Doing bad in nursing school?

iPink, BSN, RN · Dec 11, 2014

No amount of prerequisites will fully prepare us for our nursing programs. Your thinking completely changes when in the program. That is why straight A's during the pre-nursing phase doesn't always mean you're destined to get straight A's in nursing school.

Medsurg can be a difficult class, how do you feel when taking the exam...experiencing anxiety? Have you thought about joining a study group? Make sure there are people in the group who are doing well in the class. You have to try different study methods so you can succeed. And as hard as it may be, try not to compare yourself to the other students; it'll make things worse.

Don't give up until you're done trying...You passed the last semester with nothing under a B so stop being hard on yourself.

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been there,done it · Dec 11, 2014

Grades do not mean squat in the real world of nursing. Common sense and compassion are the real tools you will need.

That being said, of course you need to pass!

Get a tutor , stat. You've come to far to second guess your intentions. You just need some assistance in how/what to study.

sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN · Dec 11, 2014

been there,done that said it quite well

you have what it takes to do well, STOP focusing on the "I am suppose to be an A student".....focus more on the concepts of the course, theorys, critical thinking....... med surg. is far more complex that any other speciality area, it is also our foundation.....you ONLY NEED TO PASS........best wishes for you

Pranqster · Dec 11, 2014

When we go over the test after, I wonder to myself WHY I answered things the way I did when the answer is so obvious.

you're probably overthinking the questions if the above is true.

Libby1987 · Dec 11, 2014

When I was in nursing school, at a very young age, I could memorize anything, but it was the working concepts I had trouble with. Many times I have reflected how my working nurse brain works differently now than my inexperienced student brain then, I could regurgitate definitions all day but I couldn't connect the processes. I've thought that if I had a nurse who could explain the material in practical terms it would make so much more sense. I would want to find a tutor who's still out there working in addition to an academic type.

brown eyed girl · Dec 12, 2014

I know just how you feel. I dropped my med surg class this quarter after never scoring above 70 when passing is 78. I am a practicing LPN and have been for years. I still haven't made sense of my "inability to put it all together" as I was initially told by my instructor.

I have done what a previous poster said not to do which is comparing myself to other students, especially those who aren't nurses or nurses that just graduated, got their LPN license, and continued with school. It does hurt and make you feel inferior.

With all that said, from someone who is currently in your situation let me say this....first, FIND OUT WHAT KIND OF LEARNER YOU ARE FAST! I am a visual and kinesthetic person. I can't stand a long drawn out lecture because it does nothing for me. So, when it comes to the nursing interventions, THEY ARE REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE I HAVE TO "DO" SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES ME TO "SEE AND TOUCH" SOMETHING OR SOMEONE. Next, READ THE CHAPTER BEFORE THE CLASS BUT PAY ATTENTION TO THE BOXES (it's everything in the reading SIMPLIFIED which is heavenly for me). Next tip was given to me by the Associate Dean, what ever chapter you are in there will be diseases and disorders; JUST FIGURE OUT WHATS DIFFERENT! PERIOD! EXAMPLE: UTI, cystitis, pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis etc.... Now, FOCUS ON THE MAIN LAB FOR DIAGNOSIS SPECIFIC FOR THE DISORDER. Now, it's time for your interventions. From my understanding, she said that you will be pretty much DOING THE SAME INTERVENTIONS FOR EACH DISORDER IN THAT SYSTEM.

NEXT, I HAD TO LEARN THAT YOU MUST DO START DOING NCLEX QUESTIONS RELATED TO WHAT YOU ARE STUDYING PRIOR TO CLASS THEN AT LEAST 50 EVERYDAY THERE AFTER UP TO 2-3 DAYS BEFORE THE TEST. There are plenty of people here that can recommend books that helped them.

I never could get into a rhythm and I ultimately dropped the class to avoid failing it. I allowed myself to get "caught up" in the chapter and struggled to get out which was really bad when I had 7 others to "study;" so I failed the test which was expected. It caused serious test anxiety for me; and I couldn't recover. It had nothing to do with me not having the knowledge or me not being able to put it together, my problem was I was anxious, it caused a mental block, and killed my confidence. So believe me, I know just how you feel.

