Critical Thinking for Tests

Help with taking med surg tests.

First, I am positive someone (if not many) have asked, but I don't see the posts and need some SERIOUS help. I wasn't sure where to post it either so please bump this to the best place!

I need help with taking my Med Surg tests. Here is the process for our learning the first semester of Med Surg: Read the book, read the power points (usually 3-6 of them), go to class (lecture is 3 hours), class starts with a student group presentation slightly related to the reading, we are then handed a paper with a case study (scenario) and list of questions (4-6) to answer, we work on it a few minutes then class is done. No dialogue, no follow up, no question-answer session, no lecture. Then our tests are NCLEX questions. I am a 4.0 student - yes even in my nursing courses - and I am FAILING. I earned a 68% on our first test. I have asked the professor for help several times (4 to be exact over the last 8 weeks). I asked her how to improve my studying, how to improve my test taking, how to improve my understanding. I have summarized that I need more interaction and dialogue. It is why I chose my school over other private schools. I wanted the traditional in the classroom structure. Now.... I have been in school for over a decade. This is not my only degree. I have also worked in healthcare for almost two decades. I believe that the knowledge I have that even allowed me to get a 68% comes from a combination of work experience, previous school experience, and my patho professor. I feel I have done everything I can to ask my professor to help. The other students feel the same but are unwilling to say anything. Most are getting mid 80's% on their tests and said they don't want to "**** off the professors".

So I am asking for ANY help. I don't know if its just me and I don't have the skills to answer these questions, or what is going on. I know a lot of facts. I know application. I do feel I am not confident because I can't verify if my knowledge is on target, but do not know what steps to correct that since my professor says "I know more than I think I know"...... O.o what? PS... off the record. The one time someone besides me asked a question in class her response was "Just let it go... just let it be what it is". She was asked about placing hot verses cold on an infiltrated IV. She has told me that she appreciates me because I am the only one engaged in the class and I ask thoughtful and appropriate critical thinking questions.... but that doesn't help me pass the test.

Thank you so very much! I hope you all can give me some insight!