A (maybe not so) Short Story of My NCLEX Experience!

SophiasCarnation

Background: I graduated from an incredibly competitive, top rated accelerated BSN program a few months back. My gpa was good, bordering a 3.5, I was a class representative at various events, and I was also an ambassador for the nursing school. I say all this not to brag because I was not labeled a person "at risk" of failing the NCLEX (schools who think entirely too highly of themselves do this). As involved as I was, I was still concerned about NCLEX because the classes my school taught the last semester were worlds away from "normal" nursing school. By that I mean, nothing remotely related to patho, med-surg, etc. And while I grasped the more common concepts drilled into us throughout nursing school (right versus left-sided heart failure, COPD, potassium levels and the consequences of their imbalance, etc.) I quickly forgot the ones we infrequently saw (the specific differences and symptoms of UC v. Crohns, complications of maternity as well as norms, different pediatric diseases including Hirschprung's and pyloric stenosis, and all related to neuro). Needless to say, I was concerned when, after a month of graduating, NCLEX studying began.

Leading up to NCLEX Round 1:

The cost of Kaplan was included in my school's tuition so we were obligated to take the course. My scores on the predictors and q trainers were in the 50s, high to low, and on q bank, I averaged about a 60. I did what they said - 75 questions a day and remediate - but the problem remained that I forgot the little things we had learned very early on in nursing school. Regardless of how poorly or well I did on Kaplan for that day, I never felt like I was learning content; only reviewing how to take the NCLEX-like questions. In the days leading up to the exam, I didn't feel confident and became more of a nervous wreck. I couldn't quite pinpoint what the problem was but I wasn't ready to take the exam and I for sure was confident I'd fail. But, it was scheduled for March 17 and I did anyway.

NCLEX Round 1:

It's unclear how I even made it through the exam. I entered the room and was blown away by the sterile, office spacey, FBI-y vibe of everything. I didn't know that I was going to fingerprinted, have my phone off in a specially sealed bag, or sitting in a room in a seat that I didn't choose with my back to a woman behind a clear glass window. The entire situation redefined anxiety. Prior to entering, the woman offered me tissues. I took 10 and put them to use immediately.

And then my hell began; the timer started ticking and took me through NCLEX-y sample questions. I thought, at first, that I was ok. When the actual exam began, I almost threw up. Initially (for about the first 50 questions), I tried hard to focus on what the questions were asking but I sincerely struggled because, knowing it was an adaptive exam, I was paying a lot of attention to the level of difficulty of the questions. If they got harder, I breathed a little easier; if they got easier, respiratory alkalosis kicked in. It got worse; I went past question 75. While a calm, confident person would think "Oh, the computer still thinks I can do it!" I thought this was really the end. At question 100, I took a break, went to the bathroom, and threw up.

I returned and the exam continued.... all the way to question 265! I know odds well and the chances of making it that far are rare. I was zigzagging and the computer wanted to pass me but I just couldn't! My last question was about Coumadin and foods with Vit K. I knew I got it wrong and lost it. I walked out, did the trick, and it didn't work (it let me reregister) and I spent the next hour making everyone in the neighborhood think that my entire family died because I was sobbing and inconsolable. I, mind you, do not act like this most days. When I got my "results" which list each topics by below passing, near passing, or above passing, I was SO mad because everything was near or above passing. NOTHING below. Imagine how I felt.

Post Round 1/Leading to Round 2:

I took a week of self-pity and loathing and then, reassessed what went wrong and what I could have done better. I realized (both in reading the forums and discussing how I felt with a friend who also failed) that I had had a horrible attitude and serious confidence issues leading up to the exam. I never thought I could do it. Instead, I would read endless forums about failing the NCLEX. It was toxic and took a toll on my self-esteem. I addressed that by saying to myself, twice a day, that I COULD pass, that I AM an awesome nurse, and that, at the end of the day, this is really just an exam. We, as nurses, are going to be dealing with incredibly sick people and an adaptive exam is dumb and only gives us a license. Doing both these things helped me tremendously. I also made it a point to visit my best friends in the surrounding states because they were the ones who helped me and had faith that I could do it. I'm big on energy and I needed to absorb that kind.

Regarding studying for the actual exam, I invested in what I consider to be the MOST hilarious and useful review ever - the Hurst review. I live up North and learning about content in a humorous way with a southern accent totally did the trick! It broke down everything I was concerned about by topic, and because there are online lectures, you can listen to them as many times as you want. There are also worksheets which help to drill in content one sees on NCLEX. I called Kaplan and while they said they couldn't reset my scores, they gave me back another shot at the readiness test (the first time, I had scored a 52% on it and that was in early January. I intended to save it for the day before NCLEX). Whereas the first go, I was doing 75 questions a day and remediating, this time, I was studying 2-3 hours a day and also doing practice questions. I took out a few books from the library and also had the Lippincott book on hand. I did like 50 questions in the morning and 30-50 in the evening; so, around 150-200 ?s a day. My friend and I did it together and would teach each other the content. Talking it out helped for the exam because it simply helped me remember. My scores on everything were high; the minimum across the board on any exam or book was a 60. On the readiness test, which I took the day before, I scored a 71%. I was stoked.

Over the 45 days that passed - that's all I took - I became more excited. Rather than dreading the NCLEX, I looked at it like a marathon that ultimately, made me a better nurse. My friends and family also noticed that I had become a happier, calmer person.

NCLEX Round 2:

I couldn't sleep the night before. I remembered little things I had seen the first time that I forgot to review like EKGs, baby lab values, etc. and ended up going to bed at 11 p.m. but my nerves kept me up until 3. When I awoke that morning, I made a few decisions. The first was that I would never wake up that early for any exam, ever; the second was that I was becoming a nurse that morning; and the third was that I was finishing that exam in 75 questions.

I was also ready for the fingerprinting and all and arrived as early as I could! I started at 745 and ended at 11 with 75 questions. As impatient as I am, I knew the value of spending a significant amount of time with each question. I (truthfully) didn't know one topic and that was how to do a Z-track. Everything else I had learned from Hurst or seen a similar question in Kaplan. I felt good because I knew my stuff inside and out.

Unlike what most people say, I think you know when you've aced it or bombed it. I knew, when the computer shut down, that I kicked butt. I had 28 SATA, 1 bizarre body picture question, 5 put in order, and the rest, multiple choice. I took each question for what it was and reminded myself consistently to breathe and to gain perspective; there were far more important things going on in the world and I was sitting in front of a computer, taking an exam. It helped! I did the trick after, and got the good pop-up! I recommend having a bathroom nearby... that was SO scary.

Post NCLEX Round 2:

Two days later, I paid the $7.95 and saw "Pass." It felt AMAZING and I realized the experience made me a much better person. I would never wish the anxiety, self-doubt or deprecation that I experienced on anyone but I think it needed to happen so that I would, at the end of the day, become a better nurse and person. I know the content for NCLEX better than most and I'm proud of that because when I do start working, I'll be able to assess my patients better. Job wise, I have interviews at two major hospitals and couldn't be happier ? My can-do attitude now applies to pretty much everything; next project - fixing a car!

Why:

I wanted to share this because I know, I've been there, and I NEVER thought it could happen to me. But it did, I survived, and I am devoting my nursing work to helping us manage this test and other anxiety! Good luck to all out there and shoot me a message if you need a pep talk. I promise to give you a good one!