So I failed 2nd semester by a fraction of a point. Needed a 76.5 to pass. I didn't post this on the student boards because I was hoping to get some feedback from RN's who have failed before.
I got c's on 4 tests and two low b's, then bombed the final because of anxiety/ran outta time...etc. I just can't believe that they are going to fail me for missing the mark by one question. I will lose my tuition reimbursment through work, my scholarships, wedding is going to be post-poned four more months.
I'm just freaking out that maybe this isn't for me. I really thought it was but maybe I just can't hack it. I dunno...what if I fail 3rd?!?! or 4th?!!? I can't go through this again. It hurts way to much. Has anyone out there failed a semester of school before and still made it to RN?
You're not the only one who is wondering what to do.
I am finding out that nursing school might not be for me either. Nursing wasn't my first choice, but I decided to try it because of job prospects. And now that I've been into it for a semester, I do like it and want to succeed, but not sure if the school will allow that to happen.
I passed chemistry, physics and calculus with A's, but nursing school seems to be a real challenge for me, and I found out the reason why. At least in my school, they expect you to teach yourselves, which is ridciulous; some of the teacher assign 500 pages and don't give you any idea what you need to know for a test.
In your case, you need to figure out why you are having problems. Is it you or the school? You can fix you, but fixing the school is probably not going to happen any time soon; there are too many bad nursing schools and teachers.
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Yeah, I didn't mean it was the school's fault. My original post sounds so whiney. All I meant is that I'm fairly intelligent and my instructors know this. I excelled in clinical skills and am quick to learn new things. When reviewing my final exam, my teacher even said to me "I can tell by your rationales that you have a higher level understanding of disease processes..." so that's why this is very frustrating. If you know I'm capable and have a good understanding of material, then why put me through the heart-ache, extra time and money to repeat the course? The tests are designed to screw you and so is the grading system. I won't get into detail, and I'm not making excuses because ultimately I'm the one that couldn't pass. I think the rn cirriculum has changed quite a bit from the time that some of you went to school. In other words, it's a lot more competitive to get into a program and a lot more challenging hence why the "target passing score is so low". Anyway, I appreciate the feedback.
Yeah, they made the bar higher way back in my day, because all we did for patients was fluff their pillows and bend their straws. It couldn't possibly have been as hard and competitive back then as it is now. Dang, they even grabbed unsuspecting people off the street and put them into nursing programs. Most of us got good grades, but then again, we probably didn't have the "higher level of understanding disease processes" that you have. We were just as dumb as a box of rocks and just memorized the material. Taking knowledge and applying it to a clinical setting? Golly...isn't that what we have doctors for?
Yeah, they made the bar higher way back in my day, because all we did for patients was fluff their pillows and bend their straws. It couldn't possibly have been as hard and competitive back then as it is now. Dang, they even grabbed unsuspecting people off the street and put them into nursing programs. Most of us got good grades, but then again, we probably didn't have the "higher level of understanding disease processes" that you have. We were just as dumb as a box of rocks and just memorized the material. Taking knowledge and applying it to a clinical setting? Golly...isn't that what we have doctors for?
you need to work on your sarcasm skills.
they seem a tad weak.
after high school, i had applied to nsg school.
there were pre-entrance exams...i aced 6 out of the 7, all in the 90's...
but failed the science.
my confidence was crushed, and didn't reapply until 15 yrs later. (i am not a competitive person at all.)
people encouraged me to try and try and try til i made it.
i have to agree, that i hesitate at anyone (in any licensing profession) who failed sev'l times before succeeding.
while i do understand there are those who have avg grades w/exc clinical skills and vice-versa, it still makes me nervous thinking that my nurse, my dr., my lawyer...
took their exams 31 times before they passed. (just throwing out a random number.)
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
I am very much opposed to giving people multiple cracks at getting through nag. school and at passing NCLEX. If you can't pass NCLEX after three attempts, then you need to go for remedial education, or maybe even think about another career.
