Getting Discourage :( Help please

[pedcancersurvivor89]

Hello Everyone,

I'm in my 1st year of nursing school and I'm beginning to get discouraged already:cry:. I received A's and B's on all my pre-reqs. So far I've gotten an 88, 80, and 78 on my unit tests. We need an 80% overall to pass the class and I'm not sure I have what it takes. I studied hard for the last test and received a 78-the lowest grade of all! I'm beginning to get so discouraged. I don't know what to do. Maybe I'm just not cut out for this. I don't wanna come all this way and fail, but if I can't make high grades on tests now what will happen when I'm in my 2nd year. Talking to my peers just makes me feel worse because I feel they all complain about their grades and they are making A's and B's. Makes me feel as if I'm not up to par with them. When I express my concerns to family or friends they say maybe its not for you or maybe you don't want it..This is making me question and doubt myself. I was sure this is what I wanted..how do I determine if it is what I want? Or has the low score just altered my view?? Someone please help . Any study advice or general tips and advice is greatly needed.

[eva123]

Generally, everyone has a bad test now and then. You have to learn to pick yourself up and not beat yourself up so much. Look at your study habits and learning methods and go from there. Try talking to instructor about the test and tips, ask peers about a study group, try nursing mnemonics, and try online study guides and materials that should come with your books. If this is really what you want then don't give up, fight for it and learn from your mistakes. Tip on tests: use the nursing process (ADPIE), and ABCs are also the mostly likely to be assessed first. Try covering up the answers to choose from and form a guess from the question before you look at them.

[Home run]

Hello Everyone,

. I studied hard for the last test and received a 78-the lowest grade of all! I'm beginning to get so discouraged. I don't know what to do. Maybe I'm just not cut out for this. I don't wanna come all this way and fail, but if I can't make high grades on tests now what will happen when I'm in my 2nd year. .

I was in a similar situation the first year and freaked out too. Then I began studying as a "nurse" rather than to pass the test. Ask yourself, "how does this material relate to my ability to take care of a patient?" Rather than just trying to memorize. For example, if the topic is about a disease process, I make notes into the following categories: 1) BRIEF A&P behind the disease process 2) signs/symptoms/clinical manifestations, including labs/diagnostics 3) interventions/meds 4) teaching/prevention. It helps put everything into "big picture" perspective. Sometimes it might help to use the "ADPIE" method of note taking too.

Example, in CHF, 1) the heart pumps in effectively, therefore blood doesn't circulate well and fluids back up. 2)Because of this, I would expect to see edema, and SOB and likely hear rhonchi. BNP may be elevated because fluid overload stretches the LV, and ejection fraction on echo may be low. 3) To fix this, I could expect an order to diurese the patient with Lasix and sometimes fluid restrictions. 4)I would want my patient to eat a low salt diet to minimize fluid retention and would tell the patient to monitor weight daily.

Hang in there, once you get into your groove it will come easier...