Help. Please. Studying/Testing.

[smellyacres, BSN, RN]

Hey guys,

I used to use this site all the time BEFORE I started nursing school, and I've been in the program almost a year now and I don't think I've used it once!

But I need help. Badly. So I'm turning to you all for some possible insight/help/support.

Let me start by saying that I do great in clinicals. I feel so comfortable and have never had any problems. I love it. I know I'll be a good...no, great nurse someday. I'm just frustrated with the lecture portion. (I'm in an ADN program in SoCal).

Basically... I read, I study, I relisten to lectures, I study with others (which I could, and will do more)... and I'm still not doing well on tests. So frustration. Partly because it's not just me... it's the majority of the students in my class. I am a smart person, I was an A student before this. Obviously there is something to be said about the institution you are learning from when the majority of the class is struggling this much. But that is beside the point right now... There are (some) students who continuously do well on every test. I'd like to be one of them... but I don't know how. I'm at a loss right now as to what I should do differently in terms of how I am learning.

The first test (fluids/electrolytes), more than half the class failed. Including me. And we were told from semesters ahead of us that that normally happens. I worked my ass off studying for the next exams. Got a C on the second one (diabetes/endocrine). Then PVD/HTN test came along. I studied harder. I walked away from the test thinking I did great. I got a D on the test... that one ****** me off a little. Yesterday we had a test on Musculoskeletal. Walked away from that practically in tears (and I am not a crier), I knew it went poorly. Got another D. A lot of people who were doing great before, failed this one (I think partially due to the fact we had a sub for the main lecture before that test and were not adequately prepared, oh well, c'est la vie).

Anyway. I need 75% on the final (next Thursday) to pass this class. 75... that sounds do-able, right? Right. Except that I've been basically getting straight Ds on all the other exams (a D in our program is 70-74%, below 70 is an F). I'm aiming high, if I get a 97% I can get a B in the class (slight sarcasm... that's a little overly positive, though possible).

Can someone please help me? I don't know what to do. I always review my tests, I talked to my instructor, I talked to a counselor, I talked to other classmates. No one has really been able to help me. I obviously need to change my study habits or the way I'm thinking about things in order to be a better test taker. Sometimes I look at the questions during test review and think "wow, what was I thinking when I picked that answer?". Other questions I straight up had no clue about. But I don't have test anxiety either.

Has anyone experienced this? How do you study? Are there any websites you can recommend to me that have practice tests (I already use Software For Nurses and Lippincott PrepU). Study techniques? Test taking strategies? (I already use the: eliminate two answers and go from there, technique). I just..... need help. I need to pass this class, otherwise I flunk out of nursing school. I'm afraid I'm going to study every spare second I have until this final... and still end up failing. I don't mean to sound hopeless... but I need some hope.

Any insight you can give me will be helpful.

Thank you all.

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

In terms of actually taking the test..a few pointers..slow down and READ what the question is asking. I underline words like always, never, priority, etc. Then I go back and read the question and look at each answer one by one. I do mine as a true/false kind of thing and narrow the answer down from there. Also, look to see what they are asking..are the asking for a nursing intervention, then you need to pick a nursing intervention as an answer. If they say TEACH the client, look for a teaching answer.

Studying-->Do you know HOW you learn? Are you an auditory, visual, Kinesthetic or a combo? If you are a visual learner than listening to taped lectures really won't help you. But a video on the material may..or pictures, charts etc. And if you are an auditory learner, pictures and the like won't help you much either.

Try studying in sections of material, don't try to cram your studying in on everything every time.

What book do you use? Does it come with a DVD/CD? If so, check to see if it offers NCLEX style questions related to the chapter. We use Brunner's Med/Surg and I always do the chapter NCLEX style questions before I read the chapter, as a way of seeing where I need to focus more reading in on. I also do the questions after I have read the chapters. I use Saunders NCLEX book also.

Is this your first nursing class? If so, maybe you just need to learn how to take an NCLEX style test. Which I think can be done by getting and using an NCLEX prep book like Saunders etc

[Wildcats.Cabral]

I will second the thought of using NCLEX study books, I also have Sunders and use Davis' Success series a lot also. Do you make or like note cards? Bring them with you wherever you go, look at them while waiting in line for coffee or lunch or in the bathroom. Start prepping for a test at least a week ahead of time, do not try to cram, it really does not work in Nursing school. Be thankful your grades go as low as they do. Our lowest acceptable grade is a C which is 75-83. Below 74.99 is failure. Do you have two tier grading?

Try to stay positive and Good luck!

[Chrono, BSN, RN]

If you make flash cards utilize this system for determining ones to review (though you may want to review them more frequently than the example here)

Leitner system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The act of making flash cards can help as well, or simply writing the information that you need to learn can help.

I also find taking practice exams and reading through the rationale for why the correct answer is correct helps also.

Reading through the lecture power points and actively trying to identify what is likely to be most important, somewhat important, or not important at all can also help with determining what you need to study.

[mbschloss]

ABCs. Airway, Breathing, Circulation & Assess Before Care

Watch out for key phrases, don't chose answers that offer absolutes... always, never. There are no guarantees.

If you have the option to choose something life threatening, that's probably what they want you to suspect... especially in the style of questions where they ask you to triage.

[dandk1997RN, MSN, RN]

I think you've already taken your exam, but a nursing instructor friend taught me to apply ADPIE to my test questions . I didn't have to do it often, but on the questions where I was stumped, it was helpful.