group at least failed, but we were all prepared too. Unless your instructors are total witches, as long as you've prepared, you should be fine. Just practice saying all the steps out loud, explaining things to and taking BPs at home on your kids, spouse, parents, etc. If it's a SIM-arm for BP, I bet it's pretty easy to hear isn't it? We had to do ours on the instructors, who wouldn't stop talking to each other the whole time. Work more on getting the needle to drop at the right rate than stressing over slight variations. You'll be fine.
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