Anyone work as GN while studying for NCLEX

Jennerizer, ASN, RN · Jan 21, 2005

I just had orientation this past week as a GN on PCU. My first night on the floor is this Sunday. After that I'll have one day of class & two 12-hr shifts of work each week. I scheduled my nclex exam for Feb 28th - because I feel like I need more time to study & I want to see how my classmates do on the exam. That should be a pretty good indicator as to how well our school prepares us. I also wanted to start gaining experience as well as make some money - that's why I accepted a position as a GN. I think it's a personal decision as far as what will work best for you.

Jen

Altra, BSN, RN · Jan 21, 2005

I agree it's a personal decision, but keep in mind the cyclical nature of hospital hiring -- it's possible that you might miss out on a position you really want if you wait longer to apply than most others from schools in your area.

Many hospitals that hire GNs offer an NCLEX review course too.

Good luck to you. :)

INtoFL_RN · Jan 21, 2005

Yes, in fact I would say that I benefited from working while studying. During my new grad orientation, we covered lots of nursing topics that were covered on NCLEX. It was a great refresher. I also got to reinforce my review of certain topics by putting the knowledge into action. They say stuff "sticks" more if you see, say, and do. Plus it was nice to have a distraction from the pressure of passing the test. My co-workers were very supportive of me and gave me confidence going into the test.

pittdidi · Jan 21, 2005

Oh wow. I never thought about how work could actually HELP the NCLEX. I'm just terrified of failing. Are your orientations full time. Are you exhausted from work and then find yourself having to study as well?

INtoFL_RN · Jan 22, 2005

All of this was about a year and a half ago for me...but my orientation was 2 days on the unit (12 hour day shift) and 2 days of class (8 hours long). I never really felt like studying on the days I worked on the unit. But having the class was good because I would get together with some of my classmates and study on our day off. I was lucky in that this was at a teaching hospital on a university campus, so there were lots of new grads who were in the same boat as me.

Try not to stress about the amount of studying you are doing too much. NCLEX is a similar to final exams. It should be review, not "learn before the test." There is no way to cram every fact about every topic. For this test you should be preparing HOW to take it. I highly suggest the Kaplan NCLEX review books. They have great suggestions and hints for success.

Good luck to you! :)

INtoFL_RN · Jan 22, 2005

I wanted to add too.....

If you decide to work before taking NCLEX, be sure to talk to your manager about letting you have a little time off before taking the test. If your manager wants you to succeed (and you know he or she does because that means their employee would be licensed!) they will have no problem doing this.