Feeling worthless over bad exam experience

Dr.Nurse2b · Nov 9, 2008

i really need tips from self-proclaimed perfectionists like myself on how to get over it and use this opportunity as a learning experience. how do you get through it without falling apart?

my name is nursing student...i'm a 4.0 - aholic. it's been 11 weeks since my last "a"

i feel your pain. i was dean's list, dean scholar, teacher's pet and the poster child for the nursing program...until i hit assessment and geeked!

the only recommendation i can give is throw yourself at the mercy of your instructors and give up your current way of thinking because it's not going to work for nursing school.

when i started nursing i thought i was king you know what...i knew it all and i had the gpa to prove it. i hated each and everyone of my instructors because it just seemed like they had no idea what i am capable of.

well here's what i learned...that snotty, condescending professor that i couldn't stand...she's a veteran nurse...and she was able to look right through me and see all of my inequities. she forced me to focus on my weakness instead of capitalizing on my talents...she failed me and rejected me and almost had me crying. she told me that i was smart...but not smart enough. she forced me to accept all of my imperfections and then stood next to me and examined them with me and said "now that you're eyes are open we can begin. when we are through here you will be the best nurse you can be"

nursing school is not education...it is an evolution. i am not the same person i was three years ago.

trust your instructors, your professors...tell them how you feel and ask them for their counsel. listen to their words and follow their instructions...

if there is one thing i have learned from nursing school it is that a nursing instuctor has the inate ability to expose all of our inequities, and the strength to stand by our side and face each one head on...this is what nurses do.

you'll be fine. just believe in yourself.

cowboysgirl2007 · Nov 9, 2008

the problem is that i don't see this as normal behavior. i should not be crying over test grades and letting them determine my worth. i am scared that going into the nursing program there will be times when a test grade may get the best of me but i will need to persevere and move forward or i will be left behind. there will be no time to feel sorry for myself and throw a pity party. i really need tips from self-proclaimed perfectionists like myself on how to get over it and use this opportunity as a learning experience. how do you get through it without falling apart?

i feel for you...i really do! i'm sending you nursing student hugs:icon_hug:!!!

i am also a perfectionists...and once i got into nursing school it truly bit me in the ass. i'm almost halfway though my lpn and it still bites me in the ass...so i totally understand!

first off i want to say that the bottom line is you have to learn to get over freaking out about grades. i know, easier said than done. i still freak out so i'm hoping that soon i will be able to follow my own advice! :lol2: when i started the nursing program i had a 4.0, and that all went to s*** when nursing classes started.

i'm not saying it's impossible to earn strait a's in nursing, but i've learned that grades aren't everything, it's knowing that you understand the techniques and how to apply them when caring for someone that's truly important. there is so much to learn in such a short time that it is almost impossible to cram all that info into your head.

i fall apart on a daily basis, you have to face it's going to happen. what makes us or breaks us is whether or not you can fall apart, and pick yourself back up and keep going...which you can!!!:w00t:

i'm sorry i couldn't give you better advice...hopefully someone else can. i just want to give you a little encouragement...and when in doubt just take a deep breath and refocus!

i have also learned that this website is a great stress reliever. it has tons of advice and lots of information to help you out...a suggest checking it daily!

cowboysgirl2007 · Nov 9, 2008

My name is Nursing Student...I'm a 4.0 - aholic. It's been 11 weeks since my last "A"
I feel your pain. I was Dean's List, Dean Scholar, Teacher's Pet and the Poster Child for the Nursing program...Until I hit assessment and geeked!
The only recommendation I can give is throw yourself at the mercy of your instructors and give up your current way of thinking because it's not going to work for nursing school.
When I started nursing I thought I was King you know what...I knew it all and I had the GPA to prove it. I hated each and everyone of my instructors because it just seemed like they had no idea what I am capable of.
Well here's what I learned...that snotty, condescending professor that I couldn't stand...she's a veteran nurse...and she was able to look right through me and see all of my inequities. She forced me to focus on my weakness instead of capitalizing on my talents...She failed me and rejected me and almost had me crying. She told me that I was smart...but not smart enough. She forced me to accept all of my imperfections and then stood next to me and examined them with me and said "Now that you're eyes are open we can begin. When we are through here you will be the best nurse you can be"
Nursing School is not education...it is an evolution. I am not the same person I was three years ago.
Trust your instructors, your professors...tell them how you feel and ask them for their counsel. Listen to their words and follow their instructions...
If there is one thing I have learned from nursing school it is that a nursing instuctor has the inate ability to expose all of our inequities, and the strength to stand by our side and face each one head on...This is what nurses do.
You'll be fine. Just believe in yourself.

