ADD sufferer taking NCLEX for the third time...

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I write this in hope that it will either elicit some much-needed advice/encouragement or maybe give others hope that they are not the only person that struggles with becoming what they know they are destined to become.

In 2008, my dad died. My hero. He was only in the ICU for 5 days, but the care that he and I received left its mark on me. That is where I learned that the person in the bed is not the only pt. So, in 2010, I began my experience of nursing school.

Plainly put, I struggled. But, I later found out that it was due to poor test-taking because of the ADD. Let's face it, ANYONE that gets into nursing school is smart. But I wasn't Dx'd yet, so I just went through school struggling. I saw that while everyone else had it fairly easy, I was studying so much harder. Just to barely pass. My test grades were all over the place. But in clinical, I shined! I had others asking me for advice/help. Hell, even during my preceptorship, I was asked to teach paramedic students how to do IV's!

I graduated school in May of 2014. I tested within a month. I shouldn't have. Why? I was just beginning the long process of a divorce. Luckily, no kids were involved in the making of this divorce...(Ok, bad joke. Leave me alone! It's early and I'm not awake yet!) I got to 165 questions and failed. I know that I was close. But not close enough. But here was my biggest mistake....I was under the assumption that nursing school prepares you to take the NCLEX. It does not. It's what you do in nursing school that prepares you for the test. And yes, some of you lucky people out there just "get it" and can do it anyways. Am I jealous? Damn straight! While others were studying for the NCLEX, I was taking additional classes towards my future BSN as well as working 2 jobs. Yeah, I cringe looking back on it. The moral of the story is that I just had too much going on and was not prepared. Plain and simple.

But, like most others, I wasn't discouraged. I immediately re-registered and scheduled my next test for about 2 months later. I studied. In retrospect, not hard enough. I took the next test, and got to 235 questions and I ran the clock out at 6 hours. I went in knowing that if the clock runs out, they only grade the last 60 questions. So I took my time on each and every question. If it was spitting out questions and hadn't cut off yet, I knew I was still in the game. Finished and did the PVT. I tested about 2 1/2 hours away from home. I am a man and I am not afraid to admit that I cried almost the whole way home.

It is now just over a year later. I have been studying as I can. I have had a LOT going on in my life in the last year, so the test has kinda been on the back burner. I have been studying harder and harder. I use Kaplan as my mainstay. I purchased Hurst as well, and finished it, but didn't like it. Again, test grades were not where THEY said I needed to be. So I went back to Kaplan and have stayed. Although my test grades have improved, they are still fairly all over the place. I general stay in the high 50's to mid 60's. I will occasionally get in the 70's, and unfortunately will dip into a 40-something every now and then. Those are what freak me out. Like BAD. They throw me off. I WANT to blame those grades on the ADD, but I don't like to make excuses. So I study harder.

Looking back on my life, the ADD/ADHD makes sense. As a child, I always brought home report cards saying that I couldn't sit still and that I was always disruptive. I continuously got A's & B's, so I never got into too much trouble. But I'm almost 40. Back then, you didn't have ADD or ADHD. You were just a hyper kid that was out of control. Luckily my dad wasn't mean to me. I was reprimanded, but never got into trouble because my grades were good. Fast forward to nursing school.....I had friends in the class a year ahead of me that would get Adderall to study. I was willing to try anything. So I went to the VA. After several visits, and several long discussions, I was beginning to make sense of it all. It all just fell into place. I was constantly having the "ooooooooooohhhsssssss, that makes sense!" It effects my personal life just as much, or even more so, than school. I am convinced that I am depressed. I fixate on random things. But I will keep this as relevant as I can. I have now been dating an AWESOME woman for 9 months now. She has 3 full-grown kids, one of which is engaged. So we have 6 basically adults living in this house. Between my gf and I, we make $20 an hour. That isn't enough to support 6 adults. Yes, we are the only people working. Long story there! DSS wont give us food stamps. She and I have now picked up extra shifts to make a bit more money. I work 2nd shift, so I get off at 11. I come home and try to wind down, all while trying to get some studying in with 5 other people and usually one or two of their friends. I typically get to bed anywhere from 2-3:30am. Some times I will just say it's 1:30 and I have to get up tomorrow to study, so I'm going to bed. EVERY day I wake up at 9am so I can study. It takes awhile for me to get to sleep, so I generally only get roughly 5 hours of sleep a night. Some nights I lay in bed and MIGHT get 2 hours. Some times none. We struggle to pay bills. So, needless to say, I have a LOT riding on whether or not I pass this next test. I also just found out yesterday that the $200 I paid to the BON is only good for 365 days. That expired last month. So now I have to find a way to come up with $275 ASAP so I can test.

