Failed NCLEX 5 Times! Am I The Only One Who . . .

Nurses General Nursing

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Am I the only one who is concerned about someone who has failed multiple times, finally passes and then wants to share their experience with everyone else? Am I the only one who is concerned about working with nurses who finally pass on their eighth try? Granted, I'm so experienced that I took my licensing exam on paper eons ago when it was offered only twice a year, everyone answered all the questions over a two day period and it took six weeks to get the results. In those days, you only got two tries. That was it. So I could be someone biased and/or out of touch. I just wonder, though, about the knowledge base and learning capacity of a nurse that took the exam eight times to pass. Although perserverence is a virtue, and those folks obviously have plenty of that. Is nursing so different now that it's OK to take eight tries to get your license? Or is this a development of the "everyone gets a trophy" mentality? Keep trying and everyone gets a license?

I don't see how it is logical to view the repeat test takers as the problem, they are simply individuals who have been permitted to take the exam multiple times, the real problem is the BONs that have policies allowing unlimited exam attempts.

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.
i don't agree with the people who said that after failing nclex x amount of times, they should just call it quits. i like how my state of new jersey does it. after failing nclex 4 times, then you must take a refresher course before you are allowed to test again.

that makes sense!

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Hmmm, if I remember correctly, if we failed the first attempt our school required us to take a remedial course. Not the state, mind you, our school. That being said, we started out with a class of thirty. Eleven people graduated. It was hard, but I appreciated that. I knew that if we could graduate, we had the makings of being good nurses. Our instructors just did not permit any less than our best. I had an acquaintance in a different school at the same time I was. She could roll in to her program hungover after a long night partying and still pass her tests, and it wasn't because she was a great student. That kind of struck me as odd. I guess my long winded point is that in some cases, your program has something to do with your passing the NCLEX. The tests we took in class were harder than the NCLEX, we all agreed on that. But it paid off in the end.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
I am new to this site, read a few of these posts, and my gosh, I have to say I completely disagree with you...you are quite obviously bothered by NewGrad RN BSN's comment. Let it be. People have opinions. Just like you do. You have an opinion and so do others, no need to bash others' opinions. In my opinion, I have to agree that a nurse is a nurse whether you pass on 1st or 5th try. And I also agree that you all seem quite bitter to say the less. Its a forum, not a war of words, let people have their opinions!!

I never said anyone couldn't speak or post an opinion. I don't have that authority. Have yourself a nice day.

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Specializes in LTC.
I am new to this site, read a few of these posts, and my gosh, I have to say I completely disagree with you...you are quite obviously bothered by NewGrad RN BSN's comment. Let it be. People have opinions. Just like you do. You have an opinion and so do others, no need to bash others' opinions. In my opinion, I have to agree that a nurse is a nurse whether you pass on 1st or 5th try. And I also agree that you all seem quite bitter to say the less. Its a forum, not a war of words, let people have their opinions!!

My thoughts exactly!

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.
Hmmm, if I remember correctly, if we failed the first attempt our school required us to take a remedial course. Not the state, mind you, our school. That being said, we started out with a class of thirty. Eleven people graduated. It was hard, but I appreciated that. I knew that if we could graduate, we had the makings of being good nurses. Our instructors just did not permit any less than our best. I had an acquaintance in a different school at the same time I was. She could roll in to her program hungover after a long night partying and still pass her tests, and it wasn't because she was a great student. That kind of struck me as odd. I guess my long winded point is that in some cases, your program has something to do with your passing the NCLEX. The tests we took in class were harder than the NCLEX, we all agreed on that. But it paid off in the end.

My school required that you scored at a certain level on the HESI before they would sign off on letting your schedule your NCLEX! If you couldn't achieve the goal they set for you, you had remedial classes until you proved that you were prepared for the NCLEX. As a result, my graduating class last May had a 100% pass rate on the first try. Some at 75 questions, some at 200+, but the end result was that every single one of us could call ourselves an RN after one round of NCLEX. Seeing that schools are dependant upon the success rate of their students for accredidation, it boggles my mind that more schools don't take a similar approach...

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Oy, that's what it was, Colleen! We had to take an exit exam. The scoring was kind of ludicrous. If you scored 75 it was actually a ninety-something, or some similar craziness. But you had to have a certain score in order to be allowed to take the NCLEX. We all scored great and had 100% pass rate on the NCLEX as well. Afterward, we were all a little paranoid because the NCLEX had seemed too easy. But I agree, there should be some mandatory testing in place to make sure you're reasy for the NCLEX. It would look better for the school's reputation, not to mention saving people money they would put out to take it over and over. I know it's not the school's objective to save students money, but come on.

