[HemoStat]

Scatty, I am extremely proud of you.
First, you recognized that you had a problem, then you openly admitted it and asked for help. You took the information given to you, processed it, applied the appiliciabe data, formulated and implemented a plan. You applied the nursing process to your own circumstances!!! See how smart you already are??? *cries with pride!!*

And Jesse is very smart too, sharing the C=RN equation.

All the book work you do now is extremely important, but the best nursing education you will receive is out in the trenches, after you graduate. You are laying a solid foundation for the best to come, my dear!!!

I graduated 25 years ago, and to this day, if I don't learn at least one new thing everyday I work, I feel as though I've cheated my patients, my employer, my peers and myself. I go out of my way to find something new or refresh something old everyday I work. I'm constantly saying, "show me, explain to me, how about, what if"....No one gets tired of hearing it, in fact, I'm starting to hear my peers emmulate me, discussing journal articles, and challenging one another. It's great!!

You are going to be just fine. Everyone who has posted on this thread has given excellent advise. Digest it and use what is useful to you. From my perspective, the best thing going for you right now is that you aren't afraid to say "I don't know" and "help me figure this out". Those two phrases will serve you well throughout your career and you will be respected and trusted by yours peers and employers because you realize you still have a lot to learn. The day you become a know it all, will be the most dangerous day in your career.

One little thing that helped me test well was to personalize the theoretic patient. Instead of "Mr. Jones presented with...." I used to read "My father presented with...." and I pretended it was up to me to save his hide. On some psychologic level, it made me think a layer deeper, because the outcome was personal. Might sound goofy, and may not work for everyone, but it worked for me.

Anyway, I've rambled enough. You are grown, and I'm sure you get the picture!!! Keep us posted, and let us know if we can help. We care deeply about you. I'd let you be my nurse any day!!!

[Meagansmom]

Hi! I am an ADN-RN student in my first year also. I did not do so well on my 1st few tests either, so I decided to change the way I studied. I started reading my notes, important parts of the chapters and definitions into a tape recorder. One of those mini tape recorders like a lot off students use in class. Of course, our program does not allow us to use tape recorders in class. Anyway, I listen to the tape all the time. Driving in the car, cooking, doing laundry, it has been a big help! And when it comes time to review for my comprehensive final, I can just refer back to the tapes I already have made. The head of our nursing school actually told me about this. She did this when she was in graduate school and her study time was cut down by having to drive 2hrs to school. Hope this helps.
Hang in there!