June 2008 Board Exam Results

With the release of the nursing board examination results, it has been a disappointment for most nurses to witness such tremendous decline in the national passing mark. A lot would say that it is because the exam has become so difficult to answer that is why it has come to such result. But then if we will look closely, every detail will tell a story.

Let me start with the students. Nursing students who failed the last board exam is in extreme anguish. They start blaming their schools, their instructors, and their review centers. But then they fail to blame themselves and keep on saying, “hey don’t blame me?” But then who is to blame? Me??? I’m not saying this because I am in the academe but then I am saying this because I was once a student myself. Your school doesn’t shape your future or your instructors. It is solely you as a student so why not stop blaming and start asking? What is my waterloo? What happened during my review? During the exam? What are the concepts that I missed to answer? And then start reading all over again. There is no time to procrastinate if you fail. Just tell your self, well this time, I will top the board exam.

The academe… Being a nurse instructor has become a trend and even newly graduates without clinical experience has been involved in teaching the in the academe. Ironically, what do you share when have emptiness? It is like that saying, you cannot share what you not have and you cannot have something if you have not earned it. But the thing is, there is no problem whether you are a newly grad or an experienced nurse if want to join the academe; what is important is that you have the passion and mission to share knowledge. We may say that experience is the best teacher but this is not the only means. We can learn things in many ways and we earn that knowledge that we need. Learning is a never ending process, so do not brag if you are an old timer, nor do not brag if you are a board topnotcher or a cum laude because even though you are, there are a lot more things that you need to learn.

And why do you think that the academe is not motivated to learn so that they can share? This is probably because of job satisfaction. One may say that being an instructor would give a nurse an overwhelming salary but the world is not all about money. Non transparency of the Administration, lack of support or a non healthy working environment would affect job satisfaction. And is an instructor is not satisfied with his/her job, passion diminishes as so as his/her work output.

Passing the board examination is just a step. It is not the finish line. Your hands will write your destiny. Failed students blame their school, their review centers and their instructors, nut should it be that they must reflect on what they have done? There is no need to mumble and focus on the mistakes but then it is important to realize that life must go on and that lives are at stake. Nurses should hold hands together and realize that it is not the prestige nor the greener pastures that motivates us to pass all these examinations and excel in our field, but then we should remember the true mission of our profession, and that is to be of service to other people.

*Do want to receive updates via email? Subscribe now by entering your email in the subscription link!

QUANTITY VERSUS QUALITY

I have always wanted to write this article, but I never had the chance to put my thoughts together. It is only when I realized, the opening of the semester would be the best time to share this thought to everyone.

I am only but a young educator. I do not even have my Master’s degree in field. I only manage to enroll a few units per semester but never really had the chance to go for it at full blast. I have been teaching college students for barely 4 years, almost. I am a very young educator indeed. And most of these years are done in a classroom setting. I do not have the experience as compared to those have spent half of their lives sharing their knowledge and skills. (I salute you! You are noble by heart.) I do not even see myself teaching for my entire lifetime though teaching is my passion, my life. Yet, I would like to share some thoughts I have in mind.
In everyday of our lives, a lot of us have experienced failure. It may be failure in love, in the family, failure in the board exams or even failure in the subjects that we have enrolled. Some of us are shattered by these failures and our dreams are all at a lost. And then we realize failure is inevitable.

In a 4 hour class that I am handling this semester, all of them have failed in a prerequisite subject. And maybe this is the reason that I am writing today. We may say that this failure is not inevitable because such failure is caused by carelessness and laziness, but each has a story to tell. I do not want to hear the story because it is none of my priorities. I am here as an educator but not a newsmaker.

But why do we fail? Are we to blame? Who is to blame? Why can we not get through our experiences without failing? Why do we need to endure the pain, the suffering, the intimidation and the discrimination?

I have always believed that failure is a subjective word that is why I made the title of this article as Quantity versus Quality. We fail, not because we did not make our best efforts but probably because our efforts are not enough. But is this the gauge of our failure?
A few years back, there was once a student who asked me why I gave her 99 in one of the subjects that she has enrolled in my class. Another student asked me why I gave her 64. These are two students in two different classes. Let’s call the first student, Student 99 and the other Student 64 respectively. I told Student 99, “Why are you asking me this question, Student 99? Are you not happy with your grade? I believe you deserve it because you got perfect scores in all your exams. Is there anything wrong?” Student 99 has been a very bright student and so I was surprised to see her question her grade. Perfect scores all the way! Student 64 said, “Ma’am I think I deserve better because I come to class everyday and never interrupts in your class. I get good grades sometimes but mostly failed exams, but 64 is not a grade. Maybe you can do something about it?” Student 64 is really like that, does not come to class, failed first grading to the final grading period. It was a difficult situation at that moment. I do not know what to do, one student questioning her capacity for a high grade and the other questioning her own failed actions. I then asked for guidance and realized what to do. I told them, “Ask yourself. What is the most relevant concept that you have learned this semester during my class?” Student 99 said, “A lot, I cannot even imagined how it got all to my head. It was an excellent class Ma’am and I owe it all to you.” I said, “Now you know why you got 99. How about you Student 64? “A lot also Ma’am, but most of it, I cannot explain. But ma’am I have my complete attendance.” Then I replied; “Well now you know why you got 64.”

Failure is subjective as I have said; it is not the quantity but the quality. You may have been there all the time but were you productive? It does not matter if you get 75 but as long as in your heart, you know that you have learned a lot, it does not matter. Numbers are just numbers and this is what complicates our human life. The amount of time spent is not equal to the amount quality you have shared.

In our 8 hour work, have we ever asked ourselves, have we ever utilized 8 hour productively or just let is pass in a snap? That’s quality versus quantity.


*Do want to receive updates via email? Subscribe now by entering your email in the subscription link!