Bombed first Fundementals Exam

[mnw9412]

Hi everyone! I'm pretty new to the forum and the website but am familiar with it enough to know that if I need help, this is one of the places I need to go.

This past Tuesday, I just had my first Fundamentals exam. Grades came back and I got a D. Normally when I every receive a pretty bad grade, I deserved it -- I procrastinated, I didn't study enough or long enough, etc. This was NOT the case. I knew the materials inside and out. I studied for two solids weeks. I highlighted the text, wrote my own notes, scribbled on my PowerPoint slides, took tests in the back of the text... everything I could think of. And sure enough, I got my first D. Ever. And it's mortifying knowing that I gave it 110%, and this was the grade I received. Another horrible thing is that I've always been told "you can't be taught to critically think."

Maybe not. But something's got to give at this point.

Any help, advice, and new study methods would be greatly appreciated!

[mnw9412]

MNW9412: What is your current average and what is the minimum average to pass? Are you at or above that average? Is it possible that you are studying TOO much and overloading yourself? Sometimes the answer is not studying more but studying more effectively. Does you instructor do a test review afterwards? Our Fundy instructor does and sometimes we find bad questions and help us understand why our answers were wrong.

My current average is a 78 and I need a 75 to pass. We have one more exam, and a final. Then 5% of our grade is from a HESI review exam that is curved and 5% participation points.

It's definitely possible that I'm studying too much but there's not much else I can do to absorb all the material. My instructor does a test review on her own time that always interferes with my work schedule. Not to mention she's probably one of the most condescending people I've ever met regarding questions about particular topics. "How could you not get that one right?" She doesn't teach. She reads off her powerpoints every lecture day. My clinical instructor says I'm doing PHENOMENAL. My paperwork, but communication and leadership skills, critical thinking, all of it... I'm doing incredible. Yet this stupid lecture class with these stupid questions are going to hold me back. I don't know if my sanity can handle much more of any of this.

[canigraduate]

She doesn't teach. She reads off her powerpoints every lecture day.

Just so you know, this is common. From the tone of your post, it sounds like you are surprised and upset by it. You should get used to it now, because that probably isn't going to change.

It is YOUR responsibility to absorb the material. It is the teacher's responsibility to present it.

If you need more help, you need to ask for it. Go to your advisor and find out what kind of tutoring or other extra help is available.

Go to your teacher, armed with specifics, and ask for clarification of what you don't understand. If the test review occurs when you have to work, ask a peer who attends to take notes for you, or ask the teacher to meet with you one-on-one.

Find a peer who is doing well and ask them to study with you.

I'm hearing a lot of excuses at this point, and not a lot of solutions. It's time to buck up and see what needs to be fixed, then fix it. Many students have to do the same in Fundamentals; I was one of them.

Also, it sounds like you are passing anyway, so I'm not sure I understand the angst.

[PaulBaxter]

It sounds like you ARE learning about nursing tests. I'm only one semester ahead of you, but I know I had to change my own way of thinking and studying for nursing. By my nature I love science stuff. I love learning about the medical aspects of nursing. However, this is NOT what you need to know for nursing tests. If you have a question about made-up-itis, 95-100% of the time the question will not be about the cellular and chemical processes involved in made-up-itis, it will be about what you AS A NURSE will DO for a patient with made-up-itis. If the nursing interventions associated with MUI are to always keep one appendage on the floor and to pinch your nose shut once each hour, then those are things you need to know for the test, along with the specific assessments, things to teach your patients, common medications for MUI, signs that MUI is getting worse, etc.

Best of luck!

[mnw9412]

Just so you know, this is common. From the tone of your post, it sounds like you are surprised and upset by it. You should get used to it now, because that probably isn't going to change.

It is YOUR responsibility to absorb the material. It is the teacher's responsibility to present it.

If you need more help, you need to ask for it. Go to your advisor and find out what kind of tutoring or other extra help is available.

Go to your teacher, armed with specifics, and ask for clarification of what you don't understand. If the test review occurs when you have to work, ask a peer who attends to take notes for you, or ask the teacher to meet with you one-on-one.

Find a peer who is doing well and ask them to study with you.

