I only have a 75% in anatomy and im not sure if im cut out to be a nurse

Nurses General Nursing

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so i started out at 16 being a lifeguard and really loved it because i loved learning how to help people with spinal injuries and cpr and was excited about all the new information i was learning about first aid. I took anatomy, physioloy and kinesiology in high school and really enjoyed it too. Now i am a pre nursing student taking my first prerequisite of anatomy and it is so much harder than when i took it in high school and i am only getting a 75%. Im worried that maybe this is the absolutely wrong occupation for me to be a nurse which is evident by my not getting an A in this class. please tell me that i am just overreacting and that prerequisites are just a pain in the butt and very difficult and not a great representation of what being a nurse is really about!it would really be comforting:confused:

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Specializes in Cardiology, Oncology, Medsurge.

Anatomy is a difficult prerequisite period. Helpful hints: anatomy coloring book, find a lab partner to assist with learning outside of class (hopefully your lab is open after hours), use your own body to understand muscle and bone position, articulation and function. Hope this helps!

Perhaps you are able to withdraw and start anew in order to receive a better grade the next time.

I took a course that involved physiology with anatomy that helped to understand function along with structure; I found this course to be helpful.

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IMO because this is your first pre req that you should not be too hard on yourself. Next time take advantage of any tutoring that you college offers. Forget the past and look ahead to your next classes. Unfortunately the classes only get harder especially when you start the nursing program. Good luck with your future classes and give it your all.

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Specializes in LTC and MED-SURG.
so i started out at 16 being a lifeguard and really loved it because i loved learning how to help people with spinal injuries and cpr and was excited about all the new information i was learning about first aid. I took anatomy, physioloy and kinesiology in high school and really enjoyed it too. Now i am a pre nursing student taking my first prerequisite of anatomy and it is so much harder than when i took it in high school and i am only getting a 75%. Im worried that maybe this is the absolutely wrong occupation for me to be a nurse which is evident by my not getting an A in this class. please tell me that i am just overreacting and that prerequisites are just a pain in the butt and very difficult and not a great representation of what being a nurse is really about!it would really be comforting:confused:

Less than an A in Anatomy does not = you are not cut out to be a nurse. I got excellent grades in LPN school, and am getting good grades with Excelsior, pursuing my RN. However, all that I studied is just now beginning to make sense and come together. Really TRUST ME, in Nursing School, there will be times that you'll be glad just to pass.

I think A&P, Microbiology, and the other nursing sciences are important and a good foundation for our profession. BUT I don't think most of us get it all during our initial school courses. I still reference my school textbooks.

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Im worried that maybe this is the absolutely wrong occupation for me to be a nurse which is evident by my not getting an A in this class. please tell me that i am just overreacting and that prerequisites are just a pain in the butt and very difficult and not a great representation of what being a nurse is really about!it would really be comforting:confused:

For what it's worth, I have many classmates who did very well in Anatomy & Physiology (As and Bs), yet they have struggled in nursing classes. On the other hand, there are quite a few people who struggled in A&P, but they've done fine in nursing classes. Hang in there--nursing is about much more than A&P...just think if of it as a mini hurdle that you have to get past before you can reach your goal...(I think I've watched too much Dr. Phil, LOL). :nurse:

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Specializes in ED/trauma.
so i started out at 16 being a lifeguard and really loved it because i loved learning how to help people with spinal injuries and cpr and was excited about all the new information i was learning about first aid. I took anatomy, physioloy and kinesiology in high school and really enjoyed it too. Now i am a pre nursing student taking my first prerequisite of anatomy and it is so much harder than when i took it in high school and i am only getting a 75%. Im worried that maybe this is the absolutely wrong occupation for me to be a nurse which is evident by my not getting an A in this class. please tell me that i am just overreacting and that prerequisites are just a pain in the butt and very difficult and not a great representation of what being a nurse is really about!it would really be comforting:confused:

I think A&P is actually very important to the pathophysiology of nursing. That being said, you not doing well in this course could be due to many different factors...