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My dream was to be a ballerina. Accepted to our National Ballet School (which is no small achievement with tryouts involving hundreds of youngsters across the nation), until a growth spurt hit me. I was told I'd be unsuitable even for the corps.

Well, guess what? I cried my eyes out and got on with my life. I still love ballet. But I knew that I'd never make a living at it.

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I think there should be a limit to how many times you can take the NCLEX before some other action is taken. May it be a required course longer wait period something. When your in the nursing program you can only fail 2 times then they kick you out. The NCLEX is suppose to demonstrate you are competent and taking the same test 5 times is excessive.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Well let me just say that I would not want any of you taking care of me or my family. You have no compassion. And that's one of the biggest qualities in a nurse. Not just skills. I cannot believe half of you are nurses. Being a dancer or pro baseball player is a little far fetched to used that as an example of a dream. Do you people not REMEMBER what you sacrificed to get through your nursing program?? Just to quit after 3 times taking NCLEX is terrible advice. There should be remediation classes yes, but to just quit is absolutely absurd. Im not saying put incompetent nurses on the floor, BUT WORK WITH THEM. Take a class or 5. Dont quit! I hope one of these days your heart grows a little bigger.

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Just to quit after 3 times taking NCLEX is terrible advice. There should be remediation classes yes, but to just quit is absolutely absurd.

whoa!!

let's slow down here.

i agree that quitting is the wrong choice -

it should be there are no more chances to retake the nclex!!

do you people realize that from day 1 of nsg school, your education is preparing you for nclex?

before i applied to my nsg school, i checked out their nclex passing rates...which was betw 96-97%.

if you go to a school that has a 65% pass rate, chances are you're going to struggle more than other more successful schools.

but the point remains, every single nsg school should be preparing you for nclex from the time you walk in your first day.

to flunk nclex, time after time after time - what is missing here?

you've already had ample time to take plenty of nsg tests, and to work on your weaknesses.

to cry "unfair" and that we're all "mean" is missing the true picture of what nursing entails.

and for those who deny there's a difference betw a 1-time test taker and 5-time test taker, who would you prefer to care for your loved one in a critical situation?

oh, that's right- the compassionate one.

really people? really?????

i think this thread has run its course.:twocents:

leslie

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Specializes in Hospice.
well let me just say that i would not want any of you taking care of me or my family. you have no compassion. and that's one of the biggest qualities in a nurse. not just skills. i cannot believe half of you are nurses. being a dancer or pro baseball player is a little far fetched to used that as an example of a dream. do you people not remember what you sacrificed to get through your nursing program?? just to quit after 3 times taking nclex is terrible advice. there should be remediation classes yes, but to just quit is absolutely absurd. im not saying put incompetent nurses on the floor, but work with them. take a class or 5. dont quit! i hope one of these days your heart grows a little bigger.

oh, lord ... "compassion"... really? sometimes the most compassionate act is a reality check. and where's your compassion for the patients being subjected to questionable care while we "work with them"?

grntea's post #141 sums up my reaction a whole lot better than i could write it, myself:

feb 11 by grntea

rant alert.

let us also not lose sight of the fact that passing nclex is a minimum standard. read that word again: minimum.

...and therefore, for my money, anyone who takes more than a minimum number of tries (that means, one) to cross that professional threshold is already starting behind the eight ball. so no, you do not get my unending praise for having finally mastered the minimum qualification for your job.

...test anxiety, you say? heads up! stat admission! two pages of barely legible orders, mostly stats and urgents! sink that ng tube...whoops, coffee grounds emesis...come on, step on it! did you pass your noon meds yet? your postop is back. the doc is here to pull the chest tube on your lady in 113. how much drainage is in that jp drain in 115? hey, where's that stat iv? dear, that is a test that you will not get extra time and tutoring to pass.

med math difficulties? oops, you just gave somebody 88,000 units of heparin per hour....since 0700.

dyslexia? ooops, you gave a patient in 321 somebody else's bowel prep-- he was in 312. no, i will not go and explain to him that it was because the numbers were so similar.

... but i will not stand for lowered standards or people who make excuses why they're really ok, because, like, they have this dreeeaaammm, and it doesn't really matter it took them 4 tries to be the least they should be able to be.

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