I'm hearing a lot of excuses at this point, and not a lot of solutions. It's time to buck up and see what needs to be fixed, then fix it. Many students have to do the same in Fundamentals; I was one of them.

Also, it sounds like you are passing anyway, so I'm not sure I understand the angst.

I'm so glad you can interpret a tone through black and white text. You honestly think I haven't tried everything I know to do? Googled study techniques. Pic-monics. Writing notes. Typing notes. Going to the instructor through e-mail since our schedules don't work. I've spoken with two advisors, one of which was an instructor from last semester. I've recorded the lectures and listened to them as much as three times a week per lecture class. I've sleep a full eight hours to retain knowledge. I've studied consistently for a week with 4 hours of sleep per night. Searched "brain food." Exercised and studied. Freaking everything and all of what you said has been done, and I still feel sunk. There's not tutoring available at my school for nursing students, just general education courses.

My angst revolves around my incredibly high GPA before nursing school and my current fear of failure in this course. It's disappointing when you excelled so much all your life K-junior year in college, only to feel like this class makes a mockery of you on a daily basis.

But thanks so much for all of the constructive criticism. I'm certainly thrilled that you became a nurse who is tasked to be as nonjudgmental and non-critical as they're supposed to be. I suppose that's difficult for you, but, as you say, buck up. Again, thank you for the seasoned advice.

[jaycam, RN]

I struggled quite a bit at first myself. A lot of it was the whole type a personality that it takes to get into nursing school. We have to be competitive, we have to have high gpas and volunteer and bring something to the table to get in. It's a lot of pressure and the personality type that can do it is the same type that struggles once we get in. Now,if you want to do well, you have to work with other students and it's not just memorization, but applying what you know. The only thing that helped me at all was doing NCLEX style questions until I was comfortable.

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

Here is the difference in nursing tests and prereq tests, prereq tests are about memorization, nursing tests are application. Welcome to the world of sitting there and saying but I just don't understand why that is the right answer!! They both seem right to me!!

Think of Maslows Heirarchy of Needs. Your base is physiologic needs. So think are they getting O2, fluids, your vital signs. Airway is of utmost importance because if they can't breathe, they will die. Safety is the next area up. Is your patient safe. Could they fall, could they get hurt in any way?

I'm thinking about when you said the patient was crying. Although that would seem important and it is, what is most important at that moment? I hope that makes sense. You need to know what is your priority at that moment? Pain is a vital sign. So that is going to be at your base of the pyramid. Then someone's safety and on up the pyramid. That is what helps me. I have commited that pyramid to memory. Then I look at my answers on the test and start eliminating.

Just remember nursing school is a different beast. Memorizing facts is not going to help you. Prioritizing actions is.

[mnw9412]

I'm thinking about when you said the patient was crying. Although that would seem important and it is, what is most important at that moment? I hope that makes sense. You need to know what is your priority at that moment? Pain is a vital sign. So that is going to be at your base of the pyramid. Then someone's safety and on up the pyramid. That is what helps me. I have commited that pyramid to memory. Then I look at my answers on the test and start eliminating.

I thought pain would be the answer, but it was the patient crying on the floor, with no rationale as to why by our instructor.

Funny story: a current 4th semester was telling me about his experience the other day. He went to her to review an exam over a question he for sure got right according to his textbook and according to the instructor's key. She said because the SETA question had one that was only "sometimes" she marked it wrong. Going against the key. A third of our class is actually failing as it turns out.

Update: This past exam, I made my first A and cried tears of joy yet again. There's one month until our final and I'm sitting here going over asepsis and fluids and electrolytes again. Just ready for this course to be done with.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

It's "pt crying on the floor" because in nursing, NCLEX, and school your first impulse to DO SOMETHING is often wrong. It should be to get more information. That's what the prudent NURSE does. You will often be annoyed about that "But two of these are right!" because you forget that.

The other thing to remember is that a factually-correct choice may not be the best NURSING action. Example: You are working with a woman who has been abused often, and she says she will not leave him because he always apologizes and he really loves her. Two of your choices are, "Research and experience tells us that he will do it again; you must leave for your safety," and, "And yet here you are again. Let's make a plan to keep you safe."

