Nervous about comps

[becky5438]

I have my comp testing next week, I know my stuff, I have practiced in the lab throughout the semester and probably at least 8 hours outside of class this week. I am just worried that when I get in there I will get nervous and go blank. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to stay calm and focused during the testing. Any ideas on how to say calm beforehand, I know my material it just kills me to know that if I fail comps I fail the semester and as of now I am getting an A in the class. (btw this is my first semester so I don't really know what to expect)

[Kringe38]

What exactly is comps, do you mean final exams? Anyway, if you know your stuff you should be fine. What I have found is just to drill the material for the test or check-off into the GROUND so that you know it so well it will not vanish under stress. You might try looking up some relaxation techniques on the Internet. I suffer from testing stress as well but I have it the worst for check-offs as opposed to written exams. Any time you are starting to get freaked out, take some deep breaths.

[Boog'sCRRN246, RN]

Ahhh I just took mine yesterday. We had 17 skills (of which 3 would be chosen at random) that we had to know and be prepared to perform in front of an instructor. I felt so confident going in. I did well during my med administration and sterile procedure...and then completely blanked doing a respiratory assessment Diaphragmatic excursion, to be exact. I just completely blanked. Luckily, we have a repeat day where we perform the failed skill (or skills) again, in addition to 3 more random skills. As far as remaining calm...take your time, don't forget to breath, and don't be freaked out by anything your instructor says or does. You know this stuff. Just do it as you've been doing it while practicing.

[Zoe*aka*studentnurse]

HI

First of all - good luck:-)

If you know your stuff you'll do fine. I had a osca (clinical exam) a few weeks ago in our final exams of the semester and I was so very nervous - I was actually sick just before I went in - just from nerves. The first few minutes I was a little shaken, but I took a minute to calm my nerves and I ended up doing fantastic. I didn't have to think about the skills, because I knew them inside out, they come back to me and I just did them. I ended up with a high distinction:-)

Good luck Zoe

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

I have no idea what comps are. Sounds like what we would call returns? Ours weren't done all at once they were done through out the semester. They used to be that you had 3 chances to do it right but I guess sitting a number on it freaked so many students out that now there is no limit to our number of chances. We just can't move on to the next skill test until we successfully finish the previous one and we can't do them in clinicals until we pass them. It has never taken anyone more then 2 tries to pass them this semester.

I have SQ and IM injections next week and I am DONE for the semester.

Go over the steps really well in your head and when you are testing tune everything out and just repeat the steps making it just you and your "patient" if you all use dummies.