I come from a university with our course accredited by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as a “Center of Excellence”, whose passing rates in the board exams are consistently above average, and whose alumni had established high performance standards in the local and international field of health care – thus the pressure on us, fourth year students, to exceptionally be at par or even raise the standards set forth by the past graduates in terms of passing rates and clinical performance.
Let us not forget the pressure to meet the expectations that one may intrinsically be imbibed with as he graduated from the University when he starts to go into employment. There goes the expectation that one must know the whats, hows, and whys of everything in the hospital. I figure that personally, I still have a lot that I do not know and understand by heart as manifested by several educated guesses (No matter how rationally supported it may be, it is still a guess.) during exams, selective aphasia as the clinical instructor asks questions, and episodes of less than two previous semesters’ lessons un-recall. So as early as now, I really try to force onto my neurons to absorb every skill during our clinical exposure, jot down the different lessons in my notebook, and review previous concepts from all the Nursing subjects in preparation for independent future practice and board exams.
In relation to the board exams, let me just say that flunking the board exam may probably be the most terrible thing that could happen after four years of stay in college. With only one or two people failing the licensure exam from our school every year, finding out who they are is far easier than locating the tad too obvious clue in Blue’s Clues. I dread that.
And don’t get me wrong by thinking that simply passing the board exam may be enough because finishing as one top ten scorers is always more highly preferred. For even during as early as our freshmen years, we have been told that aside from being the most compassionate, committed, and competent professionals, we shall also dominate the board exams post graduation – and through unending grace, we always do. There must be a psyche stimulating effect by just saying “I will top the board exams” which works like a mantra you repeatedly recite every day.