I am very much opposed to giving people multiple cracks at getting through nag. school and at passing NCLEX. If you can't pass NCLEX after three attempts, then you need to go for remedial education, or maybe even think about another career.
so i failed 2nd semester by a fraction of a point. needed a 76.5 to pass. i didn't post this on the student boards because i was hoping to get some feedback from rn's who have failed before.
i got c's on 4 tests and two low b's, then bombed the final because of anxiety/ran outta time...etc. i just can't believe that they are going to fail me for missing the mark by one question. i will lose my tuition reimbursment through work, my scholarships, wedding is going to be post-poned four more months.
i'm just freaking out that maybe this isn't for me. i really thought it was but maybe i just can't hack it. i dunno...what if i fail 3rd?!?! or 4th?!!? i can't go through this again. it hurts way to much. has anyone out there failed a semester of school before and still made it to rn?
i'm sorry you failed ciale. i also failed a class when i was in lpn nursing school. i got 74.6 and the passing grade was 75. had i gotten another one right answer in the final, i would have passed. i knew it was my fault because i only started studying for the final the same day as the final. i repeated the class the next semester and got an a.
repeat the class and do better. if you really want this, you have to do everything to make it happen.
Yeah, they made the bar higher way back in my day, because all we did for patients was fluff their pillows and bend their straws. QUOTE]
Your comments are completely unhelpful. I can see you're defensive because of my comment about nursing school being more stringent and competitive, but I'm just telling the truth. I never said that somehow makes me better or smarter. The point I'm trying to make to you and the others who left some unsympathetic comments, is that perhaps you aren't qualified to pass judgement on my experience in nursing school since you have no idea what it's like now. Think about all the advances we've made in the medical field over the past 3 DECADES on top of higher wages for nurses. You can see why they would made school more competitive and challenging, yes? There's a lot more information to study. A LOT more.
Also, I don't appreciate you making light of "fluffing pillows and bending straws". Those are two tasks that you should maybe take a little pride in doing for someone who can't...
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
yeah, they made the bar higher way back in my day, because all we did for patients was fluff their pillows and bend their straws. quote]
your comments are completely unhelpful. i can see you're defensive because of my comment about nursing school being more stringent and competitive, but i'm just telling the truth. i never said that somehow makes me better or smarter. the point i'm trying to make to you and the others who left some unsympathetic comments, is that perhaps you aren't qualified to pass judgement on my experience in nursing school since you have no idea what it's like now. think about all the advances we've made in the medical field over the past 3 decades on top of higher wages for nurses. you can see why they would made school more competitive and challenging, yes? there's a lot more information to study. a lot more.
also, i don't appreciate you making light of "fluffing pillows and bending straws". those are two tasks that you should maybe take a little pride in doing for someone who can't...
please keep a copy of this post where you can find it in a few years.
lots of people have failed for various reasons, health, life changes-----. Think of this as an endurance test. Yes, it is expensive and inconvenient. All worthwhile achievements are. I hope you feel more up to the challenge next time. My friend had to take micro over and was, like you, nervous about failing a second time. She aced it!!! You can too
OP, I also failed one semester in nursing school. This is when I realized I really wanted to be a nurse. I was so devastated. As soon as I got over the fact that I failed and realized that it was my fault, things got better. I dedicated myself to doing better, and I did. I also had to push my wedding back (a whole year) and put my life on hold while waiting to get back into the program. This was a great time to do some real deep thinking and self reflection.
Take this time to decide if this is what you really want to do. If it is, get back in there and do better. If it's not, this is a blessing in disguise.
You will likely have many "failing moments" throughout your nursing career, think of this as prep for those. Learn to hold yourself accountable for your actions and make an honest effort to learn from your mistakes.
Good luck on whatever you decide!
And for those of you who are against retaking classes let me say this: First off, I respect your opinions and have learned a lot from your posts. However, nursing school is a time for learning and is not the same as retaking the NCLEX. Wouldn't you rather we retake the semester of nursing and learn it well the second time rather than passing by 3/10 of a point and moving forward? The NCLEX is a different story; if you graduated, you'd better know your stuff!!! The NCLEX is not a teaching tool, nursing school is. Just my
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
If anxiety has you blowing tests, perhaps you might rethink things. Bedside nursing has a lot of high-anxiety situations that require a lot of fast thinking and good reaction times. You might say that the anxiety of test-taking is a good practice situation for what is required of you at the bedside. If that is too stressful for you, well...
Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN
4 Articles; 7,907 Posts
It comes with time: you learn not to take things personally and to just let it go. You brush it off and move on to the next task.
If you really want to develop a thick skin fast, come to psych and work with Axis II patients