Test Anxiety!!

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Well, only four more days until the big Med/Surg certification exam......I swear, I'm more nervous about this thing than I was the NCLEX!! Back when I took the boards, I'd been in school for four years and was used to studying and taking tests; but not having set foot in a classroom in over seven years, I'm definitely out of the habit, and I've gotta admit I haven't studied much since signing up for this thing 6 months ago. :o

Evidently I'm not the only one---almost none of the other 20 nurses taking the exam (including both of our nurse managers!) feels they've prepared adequately. On top of that, several of us are taking a parish-nursing course at the local community college over the next 3 days, and then we've got JCAHO coming in bright and early Monday morning........Stress? WHAT stress?! :uhoh3:

Although this test doesn't mean the difference between being able to make a living and waiting tables at the local Denny's until we can retake it, in a way it's a matter of honor......we all are afraid of failing and embarrassing ourselves in front of our colleagues (our poor managers---I can just imagine how THEY feel!!), plus it means a little extra prestige, a new title, and a $0.50 an hour pay raise, which---when the hospital is offering us only a 1% wage increase in January :angryfire--- is not to be sneezed at.

But then, I look at all the reading materials we were given.......300 pages of dry, uninteresting text that brings back baaaaaaaad memories of nursing school.......and all I want to do is sleep, or go play on the computer, or hit myself in the head with a hammer, ANYTHING but read. Going through the chapter on fluid & electrolytes (one of my admittedly weaker areas) felt like slogging through quicksand---I even nodded off in the middle of it!

So I've been trying frantically to cram as much as I can of the IV solutions, meds, treatments etc. that I deal with on a regular basis into my memory bank, and even asking MDs for their rationales when they order something I'm not as familiar with. I mean, I know my job pretty well, and I understand the logic used in many cases, but after you've done it for awhile you kind of go on auto-pilot and just do whatever is needed because you HAVE done it for so long. And yet I really would like to pass this exam, as I'm a hell of a good med/surg nurse and holding a national certification would demonstrate my expertise in the eyes of the world, as well as my fellow RNs.

So, please wish me luck.....I'm gonna need all of that I can get!! :uhoh21:

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marla,

i am not saying this to be nice, because you know i'm not a nice person. :rolleyes:

but i know you will pass w/flying colors.

much of the test is based on what you do qd, and you are the type that needs to understand the what's and the why's, even if it is on auto pilot.

i just don't see you as a stepford nurse, that does what she's told.

and i feel confident that you will be reporting back to us, that it was easier than expected.

it's just that darned anticipation, that's all.

have any ativan at home?

with love,

leslie xo

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Oh, yes, Ativan........I never leave home without it :chuckle

Thanks for the encouragement, Sis!!

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Oh, yes, Ativan........I never leave home without it :chuckle

Thanks for the encouragement, Sis!!

excuse me, but is your pumpkin vomiting?

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
excuse me, but is your pumpkin vomiting?

Yup......

:rotfl:

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Yup......

:rotfl:

evidentally your anxiety is contagious. :rotfl:

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
evidentally your anxiety is contagious. :rotfl:

Yeah, and the worst thing is, we have to be there at the testing site at SEVEN-THIRTY IN THE MORNING. I'm not even usually awake at that hour, let alone sufficiently caffeinated to clear the cobwebs out of my brain and be able to state my name, rank and serial number! So I'm definitely at a disadvantage........thanks for your confidence in me though. :)

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

(((((((((((((((((((((Marla))))))))))))))))))))))))))

you will sail thru it!

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Thanks Deb.........although to be absolutely truthful, I'm not too concerned about getting through the test. I'm only worried about PASSING it! :chuckle

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

that was what i meant by sailing thru....you will pass, no doubt.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

What are you doing on the computer when you should be studying?????

You'll do fine. You can miss a lot of questions and still pass. I think you need only 70% or some nice low number like that, so it's not that bad. I actually have passed it twice after letting it expire once.

Good luck!

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Thanks, Tweets........that's what I've heard too, even though that seems pretty mediocre. I was going through the practice questions last night, and there were more critical-care topics than I would think are proper for a med/surg certification test; I mean, who the heck does nitroprusside drips on a medical floor?? (Fortunately, I have dealt with titratable drips in the ICU recently, so I do know something about them, but good grief, I work in a small community hospital.....we don't even do insulin gtts on the floor.)

As to what I'm doing on the 'puter when I should be studying......dang, ya caught me. :imbar

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