Nursing Entrance Exam AKA TEAS

[dreamnursing2]

I have been wanting to post this for few weeks now and get it off my chest as i feel that this is the best place to vent about this topic.

I am a mother of 3 children ages 18,13,1. I graduated high school 2 days before giving birth to my first daughter. started CMA program when she was 2 weeks old. worked as a medical assistant for few years and became a lead CMA at a urgent care facility. I was able to move to a different job at a local hospital where i could enhance my patient care skills. it was then when i realized I want and i will become a registered nurse some day. started taking my prerequisites in 2008. working full time with 2 children and managing a household at the same time. there were days i hardly saw my kids. i managed to finish prerequisites and maintain a good GPA. 4 years later while i was going through a divorce i kept going inspite the fact that it took a huge toll on my family, financially and emotionally i did not give up and finish my last class. started applying to multiple programs after 4 years of trying this year i was accepted into a ADN program. words can not describe how happy i was until i took TEAS and failed by 1 point.

my world crashed on me and i could not digest the fact that i could not achieve the minimum cut score to start the program. I have been able to accept the news and move on from it. I WILL NOT give up at this point. fortunately the program that accepted me has remediation options for me to re take the exam next year and start the program next fall.

I guess my frustration comes in when i work side by side with registered nurses who hardly speak any English, those who come from a foreign country with their nursing degree and are able to obtain a state license here. Im not too sure how that even works. If i failed at reading, LA and grammar does that define me as a nurse? am i in wrong to think that its not fair to those of us who have worked so hard to get where we are? does a standardized test define us as a caring devoted nurse? I know many nurses who never took TEAS under the old acceptance requirements and they are absolutely awesome and dedicated nurses. I look up to them and they inspire me everyday.

your comments will not upset me. I am only trying to vent and perhaps someone can shed some light on my feelings.