Tired of Being Perfect!!

[Rylee2008, ASN, RN]

Today I took my dose calc. test and we need 100% to pass. I'm in my 3rd semester and on all my other dose calc. tests I received 100% on the first try. Well today I took my test and I got one wrong. The one I got wrong was a trick question containing a lot of extra things in it we didn't need. I did have the right answer and then changed it. I'm so mad at myself because now I have to retake the test which is a different one and I also have 3 other tests next week. I'm just so stressed and mad at myself. In skills we also only get two tries and if we fail a skill your out of the program. For our dose calc. test we get three tries, but our grade drops each time we take it. I just hate the feeling that at anytime I can be dismissed from the program when I'm doing nothing but studying all the time. It's just so tiring trying to be perfect all the time. Does anyone else feel this way?

[Aurora77]

It's stressful. I'm only in my second full week and I'm feeling the stress. One of my teachers said something that really made it all make sense. She was talking about our school's tardy/absence policy--we can be late 5 times in the next year, the 6th time, we're out of the program. She put in context by telling us that if we're tardy in the hospital, someone can die.

That really made me think about what it is we're doing here. We're being educated so that we're able to handle the pressure of having another human being's well being and his or her life in our hands. We're only human, we'll all make mistakes, but we have to strive for perfection. If we make a mistake, someone can die. So, sure, it's a quiz, or a skills test, but in real life it's a real person relying on us.

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

We have the 100% 3 strikes for our Dosage and Calc as well. Having to take advantage of that 2nd or 3rd time though has no effect on our grade. I am not to stressed about it though because our math teacher said she has not had ONE student that passed her class not pass the test within the 3 tries.

We take her for Dosage and Calc and we have exams and quizzes and stuff in her class but we take the actual D&C test that has to be passed by 100% at the end of our Fundamentals class and then each semester after that.

As far as skills my school is trying something new this semester. We don't have a # of tries anymore but we can't move on to certain skills until we have passed one prior and by the end of the semester we have to have shown profiency in all of them. Also we can get check off's in open lab which we have weekly and deeper into the semester they move to twice a week, that way we aren't under the pressure of everyone watching. So if we are in open lab and want to show the instructor she will check it off then.

[wife&mommyRN]

Aurora77,

That is an excellent perspective to take. I completely agree, we are often so concerned w/ whats happening to us we never think that they are truly preparing us to care for someones life.

[JennNJ83]

Aurora77,

That is an excellent perspective to take. I completely agree, we are often so concerned w/ whats happening to us we never think that they are truly preparing us to care for someones life.

well put

[Acosmo27]

i feel you... my program is 6 semesters and each semester we have to take a drug calc quiz in which we have to earn 100%.. its always a stressful time, but the nature of the game. Study up, and rock your next test.. dont dwell on it to much or it may hinder your confidence... you now know what you need to work on. Study up and good luck! Im sure that you will earn that 100%!

[Rylee2008, ASN, RN]

Thanks for all great advice. I think I just stressed myself out. My mother also gave me a good word of advice that it's better to make this mistake on a test than on a patient. She told me you know what you did wrong, fix it. I just need to stay positive and quit being too harsh on myself.