When I first started university right after college, I went for pre-med. I took my first bio course and thought I was totally prepared. Boy, was I wrong! I did end up with a B, but I had to study my butt off!

Age / experience / naivety / etc all are important in being successful in college. I realized that, just because I did exceptionally well in high school did not guarantee the same for the college level.

I learned 2 things from this:

  1. You WILL have to learn new and/or different study habits. It was EASY for me to retain info in HS. Not so much in college!
  2. Sometimes time makes all the difference. I got my 1st degree in business, came back to school 5 years later, and made it happen!

Now, I am NOT suggesting you do #2. There are plenty of people who realize how to change their study habits and survive. You just have to take a deeper look and find what ELSE might work for you (study-wise, not career-wise).

Yes, physiology and pathology are VERY important for nursing. But, if you're not passing simply because you're not studying the RIGHT way, then this is NO indication of your ability to be a nurse.

Also, keep in mind that there are many WAYS in which to be a nurse. While pathophys will always be important, its relative level of importance is different for every specialty.

Keep your eye on the prize and find out how to get there. Good luck!

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Specializes in ED, PCU, Addiction, Home Health.

I agree with a previous poster - getting a good grade in A&P doesn't = being a good nurse. I've seen nurses with straight A's that couldn't critically think themselves through simple decisions.........and I've seen nurses that struggled with every class that had a natural gift with their patients.

Know what your weaknesses are and ask for help when you need it. You'll revisit those body systems over and over. Right now you're looking at where they are....then what they do.....then how to get at 'em with procedures....then what the patient's looks like when they don't work right.......then how to chart so you tell a story the doctors and the lawyers can understand.

As you'll learn in neuro - keep on doing the work and the neural tracts that support the info will grow :nurse:

Dawn in PA

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice.

You only need a C to pass.... I was always told that sometimes C students turn out to be better nurses than A & B students... don't be so hard on yourself. Anatomy is all memorization. I loved it, so it was very easy for me.

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Specializes in ER/SICU/Med-Surg/Ortho/Trauma/Flight.

Hey dont beat your self up to much, A&P were very hard for me in LPN and RN school, I passed them with a C, and look at me now I have a BSN and Im a supervisor of SICU and ER. Youll make it, just try to study a little harder.

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Specializes in LTC.

A&P1 I got a B, A&P2 I got a C. I'm just completing my first semester of nursing school and it's VERY different. For me the material in A&P is very dry and I just don't have the attention span to keep up.

The first thing you need to do is learn how to study for A&P and other biology classes. It's very different from high school. I would suggest going through google image searches for body parts and labeling everything.

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everyone has given you great advice!! i just have to put in my ten cents....i was a cna from sixteen on. started nsg school 3 times and first two tries ended up not being the right time in my life. so with many years of cna experience...went back for time # 3. at my school there was a&p #1 and #2. everything was going great until a&p #1. i was barely passing (like a 76%) thinking nursing was not for me and almost quit!! but what i did was changed my study techniques. the instructor was soooo dry, and rude. we would ask a question and he would very belittling way tell us to figure it out ourselves. he also lectured straight from textbook. i realized his class was pointless/waste of time - and started going home to study during that time (while my kids were in day care!!) and found ways that worked for me to learn, like taking the highlights of text as notes, etc. and i would really recommend study groups. there is no better way to learn something than to teach it to somebody else. and when you have those groups your continuous interaction is continuous learning. i also learned that the instructor makes a world of difference. for a&p # 2 had excellent, interactive, vivacious instructor and helped so much!! good luck to you and don't give up!!

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Specializes in med/surg/tele/neuro/rehab/corrections.

My anatomy teacher told us that he had graduate students who said to him that anatomy was the hardest class they have ever taken. It really is a hard class for everyone that takes it. Try not to compare yourself to the other students. Just keep plodding away and study study study! :) You're headed in the right direction so no need to question yourself. Hang on to your dream. Good luck to ya!

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