Feeling Depressed...need some encouragement.

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please forgive me if this post is too long. as the post says, i need some encouragement.

well, after not being in nursing school for more than 10 years, i'm going back. the original nursing program i was in would not allow me to pick where i left off so i searched and found another nursing program that allowed me to "test out" of the first year of the adn program providing that i passed their challenge exams, which i did. and i might add everyone has been really friendly and nice to me since i'm new.

well, i thought is was a blessing to have only one year left to finish nursing school so i left my family and relocated to a remote town to begin this nursing program but now i'm starting to think differently. yesterday, we had our first skills exam. we had to randomly pick a skill from nursing 1 or 2 (which i tested out of) and do a return demonstration. i was provided with 2 skills book 3 days before and was told to read and know all the skills. so i buckled down and spent the whole weekend studying it. i didn't think it was going to be too bad since i already had previous experience doing some of the skills from the previous nursing program i was in.

so monday comes and the random skill i picked was dry sterile dressing change. i figured this couldn't be so bad and i started to gather all my equipment and proceeded to performing the skill. once i was done, i was so sure i passed, but to my surprise, i didn't. the school's policy on reapplying the clean aspect of the dressing is to dress the incision first then the drains and i did it the opposite way. that is the way i was taught at my other program. so granted i was depressed and feeling sad.

so i had to retest again today and again randomly picked a skill. this time i pulled a sq injection. i proceeded to gather all my equipment and again began performing my skill. feeling really confident this time that i passed, i was told i failed again. my error, i grabbed the "orange colored" needle which from where i went to school was the needle used for sq injections. well, in this program the needle color is red. i acknowledge the fault was mine once it was explained to me. i know picking a needle by the color and not the size is not the right way but again that's how i was taught. although, i mentioned the correct needle size and gauge, because i picked up the wrong one, i failed.

so here i am crying non stop. i've just lost 2 points out of a possible 5 towards our end of semester grade. now i feel like just giving up. the instructor was really nice though and felt i knew the material but i was just getting confused with what i did before and thinking that's the way they do things but it's not. instead of making me retest again, she's allowed me to do a write-up on sq injections.

i feel like my previous knowledge is hurting me instead of benefiting me. i just don't know how to separate the two. like my instructor said, it's harder when you test out. just want a few words of encouragement.

please forgive for any typos.

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Specializes in SNU/SNF/MedSurg, SPCU Ortho/Neuro/Spine.

Everything now will be different that it was than,

so forget all you knew in the past and prepare for new stuff!

my friend who is in my class is an LPN and she acts like it is all new for her, so she can learn the way our teachers want, and not use her old habits.

don't worry you will be fine, just chill it out, and read what you are suppose to, and remember never to choose a needle by it's color, since manufacturers will change it, so read the gage !

Now shake that dust of and get back on your game soldier...!!!

you will be great!, just remember not to remember stuff from 10 yrs ago in a different school!

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Thank you. I called my whole family and told them and all agreed. I have to act like this is all brand new stuff so I don't mix my old habits with the new ones. I need to learn how things are done nowadays and not reflect back to ten years ago.

So I plan on dusting myself off and continuing to go full speed ahead. Thanks again.:)

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Hang in there. I am an LPN who jumped into Nursing 2 after testing out of Nursing 1. It was hard! As a working nurse, it is very easy to fall into bad habits. I found it very difficult because I did not know my teachers and what they expected especially in clinicals. I did not know how they tested. I was not familiar with the books. I had to bond with students who have been together for a year already. It really was harder than I thought it would be. Plus, I have other issues such as anxiety and depression. Just hang in there...it gets better. I know it did for me. I went to my teachers and asked them what I could do to make the transition easier. I am not sure how helpful that was but it opened up converstion. They now knew who I was at least. I act like everything I am learning is new to me. I go much slower in the labs with my skills. At work, I insert a catheter in minutes. In the classroom, I go one step at a time, thinking about my next move so I get it right. Congrats on taking the step to becoming an RN! It is exciting. Metfan

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Not sure if people are responding to this, I am also an LPN but I have NO experience, Im guessing testing out of Nursing I and II at Alfred state because Im afraid I might be missing valuable information and just be making it hard on myself, But if I do test out I will only need 2 classes ( one year ) to graduate because I have all of my general ed classes and science classes... At students who tested out, Do you think it is a wise choice? If you could do it again would you just stay in school one year longer and learn the material by the school's standards? or continue the way you went?

