How did I get an A in med/surg and a C in OB??

I just took my first OB exam and got an 84... how is this possible with 92-96s in med/surg!

Any tips, help, websites, studyguides I can use to pull through and get my A in OB???

It's possible in so many ways lol. Some in my school failed med/surg and passed OB with no problem. Some people passed med/surg and failed Peds and OB. And 99% of the people who failed peds and OB were the ones who says, "I will ONLY work PICU, NICU, Nursery, or L&D. My tips are study like it's just another course.

[JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP]

A lot of people in my class had trouble with OB because it was a 5 week summer course with way too much material to cram into that time. I did well only because i had given birth before. Anyone who had been through pregnancy and childbirth did well.

It depends on what you are having trouble on. Are the concepts confusing? If so, do you need to read more, review more, have someone explain it to you? Are the questions tricky? Maternal and Newborn Success has tons of OB questions with rationales that might be useful.

[HyperSaurus, RN, BSN]

Because OB sucks? Lol, no I don't mean that. I'm super excited because I just finished my OB clinicals which was a hit/miss experience.

I'm in a similar position as you..A- in Med/Surg I and B- in OB. To me, it's just uninspiring--OB deals with a very particular population and it's hard for me to get myself in that mindset.

[KeeperMom]

How is an 84 a C?

OB is just not med-surg. It is a totally different animal in my opinion. OB doesn't really have a patho base like MS, Peds does. I think you really have to use the nursing process more in OB than other nursing classes and there is a lot of interventions you have to know and you are putting your critical thinking skills to the test more too.

I personally LOVED OB but I was convinced I wasn't going to even like it a little bit before I started. I didn't study any more or any differently with this class other than to know the interventions. What to do when mom starts having variable contractions, what does the nurse do when she sees the cord coming out, if mom's HR drops after epidural, etc.

If you have access to the Evolve website for case studies, I think those are helpful. The NCLEX-style question on the CD that came with my book were also helpful for studying rationale.

The first test is always the toughest. Now you can learn from how your teacher tests and can hopefully study better for the next test.

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

Because the two specialties are not like each other. Yeah, there's a patho basis that is used for every rotation, but every rotation has it's own special patho, nursing interventions, and medical interventions that makes it different.

If you go into the nursing forums, you'll find that med/surg nurses are not comfortable floating to OB and vice versa. There's a reason for that.

Anecdote: My current preceptor told me a story of an experienced nurse from a high-acuity specialty who decided to switch specialties because she thought it was "easier." My preceptor oriented her for two months, then the experienced-new nurse was on her own. She quit after two weeks because of the stress.

Lesson: Don't make the mistake of thinking that certain specialties are a cakewalk.

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

How is an 84 a C?

Different programs have different grade cut-offs. 75-83 is a C in my program/84-91 is a B, but some programs (like the OPs) have an even smaller range.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, RN]

It's because OB is not med-surg. OB is its own beast.

Or maybe you may have fallen into the "oh I'm female/a mother, so OB is in the bag" trap. Almost everyone in my OB class who struggled or failed were women who figured that the class would be a piece of cake because they were female or once gave birth. They found out after the first test that it took a lot more than firsthand experience to pass

You can get past the class--figure out which areas are giving you grief and focus on them. Good luck!

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

Different programs have different grade cut-offs. 75-83 is a C in my program/84-91 is a B, but some programs (like the OPs) have an even smaller range.

^^^^^^^ this!

B in my program starts at an 85% 84 is a C for

I often found in college that I made less of a grade in courses that weren't as interesting. Although I'm in school for another degree now, I'd lump OB in that category. I don't count on that grade being as high as say pharm or patho, lol. Don't sweat it.

A lot of people in my class had trouble with OB because it was a 5 week summer course with way too much material to cram into that time. I did well only because i had given birth before. Anyone who had been through pregnancy and childbirth did well.

i have to say that i disagree with this way of thinking though, that people who give birth before or people who already have kids are the ones who do better with OB and peds. with our OB test, people did well whether they had children or not. its very frustrating being one of the only ones in class who havent had children before and people telling me that i will have trouble with peds and ob. i did better by a significant amount of points than quite a few people in my class who have given birth multiple times. so there. i just had to vent lol i hope you dont take offense to what im saying at all.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Some people mistakenly believe that med/surg is the "foundation" for all of nursing -- and that if you can do general med/surg, you can do anything. The OP has just learned that is not true.

Each specialty has it's own body of knowledge and skills that must be mastered. Doing well in one specialty provides no guarantee that you'll do well in another.

How is an 84 a C?

Like others my program has a different scale than your usual 90/80/70 etc.

In my program 93-100 is an A. 86-92 a B. And 78-85 is a C. Everything below 78 is failing!

[inProgress]

Thanks everyone for sharring your thoughts. Much appreciated. I found that I understood the concepts better because I previously had a child (w/o complications) and my best friend -who i was pretty much her only support- had been preg and given birth with every complication you could think of. I got the material but after reviewing the test w/ my prof. I realized it was all "picking the best of two answers." I'm going to do more practice/NCLEX questions before the next exam. Thanks again everyone!