Yes, I know that I am over-stressed. But I have the capability of looking past the stress when it comes time to study and especially when I sit in front of a test. What is discouraging though is that with as much studying that I have done, my grades only stay in the 50's-60's. I have read on here recently that a LOT of people have those grades and pass their NCLEX. I am down to about 500 questions left on the QBank and have done QT's 1-4. #4's score was in the 40's. I KNOW I can retake that test and do better. I read every single rationale TWICE on it. ALL 150 questions. I look back at the wrong answers and it makes sense why I missed them. Then I miss simple stuff like marking the locations of where I can palpate this or that, and it's either correct, or it's right on the black line, making it incorrect. That is SO frustrating! It means I know the answer, but was close. Seems to be my theme in all of this.

This is all just so frustrating. So many responsibilities riding on this test. Some may call them all "stressors." While they are not wrong, I am choosing to call them all "motivators." It took too long for me to realize that this is what I was meant to do. When I walk into a hospital for ANY reason, I feel like I am home. This is where I am supposed to be. There are two women from my class that took the test twice and have since given up. They have gone different routes. I cannot. No matter how hard this gets, I refuse to give up. But oh wow.....I'm not going to lie. I am tired. I'm tired of studying. I'm tired of worrying. I'm tired of saying "when I pass my test....."

I know that I can do this. I just wish I would already "do this" so I can start being a nurse. You wait until I get my license and I sit in front of a hiring manage and/or charge nurse and they ask me why I want to be there.....why I want to be a nurse. I plan to drop their jaws.

So please, if you have advice, I welcome ANY and all! But if you have none but this helps you in any way, keep your head up! This CAN be done. If you want it bad enough, it will happen. It may not happen when and how you want. But it WILL happen!

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I understand and can relate to your pain. I'm in nursing school right now and nobody understands how hard coping with ADD is. I've struggled with it my whole life and never got help as a kid, because I just "wasn't trying" or not "applying myself" and wound up dropping out because it seemed pointless to keep trying. It was like fighting a losing battle. If you don't mind me asking, have you tried medication? Best of luck to you. You can do this! Keep your head up and never stop trying!

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I've been put on Adderall, but the doseage wasn't right. I am slowly bumping it up 5mg at a time. I feel like I'm getting closer to what works best for me.

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I didn't see it mentioned, but did you test with accommodations? Extended time and a distraction- free area to in would be pretty typical for your LD. See what the BON requires for you to get these. It won,t help with studying, but may help with the running out of time.

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Specializes in Hospice.
I didn't see it mentioned, but did you test with accommodations? Extended time and a distraction- free area to in would be pretty typical for your LD. See what the BON requires for you to get these. It won,t help with studying, but may help with the running out of time.

So, if he tests with accommodations and manages to pass NCLEX, what kind of accommodations can he demand from an employer?

I'm sorry, but if I'm ever in a hospital, I really don't want to have to worry about whether my front line health care professional is going to have an issue that could interfere with him/her maintaining a safe environment, utilizing his/her critical thinking skills or catching a small issue before it becomes a critical one.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
I didn't see it mentioned, but did you test with accommodations? Extended time and a distraction- free area to in would be pretty typical for your LD. See what the BON requires for you to get these. It won,t help with studying, but may help with the running out of time.

If he never tested with accommodations in college or high school the NCSBN is not likely to offer any. Extended time is not often awarded without extensive documentation and consistent application throughout the candidates education. And rarely offered for another attempt if not requested for the first attempts.

