Anyone else feel really horrible after taking NCLEX?

[christvs]

I know I just posted about how I took NCLEX today, but hopefully writing will be therapeutic for me. I am just so scared I did poorly on this thing! I have such mixed feelings about 75 questions! I wish they weren't all so hard, so I can say I feel more confident about it. I feel like a balloon whose air was all let out... I want to be an RN so badly and feel I am a safe, knowledgeable person....so I hope the computer saw that today!!! I just want to get my license and start working!!! I don't know what to do with myself until I find out....and i'm also afraid to hear bad news! But I can't say in my heart that I think I failed cuz I think I'm pretty smart and definitely know enough of this material to pass, and have always tested very well...and I did stay pretty calm during the exam...and I did my very best on each question. I'm trying hard to convince myself I did fine. How did everyone else feel after theirs?

-Christine

[cantwait2bRN]

Hi Suzzanne,

would you have the slightest idea if the disaster/triage and herbal medicines are part of the 15 questions that thery are testing??

~sp

[JudithL_in_NH]

So you thought it was hard too? I couldn't believe how crazy hard the questions were! It was mostly prioritizing! I couldn't even really use ABCs or Maslow for any of them either! Did you get a lot of prioritization too? And I get a bunch of crazy meds on it that I've never even heard of! Wow! I've got my fingers crossed for us too! :)

-Christine

Many, many "Which patient do you see first" (so prioritizing) questions. And I know what you mean, Christine, in most instances the four pts presented were either all so complex, or all so oddly stable, that the questions really were head scratchers--even while applying ABCs and Maslow. Several multiple multiples. For whatever reason, I had a ton of renal, no cardiac, no maternity, no cancer, no GI, no neuro, no mass casualty, no herbal, one psych, one ortho, one ABG, two peds, two burns, three precautions, and TONS of meds (many I wasn't familiar with and that couldn't figure out by the endings of the names), though there were two really easy med calcs.

Only about eight of my questions were straightforward "I know the answer" kinds of questions--everything else was complex, required analysis of multiple factors, and involved judgment.

The questions were definitely more complex, and often more obscure, than those I had practiced with (Kaplan, NCLEX 3000, and Saunders), though Kaplan and NCLEX 3000 came closer to what was on the NCLEX.

The review course I took (Hurst Review) claims that if the questions generated seem extremely difficult, you are right where you want to be as you've demonstrated competency with the previous questions and will likely pass--so hopefully we're in good shape.

In NH, we usually get results the next day--no luck for me at the BON website yet (still show as "pending"), so I'm guessing I may not know until Tuesday with this long holiday weekend. :0(

Again, 'll keep my fingers crossed for both of us!

[suzanne4, RN]

Hi Suzzanne,

would you have the slightest idea if the disaster/triage and herbal medicines are part of the 15 questions that thery are testing??

~sp

Those questions can vary, but disaster questions have been on many of the exams over the past year. I prepare all of my students with information on that, as well as herbal medications. Both are a vital part of working as a nurse, no matter where you are located.

[christvs, DNP, RN, NP]

Those questions can vary, but disaster questions have been on many of the exams over the past year. I prepare all of my students with information on that, as well as herbal medications. Both are a vital part of working as a nurse, no matter where you are located.

Suzanne, I did not have any questions on disaster, and only one on herbal meds (an interaction between an herbal med and a more traditional prescription med).

-Christine

[soon_to_be_RN]

The test stopped after 75 very hard questions. I feel like I failed and can't stop the twisting in my gut. :barf01: The wait is pure torture.

[JudithL_in_NH]

The test stopped after 75 very hard questions. I feel like I failed and can't stop the twisting in my gut. :barf01: The wait is pure torture.

Take heart, S_t_b_RN! Several of us are in the same boat; we can wait together. :icon_hug:

Are you doing anything fun for the 4th to keep your mind off the NCLEX? I'm leaving early tomorrow for a 24h stay at a girls' camp, filling in for one of the "real" nurses. No computer access there, though I've asked my DH to check the web site a couple of times and telephone me if there's good news. Otherwise, I'll hopefully be busy and won't think about it too much.

Good luck to us all!

[soon_to_be_RN]

Take heart, S_t_b_RN! Several of us are in the same boat; we can wait together. :icon_hug:

Are you doing anything fun for the 4th to keep your mind off the NCLEX? I'm leaving early tomorrow for a 24h stay at a girls' camp, filling in for one of the "real" nurses. No computer access there, though I've asked my DH to check the web site a couple of times and telephone me if there's good news. Otherwise, I'll hopefully be busy and won't think about it too much.

Good luck to us all!

Thanks for the support...it helps :)

I am actually working tonight and tomorrow night at my new job. I have my IP, which makes me even more anxious...How would I tell everyone I failed :uhoh21: I am thinking I should have waited...oh well.

Sounds like you are going to have a busy and fun weekend...hope you get good news...thanks again

[christvs, DNP, RN, NP]

Yep, I have that same twisty, icky butterflies in my stomach/pit in my stomach whatever you call it! I am trying to stay positive, but the waiting totally bites! I just want to know already so I can function as a normal human being again! I can't seem to focus on anything but how I did. I'm counting down the hours until tomorrow around 9:30 AM (that will be 48 hours after I finished the exam). I hope I know something by then!