Nursing school is an arduous process. Whether you’re in a two-year, or a four-year program there are bound to be failures or areas where you may fail to meet your expectations. Coming into nursing school, I was accustomed to failure, it was all I knew because I failed out of college two times before beginning again in 2018. I had to meet with advisors, appeal my academic suspension, provide letters of recommendation, and re-take the classes that I failed. Being able to come back from that, and not only get accepted to nursing school, but maintain a 3.90 GPA is an accomplishment I am extremely proud of. Not only am I in a position that I never thought I would be in, but I am excelling at it. So, how do you handle failures while in nursing school and come back stronger?

While I did well in nursing school, there were still times that I would fail quizzes, medication calculation exams, skills check offs, I realized that these things are to be expected. What is important is how you handle it and what you do to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. The first thing that I did was allow myself to feel my emotions after failure. It is okay to feel disappointed if you prepared for something yet failed to achieve the desired outcome. The important thing, however, is that you must not stay in those feelings. Nursing school is a marathon, not a sprint. There will be more quizzes, exams, projects, and other opportunities to redeem yourself. Try not to let one misstep define your entire experience.

Next, figure out where you went wrong and be completely honest with yourself. Did you truly study enough and study effectively? Did you understand the material? Did you have trouble with the question style? Once you identify where things went wrong, you are better able to take steps to fix issues moving forward. Meeting with your professor and remediating the exam is a great place to start. Professors typically aren’t able to discuss specifics of the exam, however they are able to cover concepts which allows you to gauge the content and if you just had issues with a specific question. You can also switch up your study habits, meet with a tutor, or form a study group. Sometimes being able to change up the method of studying can assist you with making necessary changes for better results.

Finally, be kind to yourself and proceed with confidence. Attitude is everything and coming to the realization that you can’t be perfect in everything is important. It is not the adversity that you face, but rather how you react and come back that defines your character. In nursing, much like in school, you will be faced with learning opportunities and obstacles which you will have to overcome. Being able to assess the situation and turn a failure into a learning opportunity is what will make you an amazing nurse.

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