I'm FAILING!!!

[Mhays]

Thank you for your post. I really appreciate your willingness to share with others. That takes a lot of courage. The first that you should probably do is to breath. I can relate in that I have studied for many things in my life and did not do well, but the one thing that I had forgotten to do is to breath deeply when the shock happens. I got all tense and then I got sick. So, breathing deeply is a mechanism that will help you to reduce the shock some. Also, I would encourage meditating with some soft music and think of a calm place that you would like to go to. Next, I would think of your studying strategies and see what works best. I would do some research on how to study and see if they match what you have been doing previously. When I study, I study in small chunks and the break afterwards. I would also do the online tutorials which act like the real test. Getting a tutor is a wonderful idea and a great asset to you. Being open with your professor is another great way to communicate your concerns about your grades and also about your progress. You are doing a great job of figuring everything out. I wish you the best and thank you for choosing nursing as your profession. Marcy CNA

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

If you've not done so already, please consider promptly meeting with your professor to go over the test along with the rationales for the right answer(s) vs. the answer(s) you selected. This is critical, and will be more valuable than meeting with the tutor (which is still a great idea).

I do like Saunders, but I find Saunder's to be more content than having a reasonable amount of hard NCLEX questions. I do recommend Lippincott's Q&A for the NCLEX Review for a good source of NCLEX questions as well as David's Success series for the topics involved.

My typical for content review is the class book followed by the associated ATI book with Saunder's last if I don't understand the content.

Don't give up; do well.

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

this is the book that I used throughout my whole LPN program and I probably failed like 3 or 4 tests in the whole program.

because I used it throughout my whole LPN program instead of the one for class and never had an issue.

I guess I have a different definition of "never had an issue".

[cocoa_puff]

While I did use Saunders during nursing school, I only used it as a review after I had already read the assigned chapters in my textbook and the powerpoints from class. I spent a majority of my time reading and re-reading the chapters in my textbook, taking notes from the book, and doing practice questions from PrepU (came with my assigned textbook). The week before the test, I would look over all the chapters that would be on the test, focusing on the tables and what I had underlined previously. This is a breakdown of how I would study (let's say the test is on Monday, and the test covers chapters 6, 23, 11, 17, 14, and 9):

Monday (the week before the test): Re-read chapter 6, study powerpoints from that class, do practice questions on chapter 6

Tuesday: Re-read chapter 23 and 11, study ppt from that class, practice questions for chapter 23 and 11.

Wednesday: Re-read ch. 17 and 14, study ppt, practice questions for ch 17 and 14.

Thursday: Re-read ch. 9, study ppt, practice questions for ch. 9

Friday, Saturday: Review all notes, study the tables again in each chapter, and review Saunders for those topics (say - Renal, Cardiac, and GI), I usually break it into two parts, one for each day.

Sunday: Review anything that is left, do practice questions for ALL the chapters. With PrepU, you can combine all the chapters you want into one big quiz. I usually did anywhere from 200 to 400 questions per test. Take the night off early before a test, do something relaxing to de-stress.

Monday: TEST!

That is how I studied in nursing school, mainly for Nursing 101 and Med Surg I, after that I just studied whenever I could! It worked for me, I graduated at the top of my class. Best of luck to you!

[NurseMeg315]

This can happen in Med Surg. You won't be the last and certainly aren't the first. Bc you have already been through the LPN, you know you have the basis, this is simply an adjustment you must make. My first suggestion is making an outline of "key points." Break it up by dz, sx, nursing care and tx. These outlines can serve as a guide for all nursing classes . Next, learn this outline while reading along side the book if time permits. Finally and perhaps most essential : answer questions . I suggest as they said above: med surg success. Once you used up all those questions, try Saunders RN edition and go according to subject . You can and will do This ! Head up

[BeachsideRN, ASN]

I guess I have a different definition of "never had an issue".

Hahah I had the same thought.

[crazin01]

Hahah I had the same thought.

also my first thought, but I felt b*&$#y thinking it. Glad it wasn't just me...

I agree with others: take advantage of the tutorial services available. Meet with your instructors, regularly if necessary; most are genuinely invested in your success. Don't use an NCLEX book as a primary method to prepare for tests in nursing school.

Make sure you thoroughly understand the pathophys and disease processes/meds & mechanisms of actions, etc. Then it's not memorizing things to forget & re-memorize for NCLEX, but rather understanding & making so many later aspects easier to grasp, because you're just building upon your knowledge base.

