Failed my final by 4 points

[Hopestobe]

So I had my final today and I just got my score. I failed my final by four points in my first nursing course. My school does only the first fundamental class, were you have a theory part that's a total of six tests and a final at the beginning of the semester (the first 6 weeks). The rest of the classes are the full length of the semester. I have studied but it's a lot of material to learn (I have no medical background so it was really intense). On top of that we have four different teachers for the one class so every test is very different.

I'm not sure what to do. I wanted to be a nurse, I still do. I don't know if the school was too intense for me or if I'm just not cut out. I hear this first class is the hardest according to senior students. I don't know if I should try again or just leave this program. I was thinking I could always start as an LPN and see if there's a LPN to RN program around where I live (I tried to look online but I'm having issues finding any). My original goal was to get a BSN; the program I am in is an ASN. According to the instructors they recently revamped the classes to make them even harder.

I don't know what to do; I just want to be a nurse. I don't know if it would benefit me more starting as an LPN and growing from there. On top of all this I'm on student loans so dropping this class; I have no clue what it will do to my loans. I could fail it but our school has a 7 hour credit fail limit; failing this would be 4 credit hours. I don't know if the program at this school would be worth retaking it; I hear it's a very strict school and that scares me that if I do fail another class later on I will waist all that time and loan dept.

I would appreciate hearing your points of views very much. I hope I don't come across as blaming the school. I do know I'm not the only student at this school who's had a lot of trouble with this class. Maybe it's just getting rid of us that would probably not make good nurses; I just don't know.

Also, if any of you started as LPN and went to RN or BSN, did it seem to help you through school a lot? What schools did you go to become an RN from an LPN? Is it true some are only 2 - 3 semesters? Does anyone know if there are any like this in Alabama?

[LCinTraining]

It's the nature of the beast. If you really want this, keep trying. I know a doctor that failed her major exam four times before being permitted to continue with the courses.

[DawnJ]

4 points--you were close. I'd keep trying

[itsmejuli]

Don't give up, take the course again. Now you know what you need to do to pass the class.

[CP2013]

Keep trying. You were close. That's just nursing school. At times I have had as many as 6 instructors for one 16 week course. We had 3 exams plus a cumulative final. It was INTENSE. I worried less about what the teacher said, and more about the topics they were presenting. I focused on the topics and then went from there.

I think because it's your first nursing course, perhaps you were just unsettled by the new testing style. Brush yourself off, get back up on the horse, and accomplish your dream!

You CAN do this!

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

Reading books about HOW to take nursing school tests can really help, too.

Try one of these: Test Success: Test-Taking Techniques for Beginning Nursing Students: Patricia M. Nugent,Barbara A. Vitale: 9780803605244: Amazon.com: Books or http://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Success-Applying-Critical-Thinking/dp/0803627793

These will be beneficial throughout the program -- learning how to "read" the question is half the battle when it comes to nursing exams with NCLEX-style questions!

[Streamline2010]

Nursing Fundamentals looked like total chaos to me, because it's the catch-all class for giving you basic CNA-type skills, the legal issues involved in patient care, etc. At the school I was attending, it was a lot of unrelated topics all thrown into one class. If you're still interested in nursing, just repeat the course as soon as you can and then see how you like Nursing II. I suspect the LPNs would still get much same Fundamentals stuff that you had in that class, with some modifications regarding the role of LPN and what one can legally do in your state. If you complete RN classes then switch back to LPN, you'll be that much better prepared for LPN if that's what you decided to persue.

The advice to learn test-taking strategies was right-on. Nursing test questions are decision-making questions. You have to know the subject material and be able to use it. ABC, Maslow's Hierarchy, stages of develpoment, etc. -- That stuff never goes away. You'll use it forever.