Recently a student used our CCRN Test Prep program and took the exam
and failed. She wrote to me asking about how to use our 100% passing
guarantee. In her email, she was very critical of our product
stating that it did not adequately prepare her for the CCRN and that
the questions were much harder than she thought they would be. As
part of our process to prepare her to retake the exam we embarked on
private coaching. After her first couple of coaching sessions she
returned to her studies.

A month later, and right before her second attempt at the exam, we
talked again. Her whole attitude and outlook had changed
considerably. At this point she talked about how much she had
learned, about the improved interactions she had with physicians she
worked with, and her increased ability to explain complex clinical
scenarios to her peers.

So what had really changed? The program was the same. What changed
was her perception of her responsibility for preparing for the exam.
In his book "Winning with People," Dr. John C. Maxwell describes this
as the Lens Principle.

Here he says "who you are determines what you see." When you are a
person who believes she is powerless over her situation, what you
will see is other people controlling your destiny. When you see
yourself as being empowered to control your life and your career,
then you become internally motivated to seek the results that you
desire.

Dr. Maxwell goes on to state that "who you are determines how you see
others," and "who you are determines what you do." When I hear
people make comments like "nothing will ever change around here"
or "I am just a nurse" I know that they are going to have a hard time
getting what they want out of their nursing career. It is not until
you see yourself as being empowered to create change and view
yourself as a change agent that you will be able to use the power
that you have to implement the change you want to see happen.

As motivational speaker Zig Ziglar says, "when you are tough on
yourself, life is going to be infinitely easier on you."

Best wishes,

David W. Woodruff, MSN, RN, CNS, CEN
President, Ed4Nurses, Inc.
www.Ed4Nurses.com
www.dwoodruff.com