:yeahthat: I just want to say that this post almost brought tears to my eyes...you worded it beautifully...posts like this are the reason I love this board. :redbeathe:heartbeat:redbeathe:heartbeat:redbeathe:heartbeat:redbeathe:heartbeat:redbeathe:heartbeat:redbeathe:heartbeat:redbeathe:heartbeat

NurseJeanB · Nov 9, 2008

I totally understand what you are saying. I have been really anal about my grade. I am at the beginning of the second year and so far had only gotten A's. Then I hit the medical rotation and I missed an A by .59 % I had an A going into the final, but the final was worth 60%. I found out my grade on my birthday. Needless to say I am so distraught. I have been told the med-surg rotation is the hardest. My school breaks it up into medical and surgical. I have yet to do the surgical rotation. However, I was told the average grade was a C. I know I should be happy to have at least passed the medical rotation, one of the people in my group got a D and failed out and he was a really nice guy.

I am dreading the surgical rotation. I hope I don't kill my GPA. The class ahead of us warned us that we needed to get over the must get A's mentality. Still it kills to have come so close. :cry:

NeoNurseTX, RN · Nov 9, 2008

There's a saying that is.. I used to be an A student, now I'm a nursing student! Very few people make it through nursing school without a bad grade here and there.. the top of the top make it in and it we are all perfectionists. I think it's almost a requirement of being a nurse...

missmatched · Nov 9, 2008

I'm not a perfectionist but after tried the college route 2x before and coming back to school older and wiser, I have been near perfect. Had one B by the time I got accepted to Nursing School. Got invited to Honor societies and really felt good about myself until a Patho/Pharm test brought me down quickly. One I had studied for 2 weeks and only a low C to show up for it. I did my share of crying, turned around and faced the 2 tests I had for the next day.

I met with the instructor which was a helpful experience. I found out that I have a very unhealthy relationship with my eraser and was changing right answers to wrong. Had I not, I'd have gotten a very high B.

Things I've learned: 1. trust your self and what you know. Often, the answer is very simple, don't complicate it by exploring possibilities instead of focusing on what's really asked. 2. Use every method of study you can think of, try anything. I got a 92 on the next test mainly because I recorded my own understanding of the material, paraphrased and simplified from the notes. 3. Talk to your professor, look at your tests, find out what your weaknesses are. 4. and the message I don't want to hear myself: C is satisfactory, it means you know the material enough, you pass. You still get an RN when you graduate/get license regardless of getting all C's or all A's.

Well, I know, nothing you really haven't heard before but believe that you have not become dumb or stupid all of a sudden. You still are smart just in unfamiliar territory. The sooner you get over the panic and really assess where you are and where you need to be, you will get there. Hang in there, celebrate small victories to get you through rough times.

Oh, as for my Patho/Pharm, I could still get an A, if I get all answers right on the finals. Not impossible but maybe improbable. Yet, who knows what will happen.

Good luck.

sunray12 · Nov 9, 2008

Since you say this is your third exam this means your course is based on cumulative series of grades - it's not a mid-term/final based class or an all or nothing final only class (I've had plenty of both in different fields and they make getting through a course quite a bit harder). If you scored A's in your first two exams then a lower grade on this one does not mean you can't get an A for your final grade. So forget about the grade and move forward.