Failed NCLEX-PN 1st try 180 questions with Kaplan

Nursing Students NCLEX

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  1. Which program did you use to pass/fail NCLEXPN 2014? can choose multiple

    • 16
      Kaplan w/q bank-p
    • 14
      ATI-p
    • 21
      Saunders-p
    • 3
      FNR Feur nursing review-p
    • 10
      Kaplan w/q bank-f
    • 5
      ATI-f
    • 8
      Saunders-f
    • 2
      FNR Feur nursing review-f

79 members have participated

Hello everyone!

I'm new to the site, and I just took the NCLEX-PN on May 28, 2014 and found out this morning that I failed. :( I'm kind of embarrassed but I wanted to share and get some tips.

I graduated LPN school in March 2014 at the end just before the new testing regulations came out. Our school required ATI but we really only used it my first quarter of nursing school and that's pretty much it. I did some questions from it but I felt that Kaplan's wording was similar to "Nclex style."

I studied Kaplan did ALL of the Q-bank questions and did the classroom anytime because there was a special for about 250$? that I purchased when the Kaplan officials came to my school.

My overal in the Q-bank was about 54% (which I know isn't that great) but I seen lots of forums where students actually passed the nclex there first time with the lower scores. BUMMERR. T____T

I had my good days any my bad days. I averaged about 50-80 questions a day,(ranging from about 47%-84% on each test) but I would spend sooo much time looking up information I didn't know in the questions. Which probably didn't help in the long run. So, instead of me spending maybe 1 hour to take an 80 quiz + the 1hour to go over the rationals I spent maybe 3 hours on the rationals....

I had a lot of SATA(select all that apply) questions and a lot of "put this in the right order"

I am NOT great at SATA questions at all! There were a few times I got some back to back but overall... not so great. Is there anything to help to pick right SATA questions??

I had 180 questions but I ran out of time!! I didn't know what would happen if I didn't finish all the questions. So, maybe in the last 30 minutes I was in panic mode because the computer hadn't shut off yet. I kept thinking..." If your going to fail me computer just fail me... I don't want to run out of time!!" I was skimming through the questions and picking an answer *BEWARE DON'T DO!!* My school has never told me what would happen if I ran out of time but NOW, I know if you run out of time they look at the last 60 questions of your test.

On my official overview I got back I had 2 below passing, 1 above passing, and the rest were near the passing standard.

I was thinking about buying Hurst because all I see is good reviews and some people that passed with it.... Has anyone taken the Nclex recently and passed with it? Is there any tips that anyone can give me especially with the medications and maybe delegation? There were so many I didn't know... It was very frustrating.

Has anyone heard of FNR Feuer nursing review CD's or the pharmacology Cd's by the same company? Was it helpful for you?

TIPS for all those going to take the NCLEX PN:

Take your time, take your breaks.... don't get discouraged when the computer doesn't shut off at 85 questions!!!

*I think that's what the most of us feel like and anticipate it! I sure did!! That's why I focused so hard on the first 85 questions and ran out of time!

I feel that Kaplan's questions help my feel comfortable with the NCLEX style questions, but none of the questions I had were nothing I studied or somewhat helpful.

-I skimmed the NCLEX content review guide- which was helpful!

I also feel like Kaplan was easier then Nclex.... am I the only one?? :(

Study:

delegation, laws(like malpractice and such), know lab values, medications there was a variety !!! How to do steps in order like things you learn in lab! delegations, which pt do you see first, precautions, maternity.... its basically all of nursing school in a test.

I had questions about care conferences.... which I didn't understand at all! I kept getting the same question about care conferences... such and such what would you suggest...

*Last note: I did the PVT(peasonvue trick) where I re-registered for the exam and got the credit card page.... just to let ya'll know!

I'm SOOO sorry for the lengthy post!!! :unsure: I guess you can kinda see my mind is everywhere but I also wanted to help those that need it. I wasn't going to post this but I did.... I'm searching everywhere to get advice on how to go about doing this again the right way!

Thank you for reading my long post!! I hope it helps, and if you reply thanks!!!!

I don't know if there is much different with the two programs RN VS LPN. It was given to me from a friend to use, she was a LPN first now she a RN. To her the nclex-pn was very hard then the nclex-rn. I don't know something were basic stuff then it went into a different lane ...ugh..Now I understand that the question are not that long. Most of the reviews are very long questions to answer so I get bored with the question. And I think they don't give you long questions because of the time for the test some people don't read that fast. The Hurst review breaks it down for you to understand..I don't have the book, I can download it but it's 200+pgs. Good luck

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UPDATE:

Thinking about just getting a tutor. I always study with someone else, but since all my friends passed they don't have time. :( lol

Any ideas on best place to look for a tutor?

