Desperate Need Help from RN students who make A's and B's consistently

[Txborn82]

I am desperate and I need help from RN students who make A's and B's consistently I apologize in advance to students who make C's. I need to know step by step what you do do prepare for exams because I obviously have not found how to do this. Prior to nursing school I was an honor student both in high school and in college however, now that I am in RN school I am below average. It does not matter how I prepare for my exams I am consistently getting C's on exams and I just don't understand what I am doing wrong and since I am heading into my 3rd semester and the fact that I failed my hesi exam by 9 questions (83%) I am extremely worried that I will not pass the NCLEX, RN school and have no chance of going to graduate school. At this point I am desperate and need strategies. I have read other posts and I already do these suggestions so now I am asking for help from students who consistently make A's and B's and have RN school down to a science. Currently what I do is read the text book, read the powerpoints, relisten to lectures online and do anywhere from 300-600 ?'s per exam and the questions that I get wrong I read the rationales and majority of the time the problem is that I did not go with my gut feeling or I picked the second best answer. Towards the end of the semester I just got frustrated and stopped studying and just attended lecture and maybe 100-200 questions and what was surprising is that I still made the exact same grades that I did when I studied 10-30 hrs per week. My self esteem is very low and I am begining to give up and just admit defeat. I have talked to my instructors, other students in my class but for some reason the students at my school usually say that they don't study and those who are honest I am going the same strategies that they use so I just don't know what else to do. Today I broke down and cried when I failed my HESI because it was the last straw. I am just tired of just barely passing and no one seems to be able to help me. Allnurses seems to give great advice and I am just hoping that someone around the world will be able to help me before I gve up on my dream.

Thanks in advance,

Txborn82

[hikernurse]

The above suggestions are awesome :). I just have a couple. Definitely review your tests with your instructors. I didn't do that myself, but I have sat in the hall waiting to talk to a teacher and overheard them going over tests with students many times. The instructors were great about not only going over missed information, but explaining what they were looking for.

The other thing is you may be overthinking the questions. You are studying a lot, but you said your grades didn't change much when you studied much less. Our tests were designed like the NCLEX (I think a lot of NS do this) where there was only one question on the computer screen at a time; we could go back and see previous questions if we wanted. I would make my best guess, read the question again to make sure I didn't miss out on an "except for" or other important word, then move on. I didn't look at the question again, other than to make sure I had put an answer down. Not second guessing myself only raised my grade. It's pretty easy, the more you look at the question, to read more into it. Basically, your first guess is almost always right :).

Good luck, you'll get there.

[akspudus]

Wow...there is some great advice here. One thing that I have done that helps immensely is to learn or relearn how to take NCLEX type exams at the beginning of EACH semester. At school we have a little program on the computers that is called "Test taking strategies for Nursing Students". It is a little computer based course that teaches you how to read and decipher NCLEX type questions. Also, at the beginning of each NCLEX review book I have ever bought...there is a chapter about how to read and decipher NCLEX questions. Check this stuff out. I am sure it has increased my test scores by 10%. Constantly reviewing these strategies has also reinforced my test taking skills.

Other things I do...

1. TAKE MY TIME ON THE EXAM! I used to be the first one done with each exam. Now...I set a pace. Slow myself down. Make sure I understand the question. I also try and answer the question before I look at the answer selection.

2. Make sure you review your exam afterwards. It doesn't matter if you aced that exam...and you are making an appointment with the professor to review one or two questions...make sure you take the time to understand them all. When I take an exam...there are always a few questions that I am not 100% sure about the answer. At the end of the process...and review...you should understand the question and answer 100%

3. Practice NCLEX questions....and review them also. I mainly use ATI and Saunders for practice questions. Review why the correct answer is correct AND review why the incorrect answer is incorrect.

I read somewhere in one of the previous posts where someone told you to give yourself credit. You have made it this far and you did that on your own merit. It is easy to get discouraged. I know I have been discouraged at times.

Keep your chin up.

