I Passed

Thanks to all of you for thinking about me and for your prayers these last several weeks. It's not a pretty thing to doubt your abilities or your intelligence. I have gained a new-found appreciation for the feelings of students for whom learning is difficult. (Too bad I'm not teaching any more.) I also know what it feels like to be driven to the very limits of your endurance stress-wise. I felt like something had to either give or I was going to crack. I did pass all my exams, and my confidence has been restored.

I did find out some information contributing to the "tightening down" of the nursing school. The nursing school is rated on it's first-pass rate of the graduates on the NCLEX, and four of the December graduates did not pass. Although they probably wouldn't admit it, I think the raising of the passing requirements and narrowing of the grade ranges are partially a reaction to that. There is a particularly high level of concern for my class since we will be the first to fall victim to the new NCLEX exams which are much harder. Statistically the pass rate drops whenever the NCLEX changes.

I will be quitting my job this summer since I won't be able to work and do my preceptorship for the fall semester. This is very scarey for me. I have never been unemployed since I graduated from high school 17 years ago. Given my adversity to debt, I'll be living very frugally for the next 6 months or so. I have resigned myself to the fact that I may have to take out a student loan if I something goes wrong and I start scraping bottom. I have determined I shall enjoy my time of unemployment. I wonder if I'll feel like a slacker.