The test centers I've been to don't have many distractions. There is no speaking, no extra noises it's relatively quiet and conducive to test taking

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If he's got a new diagnosis, one made after nursing school, I bet he could get them if he has documentation. Even the state BON doesn't get to thumb its nose at the ADA if a student has a legitimate disability. I needed documentation to support my requests. It took an office visit, albeit kind of a long one, so the process wasn't particularly onerous. As someone who used distraction free environments, I can assure you that other test-takers in the room, even if they're quiet, can be very distracting,

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I'm not really looking for accommodations. I feel that if I study hard enough and prepare well enough, extra time won't matter. Besides, they give you head phones to use for questions with sound. I can either just leave those on or I can utilize the ear plugs they provide.

I'm not looking for help that will make the test any easier. What I am looking for, if anyone wants, is for guidance on what helped them pass when the odds WEREN'T forever in their favor. Maybe even encouragement from test takers that just couldn't seem to get their grades above 60 on Kaplan or even Hurst. I have read some and they have helped my confidence. If they can help me, they can help someone else. Hopefully! I know I can do this. Anyone can. They just have to find what works for them. Which is what I am currently doing. It just is extremely frustrating because it feels like there are so many things trying to keep me from achieving my goal. Again, I can't give up!!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

OP, just to clarify, you took the NCLEX before you were taking Adderall, and today you are medicated?

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Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.
So, if he tests with accommodations and manages to pass NCLEX, what kind of accommodations can he demand from an employer?

I'm sorry, but if I'm ever in a hospital, I really don't want to have to worry about whether my front line health care professional is going to have an issue that could interfere with him/her maintaining a safe environment, utilizing his/her critical thinking skills or catching a small issue before it becomes a critical one.

Nursing is a very challenging profession that requires a lot of multi-tasking amid environmental distractions. Special accommodations will not be made for a person who can't stay focused on their task. Certainly not in acute care. Nor will employers tolerate or pay you for consistently requiring overtime to complete your tasks.

The Washington Nursing Commission treats learning disabilities as "medical conditions"

When you apply for a nursing license you will have to answer questions such as the one Washington State asks it's applicants.

.............................................................................

DOH 669-321 July 2015

Do you have a medical condition which in any way impairs or limits your ability to practice your profession with reasonable skill and safety? If yes, please attach explanation.

Medical Condition” includes physiological, mental or psychological conditions or disorders, such as, but not limited to orthopedic, visual, speech, and hearing impairments, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, intellectual disabilities, emotional or mental illness, specific learning disabilities, HIV disease, tuberculosis, drug addiction, and alcoholism.

..........................................................................

You are expected to treat your condition such that you can skillfully and safely provide care to the public.

You have made a lot of bad decisions that have landed you in a difficult to remedy situation that a bunch of strangers on the internet won't be able to bail you out of. Obviously studying harder does not work. You must study smarter. Taking on others' responsibilities when you struggle with your own is a poor decision that has led to not allowing yourself sufficient time to study, absorb your material and understand the rationale that is so critical in answering NCLEX questions.

It is very unfortunate that if you don't pass the NCLEX your education will have just been an accumulation of debt you can ill afford to pay.

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Tex....

When I was first put on Adderall, it barely worked. I called the psychiatrist back at the VA and was told that there is nothing else the VA could Rx me. (I was also put on Ritalin and dextro. Neither worked, so we tried the Adderall.) After I tried the test twice without meds, I called the VA back and there was another psychiatrist that replaced the previous one. He suggested just increasing the dose. I have been on 20mg for almost a year and it doesn't work like it used to. So he increased it to 20 bid.

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Specializes in Short Term/Skilled.

Ok, you have to chill out and take a breath.

Use tools to help manage your symptoms, I'm a fan of time-timer and taking breaks where I do something physical like clean a room.

Take a deep breath before each question and only focus on that one question, not whats coming or what time it is, just what that one question is asking you. Remember ABCD, Maslows, and use your critical thinking to slay that one question.

Then do it again.

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