title: A rite of passage to certification.
abstract: Becoming certified through examination involves much more than correctly answering test questions. Before some of us are able to take the risk and apply to write the exam, a confrontation with personal issues may be necessary. This article describes one nurse's experience as she seeks the source of her fear, then moves through the examination encounter and finally uncovers serendipitous outcomes.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Galarowicz
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002568:Certification; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005181:Faculty, Nursing; D005239:Fear; D006801:Humans