THANKS!!!!

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I took my nclex pn on the 30 as well. I paid for quick results and i did pass. i was certain i had failed when the computer shut off at 85 questions i knew it was because i had done so terrible! Like you i had tons of conference questions and who do you check on first and pharm i had never heard of. It was awful! enough about that though.

Everyone has there thing that works for them but unfortunately I have kids, a job and could not afford any review books or courses so i had to make the best of it. I did get the saunders book from school but that was it. I utilized the 35 pg. study guide that has been floating around and another guide from a poster on here about nclex and hesi. I read them everyday! But remember that most people only remember what they read for the first 20 minutes so take breaks. i probably only studied 20 minutes a day on the guides. I downloaded 2 free apps although they were for RN, kaplan trial and lipincott trial. I did questions on practicequiz and anywhere else i could find them. on the study guides i tried to look up things that i didnt know. a few hints that helped me tremndously

1. ABC's

2. MASLOW

3. VERY IMPORTANT-in nclex land always assume the WORST! example bright red blood=bad, unrelenting pain after surgery=bad ect.

4. I am certain you have heard this one plenty but do not read too much into the question or spend too long on one question. i thought about it like this-i can only read the q's and a's so many times but if i do not know it staring at it isn't going to help might as well make an educated guess an move on!

5. Do not second guess yourself!

one more thing, I did not study for several hours a day as I did not have time and felt that i would get burnt out quickly. as i said i read study guides daily and whenever i had some free time I did questions, questions and more questions! i also made flash cards and added my own notes on the study guides b/c i printed them out so i could write on them.

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Hk23, how are you doing? Please update us on your progress towards taking your exam. Much success to you.

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UPDATE!!!!

Hello Everyone.

I know I haven't posted in a while but I've been sort of studying for nclex pn again.

Let me tell you, when you fail the first time you don't know what to do... or what to study again it's very difficult. I was in a funk for almost 2 months until I picked myself up again and decided to actually study. You are allowed time to mope it's normal you failed....

I went on a mini vacation I needed some me time, and to find myself again.

I took the NCLEX-PN yesterday October 9, 2014 at 3pm.

Remind you that the first time I took the NCLEX I ran out of time!!! So when I took it yesterday and it stopped at 85 my heart stopped. I rushed through the survey I didn't care for it, and I just wanted to run out of there because I thought I failed again. I was dreading the last 14 hours. I just checked my status and I'm ACTIVE!!!! I passed!!! :woot:

I was so ecstatic I started crying I am not going to lie. Why lie we are all in the same boat and need help am I right??

I did not try the new CC trick because I didn't want to be charged the 200.00 that they are doing now so I don't know if it works.

WHAT I STUDIED:

- I bought 29.99? the NCLEX PN app on my phone and did it almost everywhere I honestly did only 500-600 questions out of the 1500 it had all together. Not to mention there are quizzes it had I only did one to be honest. I liked that it gave you the answer right away and pictures also.

-I bought the Remar full NCLEX-PN review because it was on sale during July 4. I thought why not... what is it going to hurt. It had 4 cd's each about 1.5-2 hours long with homework, a quick facts book on things you should know including medication, an actual written PN exam 208 questions, and an activity book.

Let me tell you.... This was a game changer for me. This has a lot of content review but everything started to click in my brain! I don't know if its the way she teaches but she makes it so simplified!

I am a very visual learner, so when someone talks about the patho of something, I actually picture it in my mind. There were some pictures but it was so easy and fun to learn that you could just get it!

I'm not saying go out and buy Remar right away she laid everything out there. The things that you should know.

I can honestly say that from reading and learning Remar, I understood Saunders better. Everything just clicked like I said before.

If you want see her free videos just go to youtube she's awesome!!! ^______^

If anything!! The quick facts was spot on with nclex! :)

- I also printed and glanced at the study sheet that was floating around. I will try to post it on here if permitted.

- I bought Exam cram but didn't find it useful I took maybe 2 tests from the CD.

