Flunk! Kerplunk!

Published

well, i've got three tries to get a blood pressure within plus/minus four, and today i failed my first try. amazing and depressing and embarrassing and terrifying.

yes, i flunked my blood pressure test today. it's really quite humiliating. i know i can take a blood pressure. i've been a cna for the last three years, and i take manual blood pressures quite often, and i know that they're accurate. i do fine using the teaching stethoscope with classmates and can hear everything quite well.

But with my teachers, i hear nothing except garble and everyone talking. It's so frustrating because i KNOW i can do it. i hear it fine all the time, but whenever an instructor is listening on the other end of the scope, i guess my ears fail. even when i don't FEEL particularly stressed or nervous, i never get it right with the teacher.

i am trying to stave off a panic attack, because if i fail nursing school because of some stupid three-week class like clinical skills lab, i will just have to roll over and die, i think!!!

i have no options left if nursing school doesn't work out. it's all i've wanted to do and have been working for for five years now.....and i feel like it's all slipping away on something as stupid as a *(*#(*@* blood pressure test.

every day i tell myself that i am going to succeed and be a great nurse. but everyday, nursing school tells me quite the opposite. every day i build myself up, and every day my experiences at school knock me down. i've had nursing supervisors, nurse managers, nurses, patients and other CNAs always tell me i'd be a great nurse.

but at school, so far i've done nothing but fail.

what do i do if i don't make it after three weeks in?

i've put so much time and SO much money and SO much of my life into this for the last several years, and i KNOW in my heart i can be a good nurse.....but so far i am a terrible nursing student.

i feel really hopeless tonight.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Interested in ER, L&D, Surg/Med.

your not hopeless! :D

your just goin through a rough spot

if you know you can do it then you can!

i know know right now may seem all worthless

but just think positive and keep telling yourself that you are going to be a good nurse

because if you have passion in what you want to do, then you will succeed greatly

dont give up!

just pick yourself up and try again!!

GOOD LUCK! :up:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

It's really hard when you don't think you're doing anything right! I felt the exact same way today when trying my first nursing skills for the first time. The instructors make it look so easy and I feel so inept.

Keep in mind that you still have another two tries! Make sure you go to your lab and practice, practice, practice. Practice with the professor so they know you can do it. If they know you can do it, maybe they will be a little encouraging when it comes time for your next test off?

It's hard not to get down on yourself. All of us are in new territory (for the most part) and want to do our best. Just keep trying and don't let one bump in the road (That you call a "failure") get in the way. You can do this! ::gives you a great big hug::

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry.

You will not fail! Remember, it's only been 3 weeks, and this is a learning process. Take a breath... regroup, and cut yourself some slack. :redpinkhe I'm not in a program yet, but like you, I have worked very hard and I want it more than anything. I hear stories like your's all the time from new nursing students. I sometimes think that maybe they make it so stressful for students on purpose since nursing is a high stress job and they want to get you use to it? :stone I don't know. Anyway, you can do this. You know you can take accurate BPs, so try not to let the pressure frazzle you. Sometimes I practice taking blood pressures on people while my kids are running around, which in itself could make a person go nuts:p, but it helps me to learn how to tune everything else out. You have a long road ahead of you, try not to let this steal your thunder. Overcome it, and then let it go so you can move on and grow through your NS experience. Keep telling yourself you've got what it takes and always do your best! Good luck... go get 'em tiger!! :wink2:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Still a medic at heart but ICU, M/S, SVU.

Sometimes when you are under pressure it's easy to be off on your task a little bit. Take a deep breath, regroup and focus all of your energy on what you are hearing in that moment. You can do this!

Try to get a cheap cuff and stethoscope or see if you can sign one out of the lab to practice some more at home and gain confidence.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I know just what you mean! We have to be within plus/minus 2. I worked as a CNA for 2 years, took manual BP's every shift for 2 years and never had a problem. Now, all of a sudden, all I can hear is the babble in the classroom and my hands start shaking, etc. I feel like an idiot!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I know just what you mean! We have to be within plus/minus 2. I worked as a CNA for 2 years, took manual BP's every shift for 2 years and never had a problem. Now, all of a sudden, all I can hear is the babble in the classroom and my hands start shaking, etc. I feel like an idiot!

OMG!!! i thought i had it bad with +/- 4!!!!!!!!!

well, i've dreamed of being a nurse, but that never meant i wanted to be a nursing student! that's for sure.

i'm considering asking the teacher to take some time out in her office to listen with the teaching stethoscope while i take someone's blood pressure over and over and over again.....which, even if i do it right every time, won't help me at all if i don't do it right in the re-test, but at least she'll know that i am making the maximum effort i can make, and that i can hear it sometimes at least!!!!!

"i'd rather look stupid than sorry" is what she told us in class, and i say, amen to that!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OB - RN, nursing instructor.

a great site for practice that I found from a post on this site: http://medicine.osu.edu/exam/

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment