I was gone for a while...

[Kevthenurse]

Hi guys! May has been a particularly brutal month for me, but I have been victorious!
I will spare you all the details, but a number of stressors piled on at once, interfered with my studies, and put me at risk for flunking out of school. The 3rd semester in the nursing program at St Kate's is what is considered the most difficult in the entire program. I managed to pass by a very small margin but I won't have to repeat the class, which is a major relief to be sure!

Many of my colleagues who also passed through the St Kate's Nursing Program had to repeat the semester I have just completed. That I earned a poor grade is of little consequence and nothing to be ashamed of.

My final conference with my instructor was a mixed review. She worries that my poor exam performance (below 50th percentile) will be reflected when I sit for the NCLEX - RN; however in her words regarding my clinical rotation: "I have never had a single student receive more compliments from patients and staff" which illustrates my point that grades do not measure ability. She also mentioned that of all of her students I answer the self assessment the most honestly--which is a little off-putting because there is no place for dishonesty in medicine. Well, that's not entirely true; we have a concept called "benevolent deception" but that is more of a technicality than a general rule.

It has been a good day.

I think we all want good grades, but I have come to realize that good grades are kind of a short term achievement. My excellent bedside manner and work ethic will endure beyond school. If I had to choose between strong clinical skills or good grades I would keep the clinical skills.

I am taking a single class over the summer and it is online. With any good luck, I will be playing LNoE soon and bitching about how overpowered guns are....

Thank you all for believing in me! Here's to a strong 4th and final semester in the Fall!

[friskers96]

Glad to hear your getting through it. Chin up and keep it movin. Best of luck, and get some gaming on!

[Old Dwarf]

Good Show!....now lets hear some of that Game Bitching.

OD

[samuraitrev]

Good to hear Kev. Keep it up and remember we've got your back!

[StayPuft]

Good for you! I definitely can relate to how you feel. I always got good grades in school, so from time to time when I would struggle with a particular topic, or subject, or whatever, it was hard for me to take. But, in real life, grades don't mean anything. Experience, skills, those sort of things are what really count. In school, I always used to get good grades, but sometimes I wouldn't do as well as I would have liked on some of those stupid standardized tests. I don't know why. Weird.

Anyway, good luck in your continued studies! ;-) Hope that the rest goes well for you. Sounds like you are doing pretty well already.