DayDreamin ER CRNP · Dec 12, 2014

I get it! My friend from school used to get so frustrated with me because she was the one that got straight As in all the prereqs while I struggled. During our first semester of NS, I got better grades.

NS teaches you a very different way to think. It seems like you may be overthinking the questions and remembering to critically think at the same time. Clear as mud huh?

There is a strategy to all of these nursing test questions. Really, there is. I used to help tutor nursing students for HESI tests and had pretty good results. The number one tip is to remember your ABCs and keeping your patient safe. Secondly, your answer choice must answer what is really asked in the question. That isn't always easy when all four choices are correct and you have to chose the "most" correct answer.

You also have to remember to prioritize which also falls under the ABCs umbrella sometimes. My favorite example to give was:

"You walk into your patient's room while she is sleeping and see that her O2 saturation on the monitor reads 85%. The appropriate nursing intervention is _______"

a. Call the doctor

b. Raise the head of the bed

c. Place oxygen on the patient

d. check the monitor

How do you answer when all four answers are correct? The correct answer in this case would be B - raise the head of the bed. That is the most effective, least invasive answer for this patient with the given information.

You always want to chose the least invasive and most effective intervention but still keeping your patient safe.

I need to find my old notes and post them somewhere. I really did enjoy tutoring students on HOW to take these crazy tests. Even if you don't know the answer, you can at least apply some strategy for narrowing it down and improving your chances!

You can do this! Maybe try to find an instructor that will take the time to help you dissect your tests and see why you are missing questions. You may be missing some prioritizing. It could be you are missing the patho aspect. Maybe you are reading too much into the question. I'm willing to bet that there is a pattern. Try to get your old tests and see if you can figure out the pattern.

best of luck!

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Dec 12, 2014

It's hard I know. I had mostly all A's in my prereqs. Micro and college algebra were my only B's. Now if I get an 88% on the test I am extremely happy. There are times when I am like but my answer is also right, what the heck? Here is my method of studying and I know I am in the minority on this, I take notes and pay attention in class. Then I don't touch it until the day before. Then I get my notes out and make my flash cards and get a very good solid study session in the day before so it sticks in my mind and is fresh. Then the morning of the test I get up very early. My tests start at 8:30 am. I get up at 4:30 and study my flash cards and do my ATI book with questions. I get a good 2.5 hours of studying in the morning of before I have to get me and my son ready for school. Then it is all very fresh in my mind the day of. I still have some issues but it has worked for me and I have an 86% in med surg right now.

kimmy20 · Dec 13, 2014

I know exactly how you feel. When I took prereqs during my undergrad I always got straight A's. After getting into my dream nursing school I didn't think it was going to be that hard and boy I was WRONG. My usual habits back then helped me get As but when used in nursing school I was struggling especially in my pharmacology class. I barely passed the class and I was just at the cutoff. After that experience I had to change my habits. I had to study earlier and deeper! No more just scanning through my lecture slides - I had to go to office hours for my instructor to get extra tutoring and I had to read the assigned pages from the books. Don't ever think that you are not smart enough or dumb. You got into nursing school so they definitely saw the potential in you. Try changing your study habits and seek help when you need it especially from your classmates. I use to be very independent in my studying but I found that my peers are helpful and we teach each other what we need help in. Hope this helps and good luck! :)

strawberryluv, BSN, RN · Dec 13, 2014

You need to buy a NCLEX-RN review book and read it along with your textbook assigned reading.

You need to practice answering NCLEX-RN style questions which you can find books for at your school's library, local library, or online.

One book I highly recommend is this one

Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination, 5th Edition: 8965132282019: Medicine & Health Science Books @ Amazon.com

It is like an NCLEX-RN cliffs notes and will help you sort out only the most important information you need to pass your classes and not lose your mind studying. If you buy the book, I highly recommend you to read the chapter on "Test Taking strategies" because there ARE ways to answer these questions when you don't know so long as you know how to "eliminate" the wrong answers.

Please buy the book. It will bump up your grade like it did for me...

nb1104_, ADN · Sep 17, 2017

Exactly how I feel right now I'm gonna cry í ½í¸í ½í¸í ½í¸