Nurses Helping Nurses
allnurses Network: Central | Jobs | Books | Newsletter
allnurses: A Nursing Community for Nurses
Home General News Blogs Articles Students Region Specialty Degrees F.A.Q.
NCLEX Discussion Forum /

My Nclex Experience.



Did You Know?
allnurses is the largest community for nurses on the web. We now have over 385,824 members! Join today to network with other nurses, laugh, share, and much more.
Page 1 of 4 1 234 >

Sep 28, 2008 06:48 PM

My Nclex Experience.


My NCLEX experience:

I took the NCLEX-PN on September 19th at 8:00 AM in Cincinnati Ohio. I prepared for this exam for months. I studied from Saunder's, Kaplan, NCLEX 3000, NCSBN online review, audio reviews, among others. I knew all the main topics that the school kept pounding in my head for the last 15 months. I studied for hours and learned everything form a simple bed bath to a complex chest tube. I graduated with high honors and my GPA was pretty much perfect, so bring it on! I was ready for the test and even though I was anxious, I was not nervous. The morning of the test I was photographed and fingerprinted and was told to put all my belongings in the locker. The only thing I was allowed to bring in with me to the testing area was my driver’s license. No chewing gum or even a bottle of water. I sat in my chair and prayed for myself and the other test takers. I went through the tutorial and started to take the test.

After the first few questions, I looked at the left upper corner of the computer to see if I was taking the right test. It had my name followed by "NCLEX PN". So, yeah! It was the right test after all. I swear I left my critical thinking and test taking abilities on the locker with the rest of my belongings because when I was answering the questions I couldn’t dissect exactly what they were asking. I felt like a CNA taking the NCLEX RN, that's how lost I was. I had several SATA (select all that apply) questions, a bunch of weird infectious diseases, several unheard drugs, and some priorities. NO math, no main drugs (what happened to Digoxin, Coumadin, heparin, nitro, albuterol, etc?) No conversions of any kind, no main disorders, diseases or facts. URRRG!

Since I knew I was being videotaped and recorded the whole time I wanted to yell at the makers of the NCLEX, the NCSBN (National Conspiracy to Sabotage Beginner Nurses) and ask them what on earth were they thinking when they made up this bunch of nonsense. I felt like I was guessing the majority of the time, even when I was able to rule 2 of the answers out, the remaining two were so similar that I had a 50/50 chance of picking the right one. I was told that with NCLEX you must know your stuff, because you will never pass by guessing. Oh geez no pressure there, since it seems that that was exactly what I was doing.

After an hour I was only in question #30. I decided to not take a break at that time, because if I did I was going to grab my keys and go home and leave behind everything and run to safety. I decided to be strong and put off with the torture, the computer shut off in question #85, I guess it realized I would not pass and it also realized that I couldn't take anymore of the torture for that day. It knew I'd have to go back to be beaten up and mentally abused for at least one more time.

I left "Guantanamo Bay" (the test center) and drove home. I did not cry, I told my dear husband how I miserably failed and that I didn't want to talk about it. I just laid in bed and try to watch some TV to put the traumatic experience aside. I couldn't. Later that day, like people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, I was reliving the whole thing over and over. I couldn't sleep, think, function or even pretend to be a decent wife and mother. After a while I did break up and cried my eyes out.

That night most of the questions I had during the test were running through my head, and I was re-answering them all again and again. During my second sleepless night, believe it or not, I was able to write down about 50 of the exam questions I had in the NCLEX exam. I thought I would be able to remember a few, but I never thought I could actually remember about 50 of them. Wow! That’s how marked I was by the test.

Today is the 21st of September, almost 48 hours have passed and I am still dying to know my results. I am 95% positive I failed but I just want to see it in writing so I can start studying again, call my employer and give up my promised position since I won't be becoming a nurse after all, not for a while at least. I also need reapply so I can retake the torture, again.

The waiting is killing me softly. I believe it should be "illegal" to make us wait more than a couple of hours (actually minutes) for the results after we take the test. I wish there was a way we could be compensated for the emotional pain, suffering and agony we go through while waiting for our results (LOL). Thankfully Ohio participates in the “quick-results” program, but still, 2 days have felt like an eternity. My heart goes out for those who have to wait several days and even weeks to get the so wanted results.