ONLY THE SECOND ONE is the right answer, because the best NURSING intervention helps your patient make her own decisions to take her down a path to better health. If you tell her to leave him when she has already said she won't, you are telling her that her feelings and choices do not matter and you're not going to listen to them...and you'll never have her trust again.

Remember that often, in life as well as in NCLEX-style questions, the question you rush to answer may not be the one being asked.

[la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN]

I'm so glad you can interpret a tone through black and white text. You honestly think I haven't tried everything I know to do? Googled study techniques. Pic-monics. Writing notes. Typing notes. Going to the instructor through e-mail since our schedules don't work. I've spoken with two advisors, one of which was an instructor from last semester. I've recorded the lectures and listened to them as much as three times a week per lecture class. I've sleep a full eight hours to retain knowledge. I've studied consistently for a week with 4 hours of sleep per night. Searched "brain food." Exercised and studied. Freaking everything and all of what you said has been done, and I still feel sunk. There's not tutoring available at my school for nursing students, just general education courses.

My angst revolves around my incredibly high GPA before nursing school and my current fear of failure in this course. It's disappointing when you excelled so much all your life K-junior year in college, only to feel like this class makes a mockery of you on a daily basis.

But thanks so much for all of the constructive criticism. I'm certainly thrilled that you became a nurse who is tasked to be as nonjudgmental and non-critical as they're supposed to be. I suppose that's difficult for you, but, as you say, buck up. Again, thank you for the seasoned advice.

You haven't heard the saying that in nursing school Cs are As? You better get used to kissing your GPA goodbye? No? Well, these things are true and it sounds like you're smack dab in the middle of coping with the shock of this reality. Right now, you're biggest task is to pass the class. C or A, it doesn't matter. Eventually you will find something that works for you. Stop trying everything and just try something consistently to see what works for you. Go back to the basics. Take the pressure off yourself and remember all you need is simply to pass. It sucks to stop getting As but it sucks worse to work yourself up into flunking out all together.

[canigraduate]

I'm so glad you can interpret a tone through black and white text. You honestly think I haven't tried everything I know to do? Googled study techniques. Pic-monics. Writing notes. Typing notes. Going to the instructor through e-mail since our schedules don't work. I've spoken with two advisors, one of which was an instructor from last semester. I've recorded the lectures and listened to them as much as three times a week per lecture class. I've sleep a full eight hours to retain knowledge. I've studied consistently for a week with 4 hours of sleep per night. Searched "brain food." Exercised and studied. Freaking everything and all of what you said has been done, and I still feel sunk. There's not tutoring available at my school for nursing students, just general education courses.

My angst revolves around my incredibly high GPA before nursing school and my current fear of failure in this course. It's disappointing when you excelled so much all your life K-junior year in college, only to feel like this class makes a mockery of you on a daily basis.

But thanks so much for all of the constructive criticism. I'm certainly thrilled that you became a nurse who is tasked to be as nonjudgmental and non-critical as they're supposed to be. I suppose that's difficult for you, but, as you say, buck up. Again, thank you for the seasoned advice.

Wow. I post something neutral and you come back with guns blazing, in full passive-aggressive snark mode. I'm sorry you expected me to come sing "Kumbaya" with you and were disappointed. Your previous post sounded an awful lot like a tantrum and I was trying to help. I guess you aren't great at interpreting tone, either.

I hoped that being no-nonsense would help you be objective about the situation. Instead, you had a bigger tantrum.

I had the exact same problem as you. I was a stellar student, until nursing school. I couldn't make an A no matter how hard I tried. I came on here and got some very good no-nonsense advice that helped me get through, and I was hoping to pay it forward.

I think it's time for you to try to relax. I think you are getting overly emotional and it is affecting your responses.

I'm glad you made an A and I hope that the strategies you used keep working for you. If not, you can do some searches on here for some good advice.

[mnw9412]

Final Update: I don't know how I did it, but I pulled out a solid B from this class. Apparently, "thinking like a nurse" really does help. Thank you to everyone who offered encouragement through this hell of a semester. While Cs do get degrees, Cs don't get you into grad school, which is another goal of mine. I'm apologize if my rants, labeled as "tantrums," were too much. I'll stick to seeking understanding from classmates from now on.

Thanks! :)