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Not sure if people are responding to this, I am also an LPN but I have NO experience, Im guessing testing out of Nursing I and II at Alfred state because Im afraid I might be missing valuable information and just be making it hard on myself, But if I do test out I will only need 2 classes ( one year ) to graduate because I have all of my general ed classes and science classes... At students who tested out, Do you think it is a wise choice? If you could do it again would you just stay in school one year longer and learn the material by the school's standards? or continue the way you went?

I think testing out should be an option if you feel comfortable with your current knowledge as a LPN. I studied very hard for the challenge exam. I graduated from Alfred State last week and I'm SO GLAD THAT I TESTED OUT. Had I not, I would be looking at returning back in the fall for Nursing 3.

Eventhough I tested out, I still reviewed information from Nursing 1 and 2 (skills, certain drugs etc.) Overrall, Alfred State nursing program is very difficult and challenging.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask. Wish you luck in whatever you decide to do.

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Thank You , i applied for Alfred but I believe it's too late, so I have to reapply for their spring semester.. I'm hesitant about going after hearing how difficult the program is, but I feel anything is possible and I will just have to study and work hard .... What was on the challenge exam? was it all multiple choice questions? do they give you the topics the test will be on?? I'm not confident AT ALL with my knowledge because I have no work experience as an LPN yet, hopefully I should start working by next month though.....

How many classes do you need? So far I've taken A&P 1&2, English, psychology, human development, and sociology.. next semester I'm taking nutrition, micro, child dvlpmnt and English 2...... I plan to study hard and test out of Nursing 1 & 2... How many classes will I have to take there and how long will it take me to graduate?

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Thank You , i applied for Alfred but I believe it's too late, so I have to reapply for their spring semester.. I'm hesitant about going after hearing how difficult the program is, but I feel anything is possible and I will just have to study and work hard .... What was on the challenge exam? was it all multiple choice questions? do they give you the topics the test will be on?? I'm not confident AT ALL with my knowledge because I have no work experience as an LPN yet, hopefully I should start working by next month though.....

How many classes do you need? So far I've taken A&P 1&2, English, psychology, human development, and sociology.. next semester I'm taking nutrition, micro, child dvlpmnt and English 2...... I plan to study hard and test out of Nursing 1 & 2... How many classes will I have to take there and how long will it take me to graduate?

If you're already an LPN, you will receive credit for Nursing 1, you must challenge Nursing 2. They will provide you with a study guide once you decide to test out and are given a date.

There's three parts to the challenge exam and it's divided into two days (at least that's how it was when I tested out). The first part is the actual exam which consist of 100 multiple choice questions-at the time I took it, 68% was passing. If your successful you go onto the next part which is a skills demonstration-they will also provide information/guide on the various Nursing 2 skills and you will randomly pick 5 skills to do a return demo on. If you're successful with that, then there is a clinical calculation exam-I'm not sure what passing is since I scored 100% but they will inform you.

The program is very difficult but the faculty are caring and want students to succeed. Keep in mind, all nursing classes are not offered every semester. Nursing 1 and 3, are offered in the fall and 2 and 4, in the spring.

If you plan on testing out of Nursing 2, it's not to late to apply. They challenge exam is given sometime in August and if you're successful, you would start Nursing 3 in the fall and could complete the program in two semesters. You will have to complete an additional six credits outside of nursing in order to meet residency requirements for the degree (need a total of 30 credits to graduate from ASC) so if you still have some pre-reqs left, take them there if possible.

Good luck and let me know if you have anymore questions.

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I think the fall will be too soon for me to start, I checked their website and I already have everything except the 3 nursing classes I will have to take. So i guess I'll just apply for spring and start in nursing 2 instead of testing out, I also saw that you can do your 3rd year of the BSN program there, did you do that? do you get direct admission into the bsn program its affiliated with? I think I would like to do that.. starting in the spring will give me time to save money and prepare myself to move up there since I'll have to leave my job to go.

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