Akspudus

[am0r803]

Hey there,

So all these suggestions are really great and I'm definitely taking some into consideration for myself. I'm currently a B - B+ student with a couple of A's thrown in for good measure : ) And this is only because I have no choice but to get a B or I fail!! So I struggle... but here are a few things I do which help me...

First off, I try and take really good notes during lecture... but this is definitely my weak spot. So I've learned to spot the "smart" kids in class and ask for copies of their notes also. Comparing them to mine helps in case I've missed something and it gives a different look on certain topics. Like, there's one girl who makes up her own scenario for most of the diseases. So if you know of someone who is an excellent note taker, ask if they will help you out.

Second, I don't read the textbook unless I want to confirm what I've learned from the lectures. Textbooks tend to confuse me and go into details on the wrong things. That of course, depends on the teacher and how her tests are though

Third (and I think this is what helps me the most) - during my clinical sessions at the hospitals I ask the nurses who are willing for some help. So, say you're learning about Diabetes, I'll go into the hospital and ask one of the nurses that I've become friendly with specific ways they care for those particular patients. Get it? My teacher is very big on nursing interventions for the patient - Patient has this, what do you do? Patient says this, what do you do? etc. etc. etc.

So speaking with an actual nurse helps me out.

Also, learn to prioritize the situations. Always remember ABCs first. Then what would come next? Depending on the situation, maybe pain? Maybe safety?

Another way I study is by making notecards... Take the disease, write the pathophysiology (how it affects the body), who it usually effects, treatments for it (surgical and medicine), and how you as a nurse would monitor that patient.

Hope this helps a bit!!

[TangoLima]

I didn't read everyone else's posts, so sorry if I repeat anything. I have always been a really good student, and just graduated with 4.0 in NS. Here are my thoughts:

1. I did really well in A&P 1&2, and had a solid foundation of normal physiology. You may need to go back and refresh yourself on what is normal so you can identify what is abnormal and the interventions you would need to restore homeostasis.

2. I don't try to MEMORIZE. Sure, you have to memorize lab values and other stuff. But, I try to UNDERSTAND how things work so that I don't have to MEMORIZE. For example, I don't memorize the differences between left and right-sided heart failure. Instead, I understand how the heart works, how the blood flows through the heart, the principles of preload and afterload, etc. Then, I can always figure out what to expect as far as signs/symptoms, etc.

3. I tried to read everything from the textbooks, and did so for the most part. However, don't get bogged down in ALL the details of ALL the systems/disorders. For the most part, a high-level understanding will suffice in most situations. Try the REVIEW & RATIONALE book series if you don't have time to read your textbooks. They do a good job at boiling down all the information to capture the main points. Then, if there is something you really don't understand, go back to your textbooks to try to get a better understanding.

4. I am a visual learner, so it is really hard for me to sit in class, listen to lecture, and remember enough to do well. So, I would read, draw pictures, and make charts. I made charts for EVERYTHING. It helped to be able to take a chunk of material, see common characteristics in the material, and then put the information into a table that logically organizes the information. Depending on the material, I would make different charts. For instance, in Patho, I would make charts that compared/contrasted hypo vs. hyperthyroid, Type 1 vs. Type 2 diabetes, GERD vs. Peptic Ulcer Disease, Asthma vs. COPD, Pneumonia vs. Tuberculosis, Anxiety vs. depression, etc. For each of these, I would compare/contrast the Definition, incidence/prevalence, etiology, patho, signs/symptoms, pharm treatment, surgical treatment, nursing diagnoses, interventions, and community resources. It takes a lot of time, but it helped me in being able to visualize information and recall it for tests. For other classes, I would structure my charts differently. But, it always helped to reorganize the information into my own structure. You can PM me, and I will be happy to send you an example to get you started. I won't send out all my charts, because going through the process of making your own is where you are going to learn the material. But, I will be happy to give you an example.

Hope that helps. It is a tough road, and nobody will understand what you are going through except for other nursing students. Good luck to you.