Just want to vent. Starting to get really discouraged :(

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Hi all!

I've been an nursing assistant for 3 years (2 at LTC, and 1 on a med surg floor). I love the health field. I have taken all my generals and completed my first clinical rotation in college. I'm in my second semester now and failing :(.

I spend hours reading over the info trying to make sure I understand it (not just memorize it). Then when test time comes about 1/4 of the test questions are on things we never discussed. All of my test scores have been 79s, 80s, & 81s. You need an 82% to pass. I went from a 4.0 student to failing student.

We started with 60 students in first semester. We are down to about 30 now. The semester is not over yet. We have 2 weeks left, but only about 5 are actually passing with decent scores. About 10 are really close to failing (like 83-85%) and the rest of us our failing.

Is all nursing schools like this? What has your experience been like?

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Hey. Sorry you feel discouraged. Nursing school is definitely hard. I am on my second semester and its just getting harder. I usually manage to study the night before a test and do well, but this semester its been difficult. Definitely understanding the material and not memorizing is good, and my teachers do the same thing, they go over power points and then the exams are super hard. What you need to do is read the chapters for the test directly from the book, make outlines, flashcards or whatever helps your memory. You still have time to at least pass the class if you apply yourself and really study. Like everyday for a long time. Take breaks but get back into it. Good luck

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Specializes in Tele.

My last semester was like that. I struggled the entire semester and it finally came down to the final which I passed but missed passing the semester by 4 points...so lucky me is taking it over.

My advice is first calm down and take a deep breath. Stop worrying about your 4.0 status, it's of no concern right now. Can you go over your tests with your instructor? Are you applying the knowledge and using critical thinking? Knowing is not enough. Get a tutor, ask your advisor, find help. You cannot be too far down there from your tests scores. Go over NCLEX books too so you can see how to apply the info to critical thinking.

Good luck!!

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One thing that I learned is that I could not study the same way in nursing school as I did in pre-reqs. If something isn't working then you need to change it up and try something different.

Google "Active" learning there are some great suggestions. Also, try getting a case study book. They really help understand the big picture.

Good luck... hang in there

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Do not get discouraged at all!! I failed a nursing class. I had retake the whole thing over again too. I am not saying you will do that, but if you do, does not mean you cannot be an RN. I promise you. My program has said that there has been students who fail one time, and they are so successful through the program the rest of the time. I can honestly say it has affected me that way. I am in a BSN program, so our grading scale is way different. Honestly sounds like yours is harder! We have to have a 77% to pass. Yes, I made below a 77 in a class. I practically made all A's in every pre req. It was absolutely devastating for me but just to prove to you how much more successful I was is this: I failed adult health I. I came back retook it and made an 86 in the class. Second semester, I took adult health II and made a whopping 92 in the class, and a 93 in mental health. I do not want you to fail at all!! And I believe you can make it happen, but if you did, you'll be shocked at how much it helps you. Have you tried a group study? or reading aloud? Tape recording yourself? Use and NCLEX book! It helped me a lot. Look at your tests. See what you are missing. Usually there is some sort of pattern! Good luck!!

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I was never a very good reading study-er. Even after getting an AA I still never learned how to study till last semester.

Here is what works for me.

When you are reading, build your own study guide, it's a bit time consuming but it really helps. You can google how to write your own study guide. It can be as simple as just summarizing each page. I feel like, by typing out summaries and study guides it really forces me to understand the information. If you can explain the material to someone else, you know it pretty well.

Just plain reading books wont help me retain anything. & depending how much time you have. Turn your study guides into notecards on studyblue.

Keep at it!

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So this may sound crazy but talk to yourself. Seriously, I mean act like you are going to teach someone what you know or find someone to teach. Start by verbalizing what you know then think of some questions that someone may ask you and if you don't know look it up then teach some more. I have always felt the best way to learn is by teaching because it uses verbal, visual, and interactive/cognitive thinking.

For example: CHF is the loss of the ability of the heart to pump blood. Why? Various reasons including MI, HTN, bottom line the heart has had to work too hard, S/S well class that depends on the side of the heart that is affected. Right - generalized edema Why? because there is a back up of blood due to the decreased ability of the heart to pump so it accumulates in the body. Left - SHOB, orthopnea, pulmonary edema, and right sided failure too. Why - because the blood is now backing up into the lungs and they are literally drowning. There is just not enough pressure (due to decreased muscle strength) to adequately empty the heart (low BP).

Also relate the body to things that you know. Again, with CHF, a failing water system - someone threw a cheeseburger in a well (clogged arteries leading to MI). The cheeseburger went into the pipes and got stuck blocking some water but the pumps know that more water must go through them so they continue to pump harder (HTN) to get more water then the cheeseburger is dislodged or someone removes it (cardiac cath). Well the first pump (right side) is tired after all that and burnt out so it quits. Well eventually the pipes get full and the well is overflowing even though the other pump (left side) is working hard to get all this water circulating because now its doing the work of two pumps! It can't possibly keep up because it wasn't designed to pump that much water. So the water backs up into the well, into the pipe, into the first pump, and into the pipe between the two pumps and now you have a problem. The pump will work but will eventually get tired to from working two jobs and it too will quit. There are quite a few other components involved with CHF but you understand the concept and how it is a chain reaction. Many systems and functions of the human body can be likened to other things that we know and use daily and it makes it much easier for me to learn that way.

Just an FYI I taught myself this way through school and I was one of the top students in the class and passed NCLEX on 75 questions in 45 minutes or so. Good Luck!

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What is failing at your school? 80%? That is really unfair. Our school has it a 77% for failing. What I would recommend you do is start asking the teacher and any adviser in the college for help. Ask for study tips, advice, to go over the lecture material.

Instead of spending so much reading the material, read it once and then go through it again with an outline. Then reread it, then read your outline, then go through again and see if you think anything else should be added to the outline. Then I recommend reading another book that has a similar topic if you still are doing a topic approach to nursing school (like studying cardiac this week and then next week it is neurological disorders, etc). Then doing several practice tests with rationales.

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Specializes in Tele.
What is failing at your school? 80%? That is really unfair. Our school has it a 77% for failing. What I would recommend you do is start asking the teacher and any adviser in the college for help. Ask for study tips, advice, to go over the lecture material.

Gawd I wish ours was 77%...our is 79 and I got a 78...that 77 would have been nice, hehe. OP said theirs is 82. That's brutal.

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What is failing at your school? 80%? That is really unfair.

80 is failing at my school as well. Anyone who is 75-79 is placed on academic probation and is required to remediate with a professor for 3 hours a week, until the grade is brought up. Class average on our exams is 82%, so a lot of my classmates are in hot water after every test, but my professors really want students to succeed. I would definitely speak to them!

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I just finished in May and can tell you that studying for nursing school is not the same as "regular" classes that you've taken before. Try doing a lot of practice NCLEX questions for review. There are resources online with practice questions. Not sure of your program and the books that you use but we had questions in our books as well as access to our books online and the online format had a lot of questions. I also went in with a 4.0 and struggled 3rd semester. The test questions helped a lot. Having a study partner to go over the questions with helped and having the rationale to read was what really helped. With our program you needed an 92% on tests for an A. Good luck and keep at it. Also, if there are particular concepts that you are having trouble with, try checking out you tube. There are videos that give you pointers on how to remember stuff.

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OP, wow. My school has an extremely low attrition rate-- if we are getting even a C in a class we're supposed to talk to our academic advisor to make sure we stay on track.

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