It’s 10:00 AM. Exactly 48 hours have passed since I took the test. I log in for the 25th time or so to the Pearson Vue website to see if my results were available. For my surprise/terror they were. I had to put in my credit card information to “confirm” my fear. (It’s amazing that after putting you through all that agony, they still make you pay to get your results). After entering the credit card information I click the "next" button and closed my eyes tightly, after taking a deep breath I opened them and there it was, I a four letter word meant the world to me: “pass”. I jumped out my chair, I cried, I scream. I was so relieved; it felt like some one took a huge load off of my shoulders. I thank God that after 15 rough months full of ups and downs it came to this moment, I am a nurse!

I decided to write my own experience for those of you who are getting ready to take the NCLEX examination. You probably feel overwhelmed, unprepared, tired, with no confidence, anxious and afraid. I just want to say that it’s OK to feel that way, what is not OK is to give up, you have come to far from where you started from. Keep studying every day; do utilize the tips that have being given to you on how to examine the stem of the question. Remember your ABC’s, safety, priorities, and delegations and last but not least; believe in your self. If I did it, so can you! I wish you all the best of luck and God bless.


Share: Submit Thread to Facebook Submit Thread to Twitter Submit Thread to Technorati Submit Thread to Google Submit Thread to Reddit

Search Tags
None
Top

14 Readers Gave Kudos

 
Advertisement
Sponsored Links
 
Page 1 of 4 1 234 >
Reply
39 Comments
No. 1
Old Sep 28, 2008, 06:57 PM

Default Re: My Nclex Experience.


Thanks for sharing your story.
Top

1 Reader Gave Kudos
 
No. 2
from luvmygirlz
Old Sep 28, 2008, 07:03 PM

Default Re: My Nclex Experience.

A huge congrats to you! Thanks for sharing your story! I am sure the wait felt like an eternity, but YAY you passed!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!
Top

1 Reader Gave Kudos
 
No. 3
from Tanzanite
Old Sep 28, 2008, 07:05 PM

Default Re: My Nclex Experience.
Congratulations! Enjoy being a nurse!
Top

1 Reader Gave Kudos
 
No. 4
from afranklin
Old Sep 28, 2008, 07:27 PM

Default Re: My Nclex Experience.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks so much for sharing!
Top

1 Reader Gave Kudos
 
No. 5
Old Sep 28, 2008, 07:34 PM

Default Re: My Nclex Experience.
Congratulations!!! I admire you at this point. I will be taking it in a couple of weeks and I hope to have the same results.
Top

1 Reader Gave Kudos
 
No. 6
from Selene006
Old Sep 28, 2008, 08:18 PM

Default Re: My Nclex Experience.
CONGRATULATIONS Nurse!
Top

1 Reader Gave Kudos
 
No. 7
Old Sep 28, 2008, 08:42 PM

Default Re: My Nclex Experience.
Congrats....good luck to you!
Top

1 Reader Gave Kudos
 
No. 8
from kimima01
Old Sep 28, 2008, 09:11 PM

Default Re: My Nclex Experience.
Whoa! I got anxious just reading your story! Congratulations!! I know I will be a wreck when my day comes, too.
Top

1 Reader Gave Kudos
 
No. 9
from gagezoie
Old Sep 29, 2008, 12:43 AM

Default Re: My Nclex Experience.
Congrats!!!
Top
 
Page 1 of 4 1 234 >
Reply




Thread Tools


Who's Online
134 members
1,511 guests
1,645

8

Doctors-in-short-supply-responsibilities-for-nurses-may-expa...

7

Less regular sleep for ICU nurses may lead to errors

14

Nurse sends unused medical supplies to needy nations

23

Premature Births Are Fueling Higher Rates of Infant...

6

MRSA Strain Linked to High Death Rates

22

RI hospital fined $150,000 in 5th wrong-site surgery since...

64

Nursing: One of the 6 Thriving Jobs that are Here to Stay???

89

Dad Fights Hospital to Keep Baby on Life Support

12

A nurse can dream...about awesome nursing

16

California Nursing Situation - CINHC's plan to help New...



7

Why am I doing this, anyway?

0

Nurse Heal Thyself

7

My Papa, why I am the nurse I am today.

15

I made it through

11

An angel's gaze

13

A Sister Never Forgets

16

Ruby's Marbles

29

What Do Operating Room Nurses Do?

14

My Little Old Jedi

16

I love this job......

23

"I hear voices"

17

Preventing FRUTI (Foley Related Urinary Tract Infection) in...

23

Error and Attitude

10

It's Just a Shower

6

Searching for the Purpose





Sponsored Links

Currently Reading This Page: 1 (0 members & 1 guests)

Interested in the hottest topics of the week? Subscribe to the Nurse-zine Newsletter.
Enter email address: