fundamentals...again! help please!!

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Well it happened to me. I failed first semester of nursing school. It took me two years to get in and four years before that to get another degree. I took fundamentals during the summer and it was hands down the hardest class I had ever taken. In any case I reapplied and got back in for this fall semester. I am also taking micro at the same time. I really want to be a nurse and I love working w/patients. I know that this is what I am supposed to be doing w/my life. I am just not so sure as to how I am going to make it through school! Everyone says that if you make it through first semester than it gets easier but I am not sure that is true. The people I have talked w/have said it is just as hard if not harder. I am doing well now (we only had one test so far) but I think it is just b/c I have already seen the material. I was just wondering if anyone else has been through this same situation. What did you do differently the second time? Did you make it?? I overheard some people in my class say that they wouldn't want a nurse working on them if they "couldn't even pass the first semester." Of course they didn't know I was sitting right behind them but it still hurt a little. I know I can do this I just need some motivation or tips or advice or something! Thank you in advance.

One of my good friends failed Fundamentals of Nursing. She retook it, and went on through the rest of the program. By her second year, she was making B's, and during the last semester she was the only student in her class that received an A in Adult Health II! Something just clicked for her. She graduated in May, took her boards, and passed on the first try.

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i passed! finally i made it through fundamentals and came out w/a "b." it was a long hard semester and i definetly didn't sit back and relax just b/c i had taken the course before. i taped every lecture and typed out notes for each one.i have more notecards than you can imagine in my apartment as well.i also took micro at the same time so that required additional studying too. i wanted to update this thread on my story in hopes that someone may read it that was in my same position and that they too, will not give up. i am by no means out of the woods of course w/4 more semesters left to go but i have such a renewed sense of accomplishment and determination and i know i can do this. so please, don't let any grade in any class define you and your worth or your ability to become a nurse. as nursing students we are constantly being assesed and graded that it is so easy to feel like you are a faliure when you receive a failing grade. don't forget who you are in the process and why you are there in the first place...

sometimes we have to see for ourselves. we have to make our own mistakes. we have to learn our own lessons. we have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we can't anymore. until we finally understand for ourselves what benjamin franklin really meant- that knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beat the hell out of never trying

from grey's anatomy

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Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.
I passed! Finally I made it through Fundamentals and came out w/a "B." It was a long hard semester and I definetly didn't sit back and relax just b/c I had taken the course before. Don't forget who you are in the process and why you are there in the first place...

Congratulations and continued success to you as you move on through your program!!

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well, its that time of the year again. we are all getting our grades, taking finals and hoping that all of our hard work has paid off for the whole semester. I am beyond happy to report that I will graduate in 9 days, have one more final to take (which i need a 60 for a B). Heres my point: for some of us out there this is our happiest time of the semester and we are very excited to move ahead to our next course or better yet, graduate. For others, for some reason or another, we have not been successful this semester and this is the worst time of the year. As you can tell, 2 years ago I was in the latter group. I guess I am updating this post b/c I can remember how alone, scared, embarresed and stupid I felt back then after failing a semester. I hope to inspire and motivate others like myself to keep going and not to give up- YOU CAN DO THIS. I really, really convinced myself that maybe nursing wasn't for me. Maybe I wasnt smart enough, maybe I needed to do something else. But instead, I scraped myself off, put my pride aside and started over. Since that failed semester,I have finished in the top percentage of my class every semester. I just wasn't ready to move forward back then and needed one more semester to really grasp everything. I love nursing, I am glad I stuck with it and I hope you will do the same. Congratulations to the Class of May 2008- we did it!!!!

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Specializes in Acute Mental Health.

My very good friend failed Fundamentals. She went on to retake it and did fine. I remember how different Fundamentals was from any other class I had ever taken (and I've taken so many other college classes). I always thought they should have a class that prepares the student for nursing classes. I'm currently in an ADN program and actually put my BA on hold when my number came up for nursing. I thought that I would breeze through a 2 yr program because I was just about done with a BA in Health Care Admin. I couldn't have been more wrong! To everyone who struggles with nursing...don't give up! Don't lose site of the reason you want to be a nurse :nuke:

Oh, I'm just finishing 3rd semester and I still wonder if I'm going to pass theory and then I wonder if I'll pass Clinical in 4th. Good Luck to us all!!

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice.

Fundies sucked eggs the whole way around... It was the worst class I have ever taken. I did better in Anatomy than I did Fundies...

Don't feel bad.. it isn't just you. A lot of us had trouble with it.

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well, its that time of the year again. we are all getting our grades, taking finals and hoping that all of our hard work has paid off for the whole semester. I am beyond happy to report that I will graduate in 9 days, have one more final to take (which i need a 60 for a B). Heres my point: for some of us out there this is our happiest time of the semester and we are very excited to move ahead to our next course or better yet, graduate. For others, for some reason or another, we have not been successful this semester and this is the worst time of the year. As you can tell, 2 years ago I was in the latter group. I guess I am updating this post b/c I can remember how alone, scared, embarresed and stupid I felt back then after failing a semester. I hope to inspire and motivate others like myself to keep going and not to give up- YOU CAN DO THIS. I really, really convinced myself that maybe nursing wasn't for me. Maybe I wasnt smart enough, maybe I needed to do something else. But instead, I scraped myself off, put my pride aside and started over. Since that failed semester,I have finished in the top percentage of my class every semester. I just wasn't ready to move forward back then and needed one more semester to really grasp everything. I love nursing, I am glad I stuck with it and I hope you will do the same. Congratulations to the Class of May 2008- we did it!!!!

:yeah::yeah:Congratulations!

I'm finishing my first semester and I know that we have some students right on the edge. A matter of fact, they are actually changing the grading scale so that to pass you need at least an 80 (80-86) is a C. Some of the students will come back to repeat this first semester, but some might just not. I don't think that an A student will necessarily be a better nurse, but I do think one needs to take nursing school seriously and realize that it is not like taking other classes...more thought needs to be given to each question because one day it might come up when you are taking care of a patient.

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Specializes in CNA.

iMO, nursing isn't about being book-smart. Nursing is about on-hand. Ive heard of so many people not doing well in Nursing school but being fantastic nurses. Some people just can't take tests or aren't good at studying. Hang in there, you will get through.

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Specializes in CNA.

Congratulations!

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iMO, nursing isn't about being book-smart. Nursing is about on-hand. Ive heard of so many people not doing well in Nursing school but being fantastic nurses. Some people just can't take tests or aren't good at studying. Hang in there, you will get through.

Actually, Lynnette, it is important that you have the right combination. You need to learn and understand the concepts so that when you get to patient care you know what you need to. Having all booksmarts but not patient common sense smart isn't good (nor safe), but not being able to learn and understand the principles isn't good either.

Kris

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We have Fundamentals 1 and then 2. I am in 2 right now and I agree that Fundamentals is extremely difficult. I believe this is the hardest thing I have ever done. I feel it is not the "grades" that you make, but the knowledge that you learn. It's ok that it took you another go round to tackle the class. Some of us aren't good test takers no matter how hard we try. Just know that you will be a better nurse because you have the courage and the determination to take the class again. Don't let the comment of those other people in your class get you down....I KNOW it's hard....we have those kind of people in my class too.....I wouldn't want THEM to care for me if I was in the hospital.....people who put others down, in my opinion, will not make very compassionate nurses. That being said, you havng in there and do your best and it WILL work out for you! I will keep you in my thoughts and prayer and I will look for the day that you are on here telling about passing the state boards....you CAN do it!

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