For all those who didn't make it in the Nursing Board Exam

Are you one of those who didn't make it in last November's Philippine Nurse Licensure Examination?

I can't imagine what you may have been feeling these past few weeks. I know many fellow nurses who also didn't make it the first time around.

I have this to say: Don't lose hope, and don't give up!

You may still be feeling a little down right now, but I tell you, one can only go so low. You will stand up again, and you will feel strengthened to try harder the next time.

The good news in all of this is this: When you fail, it doesn't mean that you don't have what it takes. It only means that you may have not prepared for the exam adequately, as you only should. Or it may mean that you allowed your emotions to get the better of you during the day of the examination, so much so that you weren't able to concentrate. Well, whatever the factors were, the truth is that failing doesn't really say much about your own intelligence, capability, or potential as a nurse. That's a fact! And I've seen these many times. I've seen people close to me who didn't make it the first time around and who tried harder the second time. And you know what? They are now excellent nurses! I know a cousin who failed the test the first time, but who is now a very skilled and competent nurse-leader. Another relative, who is now in Dubai, who also took the exam twice, also became an exceptional nurse in Bacolod, and she earned the respect and trust of her peers and other members of the health care team whom she worked with because of her commitment and dedication to her work. If anything, failing only brought out the best in them. So failure is not a judgment, it's an encouragement.

So, again, fellow nurses, when you fail, it doesn't mean that you don't have what it takes. It only means that you need to prepare better and try harder. It does not in any way say anything about your capability or potential. In the same way, when someone passes the exam on his or her first take, it doesn't mean that that person is better than those who didn't pass. It only means that that person has prepared more, or, in a few cases, luck was on his or her side.

So cheer up! Take a vacation, and try again!