I have run into a wall

[warmhearted755]

hi everyone,

only 4 more months left to rn school. i love what i am doing and really want to become a nurse. i have done fair in class. our school requires a 76% to pass and it can be very difficult at times. clinical has gone well for me. i always liked my instructors and learned alot. now, i am in critical care and for the first time i just don't like clinical! i have been doing care plans for 6 clinical rotations and never had any major problems. on the day that we took our ecg test, we had to go to clinical prep after the test. this was the hardest test i ever took. the average grade was an 81%. i failed. when i got to clinical, my instructor gave me a learning contract saying i dont know how to write a care plan and then proceeded to tell me i was going to kill someone. i cried and quit.

i do not want to give up but, i cannot go back there.

i am thinking of being an lpn just so i do not have to do critical care.

any suggestions?

warmhearted755

[adamsmom]

I am sooooo sorry, I don't have any suggestions but I can tell you alittle of my story. I too struggle with grades I am in my last semester. This is my 2nd career and before I decided to be a nurse I had never stepped foot onto a college campus so I went from the ground up at the age of 40 with 2 kids and work on the weekends as an cna. It has been very tough. Last semester I had a clinical instructor rip me apart. She liked my paperwork but said that I will have to be one of those student that has to be kicked out of the nest. I do get anxious at times and ask many questions. She made me feel inadequate and I have her for my last clinical day. So I know what it is like to be ripped by an instructor but I decided to keep going till they officially kick me out. I am very afraid that if I do graduate that I won't pass NCLEX the first time but I know I will eventually pass it.

You have to make the decision on what to do. I always tell people you have to want it bad enough to be able to put up with everything.

Good luck on your decision.

[catlvr]

Critical care is one area of nursing...if you can do what is needed to pass the class, you will not have to face it again unless you *chose* to enter critical care. Stick with nursing - there are many other areas where you can focus your energy and shine, but you can't get there unless you get thru this course. You've made it this far, so I know that you can do it!

There is nothing wrong with being and LPN (I am one myself), but if you only have four months remaining to become an RN - keep the faith and do it.

Adam's Mom - that attitude of "kicking one out of the nest" is one that keeps me from going for an RN. I'm the same age as you, and have over 20 years of work/life experience. I think that I am a better judge of my strengths and weaknesses than an instructor who has only known me for a few years. I'm considering an online degree, just because I really don't want to go back to the belittling that seems to be a part of so many nursing schools. I was fortunate to have a few really terrific teachers who balanced out those who were quite the opposite. My hat is off to you for continuing your education, and wish you the very best!

e

[wonderbee, BSN, RN]

I'm sorry you had to be subjected to that statement by your instructor. Reading strips is not an easy skill to master. Unless you're going into critical care or tele, if you can just recognize the basics you are doing ok.

Care plans are generally computer generated now with a few exceptions, so writing them is not such a big concern. It is important to be able to think a care plan and carry it through using the nursing process. You probably do it in your clinical without even realizing it.

Don't lose heart. Just get through school and graduate. You're almost there. Your real education begins after graduation.