One of the biggest things I'm always asked to do is to talk about nursing school some more. Apparently, even to those of you that aren't in nursing school, you like to hear about it.
This can get kind of hard to do. I'll be honest. Nursing school is difficult, makes you have nervous breakdowns, causes you to gain 15 lbs a semester from eating junk and to be honest...we kind of think it's boring to non-nurses.
I have evidence of this fact. I can't tell you how many times I'll be laughing at something and Cody will ask me what it is. When I tell him, he just gives me this look like "Tell your nursing school friends." Or we'll be eating dinner and I know when I've crossed the line into narsty when he puts down his fork and just sits patiently for me to realize it. Oops, sorry hun!
Another problem is that there are so many privacy laws! It's hard to know what's okay and what's not, so I just don't post at all.
But, when Anna from The Days When I'm Not a Nurse asked me to cohost a nursing link up once a month, I jumped at it.
Why? A, I can get you guys some nursing stories and B, I'll have someone else to come up with topics for me.
Like this one. The first test day.
I seriously remember this test like it was yesterday. It was in Pathophysiology. It was the hardest "first semester" class (When I refer to semesters, I mean semesters in actual nursing school, this was my 5th semester of college) and they scheduled it to be the very first test. Aren't they sweet?
Anyway. So, I started studying the week before the test. We had four lectures on the test, so I divided them up. I did one lecture a day and then for two days, I quizzed myself with the literally hundreds of flash cards I had made.
The day of the test, I was a ball of nerves. At our school, they divide our entire class (At the time it was 170, we're now down to 80) into two groups and you all go in at the same time and leave at the same time so no one can give away any of the questions to other students.
We are practically patted down when we walk in to avoid cheating.
Before the test has to be the most nerve wracking. Some students are frantically studying, others are just sitting, staring off into space. No matter what, you will hear something that you don't know.
No matter how much you study. This will happen. I promise.
And you freak. Cue the anxiety attack.
So you are finally allowed into the room and are assigned a number and checked off. You go and log on the computer and wait for them to give you the password.
50 questions. 60 minutes. 1 question at a time. No going backwards or forwards.
You have to answer each question as they come up. This was devastating to someone like me because I used to go over the whole test, answer the easy questions and then work my way through the hard ones.
So you sit and all you hear is clicking all around you (because you haven't figured out you are allowed ear plugs) and the lawn mower or the band outside.
You finish your test and have to stare at the wall because you still have 20 minutes left.
Guys, maybe this is the worst part. You start to count in your head how many you got wrong. Oh crap, panic time. You start to realize which ones you made a stupid mistake on and hate yourself for not realizing it when the question was there, but there were still so many more questions to get through!
When the hour is over, your score and all the ones you missed pop up on the screen. You have to sit in silence as you see your page scroll further and further down.
After the test, you are led through a certain door so you don't give anything away to the students that haven't taken the test yet. You all crowd around outside, analyzing questions, figuring out which ones were unfair etc.
This one was the worst. Because it was our first, the anxiety was higher. Everyone wanted to get that 75 (The highest passing score) and the ones that didn't, were devastated and crying outside the building, wondering if they could even make it through nursing school.
You guys, I made an 86. That was the first day I realized "Yo, I got this!"
I would tell you about my skills tests, but those are for another day! They induce more anxiety than the lecture tests!
Here are the details of the link up:
But, when Anna from The Days When I'm Not a Nurse asked me to cohost a nursing link up once a month, I jumped at it.
Why? A, I can get you guys some nursing stories and B, I'll have someone else to come up with topics for me.
Like this one. The first test day.
I seriously remember this test like it was yesterday. It was in Pathophysiology. It was the hardest "first semester" class (When I refer to semesters, I mean semesters in actual nursing school, this was my 5th semester of college) and they scheduled it to be the very first test. Aren't they sweet?
Anyway. So, I started studying the week before the test. We had four lectures on the test, so I divided them up. I did one lecture a day and then for two days, I quizzed myself with the literally hundreds of flash cards I had made.
The day of the test, I was a ball of nerves. At our school, they divide our entire class (At the time it was 170, we're now down to 80) into two groups and you all go in at the same time and leave at the same time so no one can give away any of the questions to other students.
We are practically patted down when we walk in to avoid cheating.
Before the test has to be the most nerve wracking. Some students are frantically studying, others are just sitting, staring off into space. No matter what, you will hear something that you don't know.
No matter how much you study. This will happen. I promise.
And you freak. Cue the anxiety attack.
So you are finally allowed into the room and are assigned a number and checked off. You go and log on the computer and wait for them to give you the password.
50 questions. 60 minutes. 1 question at a time. No going backwards or forwards.
You have to answer each question as they come up. This was devastating to someone like me because I used to go over the whole test, answer the easy questions and then work my way through the hard ones.