-Saunders evolve online

really helped me practice testing for nclex. I scored about a 65% overall in each category when it gives you your history progression bars. It has a choice where you can select only alternative questions also to practice the SATA questions that everyone loves! haha.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

There is NO MAGICAL book/notes/program that will tell you the actual "nclex questions." The nclex is a beast all in itself and you leave feeling like you went through a storm with every single kind of "weather probability" rolled into one, and you don't know if/how you made it out. I personally felt like I was literally in a daze. It was "all a blur to me" but some parts kept replaying in my head (ie: certain questions that I couldn't even find the answers to on "google" lol.) It's ALL CRITICAL THINKING my loves. There were times it felt like my gut was telling me to click an answer and my brain could comprehend it, but I probably wouldn't even be able to explain my actual rational over the other choices present if I tried. Trust your brain, it knows what it's doing. Trust when your "spidey senses" are nudging you toward an answer. Those are the same spidey senses that will tell you to check on that pt in 207, even though you did just 10 min ago and they were sound asleep, or the same ones that will out of nowhere suddenly make you ask a particular pt how there day is going, only to find out that they were planning on taking there own life that night, because they felt that no one cared about them. This is called "nurses instinct"- the most powerful of all. USE IT. - I read this on another blog she's awesome and spot on. I totally had the same experience she had.

OTHER WELL KNOWN "TRUTHS"/and "LIES" regarding the Nclex (from what I've observed/experienced)

1.Getting alot of SATA (esp)/alternative format questions means you are doing well:

Nope. False.

In fact this is what I thought & during my exam it made me so nervous! I only had 15-17(tops) of sata questions throughout my entire exam, and only 1 single "put in order" and one single "exhibit" and pick the right "ECG strip".

The nclex goes according to "below level questions" and "above the passing level questions" You need a certain amount of above the passing standard level questions in order to pass. SATA can certainly be somewhere "in the middle" or maybe even toward the lower level, or below the passing standard.

2. Having NO Math dosage calculation questions/or 1-3 dosage calculation questions means you are doing well/or if you got a dosage calculation question wrong- means you are not doing well, or you are doing well.

Nope. False.

I only have 1 math question on my exam.

3) The nclex will keep giving you repeated questions regarding the same theme if you aren't getting them right/ The nclex finds your weakness and will continuously give you those types of questions in that subject.

Nope/Who knows? .

The nclex isn't broken down into Med Surg, GI, Cardio,Respiratory, GU, Endocrine, OB, Peds, Psych, Fundamentals, Geriatrics, A &P (and the list goes on & on.) It broken down into categories like "Safe and Effective Care", "Risk potential", "Health Maintenance" Physiological Integrity" , "Pharmacology" etc. Within those categories are sub categories. If you just so happen to keep getting questions on a particular topic that isn't your "best" chances are you are focusing on that BECAUSE it is your weakness and you already have it in your head that the nclex is "the big bad wolf" (which, I can't disagree) and is out to get you. However, if you take a deep breath and relax yourself you will realize that you aren't doomed to fail. Chances are that (even though it might be yet other question involving the subject that you aren't well at) it might not be asking you anything related to the pathology of it, or if you look really close, maybe it's not even asking you about a specific nursing intervention related to that disease (It could very well be, but don't assume & panic before you read it carefully.)

That's what the nclex is, it's a constant game of " Is it something below the surface or in obvious plane sight, and am I going to keep looking for the hidden meanings that I have to decode or take care of the obvious, or am I too busy taking care of the obvious that I haven't uncovered the deeper meaning that is the reason for all of this" That's what nursing is!! There are levels and layers to everyone! Sometimes the outside layer is what we need to pay attention to. We may spend so much time paying attention to the "assumed obvious" that we ignore the "need". Or we may spend so much time paying attention to the assumed need" that we ignore the "obvious." BOTH can have serious complications.

Much above is from @loveoverpride but I thought it was useful and like again I said we had basically the same things going on for us. She has really great advice!!!

WE CAN ALL DO ANYTHING WE PUT OUT MIND TO! I HOPE THIS ALL HELPS!!!!

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Hi hk23! I'm new here but read your experience with PN exam! First of all congratulations! I'm so nervous my exam is on the 31st of this month and I have been studying continously for the past 2 months, I have failed nclex rn 3 times.. and due to issues of foreign graduates I had decided to challenge PN but graduated as TN in the Philippines. I have used ncsbn 5 weeks, exam cram, Saunders q&a, and currently enrolled with kaplan on demand. I am not confident with SATA type questions s, please advise me on how to tackle these questions. I feel like I've given my all on studying but I feel like I need more. I think I have done over 3000 q&a total within 2 mnths, and am still doing at least 50-100/day until exam day. Why was exam cram not helpful in your opinion? I found the questions on exam cram and kaplan more difficult than Saunders.feedback please I'd really appreciate it :)

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Did you pass

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