Advice for acing performance exams?

[JasonKa]

I have my first performance exam this week and I am nervous. The exam is for a dry sterile dressing. There are different objectives we must pass such as ID'ing patient, handwashing, maintaining sterility, documenting, etc., etc.

I've practiced in the lab, but I'm still freaking nervous as well. I feel like I'm going to miss something stupid like my thumb touching the outside of a sterile glove or messing up the sterile drape.

[krisiepoo]

This sounds stupid, but I do some meditation for a few minutes before I go in. I close my eyes and block everything out. It brings my heart rate down and calms me. They did a "study" on our class last year measuring HR and BP before skills testing and my BP was always low :)