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.
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