I'd worry about studying for the NCLEX when you get to that bridge; finish school first. Good luck!

[mrphil79]

I'm sorry - you're using all of these study books, but it hasn't occurred to you to use the TEXTBOOK your instructor is using?

And on top of that, you're using NCLEX prep books to try to pass an individual class?? It is seriously no shock that you are failing - you've pretty much earned it here.

And you think failing 3-4 tests using this same method to earn your LPN means you never had an issue?

I really really hope I never wake up in a hospital with you as my nurse...

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

I'm sorry - you're using all of these study books, but it hasn't occurred to you to use the TEXTBOOK your instructor is using?

And on top of that, you're using NCLEX prep books to try to pass an individual class?? It is seriously no shock that you are failing - you've pretty much earned it here.

And you think failing 3-4 tests using this same method to earn your LPN means you never had an issue?

I really really hope I never wake up in a hospital with you as my nurse...

What??? Many, many, people fail tests in nursing school throughout their programs. Many. She passed her boards. That's the biggie.

She is simply using the wrong materials to study. Are you in nursing school. I'm guessing if you don't want any nurses to take care of you who have failed a nursing school test, you are in trouble my friend. Lots of trouble because you may not find too many people to care for you. If I'm dying, I'll take the last census professional. And I won't ask how many tests they failed while in nursing school.

[NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN]

I recently graduated for my LPN to RN bridge program. A big difference I noticed between the two programs with theory for med/surg (other than it being a lot more in depth) is that the questions require a much deeper level of clinical thinking. I remember studying information so that I knew what it was, but also knowing how to apply it so that when I got the test question I would be able to analyze each situation that we would be given and chose the answer that was 'the highest priority' in relation to the question.

I did not like Saunders for studying for class or for the boards. I found the information to be to basic in the book and not a good tool for the kind of questions that we would get in class. Some other students swore by it, but I was not one of those students.

I killed myself by actually reading the entire textbook chapters that were covered. The test was coming from the book so I bit the bullet and read it. I did not do this my first test and I got an 80%....I don't get 80s. If I got a 92, I was having a bad day. So, I decided to read the book. I noticed that the questions seemed to come from the areas that were emphasized in the book. We had NCLEX challenges, yellow boxes, critical items boxes.....most of the questions seemed to come from these items...a lot of these items were important on the NCLEX. So, after putting myself in a coma from reading the chapters I would go back and focus on the boxes and the text pertaining to those boxes. I even went so far as to outline some notes in regards to them to study. Tedious, yes. Time consuming? Definitely. But I passed nursing school and the NCLEX and I wouldn't have done so well if I didn't do what I described above.

You'll figure out what works for you. One low score will not fail you, it just takes some time to pick it back up and do better the next time

[AngelKissed857, BSN, RN]

Are you also studying from the lecture? Our instructors always seem to have specific focuses in their lectures, and I've learned to dial into those when I study. I have a couple instructors who will tell a story to illustrate a point, and I can count on their being a question about that specific issue. Are you doing the assigned reading as well?

[mrphil79]

What??? Many, many, people fail tests in nursing school throughout their programs. Many. She passed her boards. That's the biggie.

She is simply using the wrong materials to study. Are you in nursing school. I'm guessing if you don't want any nurses to take care of you who have failed a nursing school test, you are in trouble my friend. Lots of trouble because you may not find too many people to care for you. If I'm dying, I'll take the last census professional. And I won't ask how many tests they failed while in nursing school.

The point isn't that she failed a test or two. It's that she is using the very wrong materials and defines failing 4 tests as not having an issue at all.

I've known many people fail a couple of tests in nursing school - I've not known ANY who have done so and then said they "didn't have an issue." They all freaked out an threw themselves into high gear to do better the next time around.

She is knowingly using the absolute wrong study materials, somehow is completely shocked and stunned that she got pretty much the same results on this test as she did at least 4 LPN tests...

She didn't once mention the TEXTBOOK, study groups, etc...

It's not that she failed a few tests that makes me never want her as my nurse - it's the fact that she so thoroughly EARNED a failing grade by making really strange choices, and then was actually shocked by the inevitable results.

And the real kicker that really throws this whole situation over the edge:

"I just can't pinpoint what I did wrong"?!?!

Are you kidding?!

I can't NOT see things she's doing wrong - and reading through the comments, I'm not exactly the only one.