Never failed anything, until today...

nervousnurse, ASN · Jun 5, 2010

awww......easy for me to say this, but PLEASE try not to be so hard on yourself!!! (((hugs))) :)

Yes, I did fail ACLS (not the written, but the hands-on part) and I was VERY embarrassed, but then I realized I'm only human, and who CARES if anyone gossipped about it. I KNEW the material and I KNEW what to do, I was just very nervous from the pressure of having to bark out orders in front of my peers. The instructor was SO patient and let me try a few times, but ended up having to fail me.

A week later, we re-did all the hands-on, I did fine, and my SWEET boss gave me a hug! (I hope your boss is as nice as mine was ---she's gone now, and WOW, do we miss her!)

caliotter3 · Jun 5, 2010

Thank goodness it wasn't a nursing school course or physiology or anatomy! Study up on the material and get it next time. You will be ok.

mamamerlee, LPN · Jun 5, 2010

I completely empathize with you. But you didn't waste anything, and you can retake the test. Take a deep breath, sign up for the retake ASAP, and plan out your study sessions. Is there someone else you know that has taken this course that might assist you in your studies?

Best wishes!

Zookeeper3 · Jun 5, 2010

no, while I've never been through that, I take ACLS and it is quite the challenge. know that you can retest and recert and be fine. You'll be ok, just review and not let those questions get the best of you.

tokmom, BSN, RN · Jun 5, 2010

Yeah a few times and one I still have yet to get the score my hospital wants on a cardiac test. I'm not a test taker. I tend to go into panic mode when paper is in front of me. However, I'm the opposite when it comes to the real deal. I can read strips just fine, and I don't do a freak out when someone crashes. Just put a test in front of me and I will usually not pass it the first time, when I'm really anxious. Stupid, I know...but it's just me.

Thankfully, I did pass the ACLS (the first time, lol) but my poor gut hurt so bad from the stress of the test, even though I KNEW the material.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Bone up on the parts you thought you were weak in and try again. You'll do fine.

llg, PhD, RN · Jun 5, 2010

I can understand your embarrassment. I would feel the same way (and have felt that way on ocassion). However, please don't consider the experience a "waste of money." It may be one of the best educational investment you ever made.

We don't learn as much when we take courses that are easy -- and we already know the material before we start. We have the opportunity to learn more when we take courses that are at the outer edges of our abilities and we have to work hard to master the material. You have the opportunity to learn not only about trauma nursing from this course ... but also a lot about yourself, how to study better, etc. from this experience.

In my PhD program, I only got one "B+" on a paper. The rest were "A's". But that one became the key to my dissertation topic because it showed me that there was a problem/question there that I couldn't answer -- and that I needed to study it more in order to fully understand my area of interest. Today, many years later, I teach a course related to that topic (theory) in part because I find it intriquing and difficult to master -- and difficult full students to fully understand and apply. That challenge for our profession first appeared to me as that paper in paper in grad school that I struggled with.

It's often the challenges in life that eventually lead to our highest achievements. Be grateful that you have found something that challenges you ... something that will force you to grow in both your professional knowledge and life wisdom. Those can be the most valuable life experiences in the long run.

As the philosopher Nietche said, "That which doesn't kill me makes me stronger." Use this to become stronger and be happy.

TDCHIM · Jun 5, 2010

I am normally a phenomenal test-taker (talk about a useless skill in the everyday world!), but I ran up against a class in which the tests were so tough it nearly wrecked me this year. The awful thing was, it was a basic class (anatomy and physiology I, for heaven's sake!) and I genuinely knew the material. However, I take a medication that interferes with my memory and word recall (gabapentin's nasty like that for some people), and that hurt me terribly early on in the class. I just couldn't seem to "pull up" the images of details in my memory during the tests. I ended up with a low B on the first test and my first C on a college test ever on the second one. I cried from frustration.

Even though I was utterly humiliated and discouraged, the low scores turned out to be a good thing. I had to force myself to find different studying methods (for instance, I had to talk while reading the chapters so that I would hear the material as well as have it locked into my visual memory) so that the material would stay with me. It took a little while to find a good combination of study modalities to circumvent the drug's effects, but I threw myself into it heart and soul because I was determined not to embarrass myself. From that awful beginning, I managed to pull off an A- in the class. More importantly, though, the material is firmly lodged in my mind and I figured out an effective studying method.

The point of all this rambling is that I truly value that material much more than I would have if I hadn't needed to fight so hard to completely memorize and master it. You may well find that this material will stay with you and mean more to you because of the difficulty you had with that test. Remember, there is no wasted effort unless you allow your effort to go to waste. Use the experience to make yourself stronger and better as a professional. I wish you the best of luck!

healthstar, BSN, RN · Jun 5, 2010

Sorry folks, I bet a lot of people on this board will share the same sentiment with me.
I thought it would never happen to me but it's actually eating at me so bad that I can't sleep....
I have never failed any test in my career so far and have been out of nursing school for approximately a year now..
This past 3 days I took a course called TNATC, which is an advanced course for trauma nursing.
Set up is very similar with ACLS, with class time and lab practicals, we even did a cadaver lab!
I passed the practical but failed the written test by 2 questions, made a 76 instead of an 80 to pass.
Granted, I can take the test again in a month to get my card but I just can't help but feel embarrassed and a waste of money...
anyone have any similar experience..?
thanks for listening guys..

Oh honey you are not alone out there, I have never failed anything until last semester which I failed an ATI test ( thank God we had 2 tries)not because I am dumb or anything but I misunderstand the question or I go way in detail. It's okay because most people have experienced failure and you are not the only one, and failure prepares you for success. I was crying and crying like crazy,and I was embarrassed to go and talk to the professor to take the test for the 2nd time. Just don't give up, you can do it.

Meema, LPN · Jun 5, 2010

I know exactly how you feel... I almost failed out of Nursing school because I freaked out on test day. I was talking to my doctor about my test anxiety and he recommended taking Propranolol 1 hour before a test (it relaxes you). I tried it and OMG it really worked.

I had to take ACLS training last month and I passed the written just fine but when I got to the "hands on" part, I froze after about 2 minutes. I stood there for about a minute (it seemed like forever!) and then the word "pace" came to my mind. Once I realized that I needed to put the pt on a pacer... it all started coming back to me. I thought for sure I was going to fail. My instructor says that if you don't get a little nervous when your put in that situation you very well could make a mistake. When you step back and think things through, your more likely to figure out what needs to be done. There was a nurse on my floor that didn't pass the first time too. She retook her test with me and she did good. I guess what i'm trying to say is, you should just try and take it again. Maybe ask if you can be in the room by yourself or with one other person. When your in that situation for a real code, you will know what needs to be done. Dont be so hard on yourself.