You finish your test and have to stare at the wall because you still have 20 minutes left.
Guys, maybe this is the worst part. You start to count in your head how many you got wrong. Oh crap, panic time. You start to realize which ones you made a stupid mistake on and hate yourself for not realizing it when the question was there, but there were still so many more questions to get through!
When the hour is over, your score and all the ones you missed pop up on the screen. You have to sit in silence as you see your page scroll further and further down.
After the test, you are led through a certain door so you don't give anything away to the students that haven't taken the test yet. You all crowd around outside, analyzing questions, figuring out which ones were unfair etc.
This one was the worst. Because it was our first, the anxiety was higher. Everyone wanted to get that 75 (The highest passing score) and the ones that didn't, were devastated and crying outside the building, wondering if they could even make it through nursing school.
You guys, I made an 86. That was the first day I realized "Yo, I got this!"
I would tell you about my skills tests, but those are for another day! They induce more anxiety than the lecture tests!
Here are the details of the link up:
To whom it may concern:
Here is what you need to know about the 2013 nurse link-ups:
Who: for all nurse/nursing student bloggers
What: monthly linkup (observing HIPAA laws, of course)
When: on the last Wednesday of every month
Why: to create an online community of nurses where we can support each other, make friends, and share experiences.
Co-hosts: Paige @ A Dose of Paige and Anna @ The Days When I'm Not a Nurse
Have you met this amazing blogger?
21 comments:
Good luck today!!! Good vibes being sent your way.
good luck!
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That does not sound fun at all. I've heard a bit about nursing tests...and just this month, my husband found out a week before his PCCN exam that they'd scheduled him for the next week instead of next month like he wanted. So he studied like crazy. I took some practice tests with him and was amazed at the way they format the questions--that's nothing like a multiple choice test for us humanities majors, that's for sure! The test took 2 and a half hours, and he passed, so I'm very proud of him--but I guess the other great thing about being a nurse is that the crazy testing doesn't end when you graduate nursing school!
nice idea!too bad i'm not in nursing school so i can link up too!and it seems like you did amazing in your first exam so you will for sure make it through!
Bea =)
dailylivingingeneva.blogspot.com
Sounds a lot like law school final exams, except ours are 3-4 hour essays. And I thought I hated exams before law school...ha!
Love the idea of using blogging to build community for nursing students!
You just brought back rough memories of my nursing school days, haha... I don't miss those a bit! However with currently being a stay-at-home mom, I may have forgot about the 30 CEUs I need to renew my nursing license come October, so thanks for this post/reminder! ;)
Good luck friend! :)
Wow! I'm glad our nursing school tests weren't that strict with rules; we just went in a room and got handed the test...haha. But then again our nursing class started at 30 & ended up with 26. Can't wait to here more about your nursing adventures during the link up!
OHH I am excited for this link up. I graduate college in May, but I'm going back to school to get my BSN!! I have to take some prereqs first. So I'm excited to be reading these bloggers and get to know other nurses/nurses-to-be.
oh wow! sounds like my pharmacy days! you've got this girly! =)
What a great link-up! If i still blogged, I would link-up every time! I am in my third term (our school is broken into terms [12 wks each]) of my LPN year of nursing school.. I remember my first exam, so nerve-racking & anxiety ridden! I'm just glad our exams aren't that strict, that sounds like a hassle! I live in a small community, so our class is only 35, if that..but still, I think that would make my anxiety even higher!
Good luck!! You're gonna be a great nurse!
Best of luck!! :o)
omg I haaaaaaaaaaate tests where you can't go back!!! I am exactly like that, I go through all the easy ones then spend more time working on the harder ones. And when you don't know what's coming up you can't spread your time out wisely. I failed a whole course my last semester of school because of this kinda testing :(
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Cheers!
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Wow! I'm in my first semester of nursing school and tomorrow is my first test. It's in Pathophysiology, which is the hardest class of this semester. I am so nervous, especially since I've heard so many different things about nursing school tests (4 right answers, pick the best thing to do in this situation, etc.). Hopefully I will do well! I enjoyed reading about your experience!!
I'm a nursing sophomore and ohmygosh, i agree to every little thing up there. who cares about good grades when you can hardly even pass? LOL
lots of lovin'
www.ohpenda.com
Seriously? Your tests sound nerve wracking! We would do the same thing though, analyze each question with the other students who had taken it. You just get to the point where getting an A isn't the priority, now you simply want to PASS. Good luck with your tests Paige! :)
I frequently have this dream that I have to go back to nursing school, because they made a mistake with my license and I still have to take more classes! I HATE that dream!
Brooke♥ ❤ ❥
LOL. i used to get A's during my freshman yr but now all I get are cruel C's! TSKTSKTSK.
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