yeah, i must admit i belong to this range (75-79).. i guess the reasons why i got that grade are: 1. i self study, only referred to school notes and hand outs during college, udan book and reviewer from school; 2. while self reviewing, i also have a job when i took the the exam .. so most of the time after/before work, i would just sit in the cafeteria, coffee shops, and restaurants to read and answer questions.. starbucks, burger king, mcdo, wendy's, seattle's and giligans (yes, while clubbing i would bring a book or small notes); 3. i enjoyed my hearts out with too much gimiks and hang outs during the first month of my review, which made it harder for me to touch base on all of the topics. (altough i mainly concentrated on the essential topics like ms,imci,funda,mcn,etc) and lastly, 4. i erased 5-7 answers during test 2. (i can atest that erasing answers on the exam sheet would greatly affect the result, believe me!!!) this gave me an end result of a cliff hanging grade.. so close from the edge, i could almost smell the rotting failure.. luckily, i had 80 and 81 from test 3 and 5, which saved my life..
i hate to say it, but it kinda suck being in this range since especially during interview.. you cannot defend yourself and explain to them the reasons why you got this low grade.. and frankly, they wouldnt listen since figure is figure.. i/we must have live with it i guess.. anyway, its the attitude and perseverance matters.. and most specially the compassion towards our profession is the key to one's success.. some of you might disagree but, sometimes grade is aint nothing but a number.. :wink2:
as they say, we can never turn back time.. instead accept the reality, move on and learn from the mistakes of the past.. (never erase an answer on the exam sheet.. tsk tsk tsk) so i just wanna know your ideas about topic.. how important is it to have a high board rating?? is it really important??
I'm fortunate i didn't have to take the NLE upon graduation. I've heard of people failing the local board but passing the NCLEX-RN.
But this is no longer a possibility for anyone. If they are permitted to sit for the NLE, then they are going to have to pass it to even be able to sit for the NCLEX exam for CA. It is now a requirement that is being enforced by them. As well as a requirement for the Visa Screen Certificate. If it is written, then it must be passed.
And for those that hold only US citizenship, then they must actually obtain a written letter from the PRC that they are exempt from the exam. Dual citizenship and one is not exempt, therefore the exam will need to be written. Same goes for green card holders, the NLE will have to be written for CA.
Hi Suzanne. The board of registered nursing here in Calfornia only requested a letter from me stating why I didn't challenge the NLE. My paperwork was processed without any delays. Perhaps I went thru a loophole in the system. But, never was i required to show a license from the Phil.
Some RN might have a high board rating, but that doesn't make then a good nurse! Some just passed on the boarder line and mind you, they have what it takes to be good nurse. Yes, here in the Philippines, they prefer to have a high board rating, but outside, its a matter of pass or fail and your credentials. Anyway... sometimes life is unfair. And life is what we make it. You study that way, I guess you now know why you have that grade. Well as for me, I got 75-80 too. But I don't blame myself or that I got sick while taking the board. And I can't even remember my asnwers because I'm to sick to remember it. hahaha... But the important part is, I passed first take! It's a blessing already.. Count your blessing, its better than failing and taking it for the second and third time...
:hlk:it's sad that hospitals are really looking at the NLE scores of their applicants.. it's not the only gauge to check the competency of an applicant (i really believe on this) that's why it sucks to be a nurse here in our country..
u have so many competitors (the june 08 board passers plus the other years & lets add the november board passers), the hospitals doesnt hire much nurses although there is a need for staff nurses (believe me! i had a training at a private tertiary hospital in manila but the ration a nurse to patients are at times 10.. i mean, it's private.. patients deserve better services & more nurses), hospitals scrutinize their applicants (their height, their looks, their grades, their board ratings..i mean all! holistically! LOL!!) and add up.. the govt doesnt do anything about the current problem/situation.
with me, God had been good.. when i passed the boards last june '08 i didnt expect to get a board rating beyond 80.. it's a miracle i guess from heaven.. right now, i am starting on my first hospital job at the hospital that i had my training (yup, i paid 5k for it).. wish me luck guys:plsebeg:
i hope this kind of thing with us would be changed, i hate this kind of situation.. but i know if God closes his door he opens a window--chances that only his WILL & that only time can tell..
Chances here in our country to get a hospital job is so poor:cry: (it can be compared to drought, tigang!) I hate it because registered nurses in our country are getting so many (and it's getting bigger, add up the incoming passers of november '08 boards)
There is still so much hardships after the board exam in store for a new RN. U need to apply and eventually ull wait for so many years for a call from the hospital. Hospitals nowadays doesnt accept many applicants & the salary for hospital nurses is so low (8k for some tertiary private hospitals, but some even pays 6k/month) They look on the boardratings that u got(i think it's too judgemental to accept applicants with good scores.. the new style of boards does not even check on one's clinical competency.. is research and nursing management included in ur daily nursing skills? just a thought), the grades u had, the seminars u attended and even ur appearance (amf! if ur too small or if u look younger.. what's the relationship of that with ur capacity to do ur nursing skills)
As for me, God had been good. I took the june 08 boards and i got a score beyond 80 (miracle indeed, its the fruit of my novenas at baclaran and at st.jude plus the prayers to the black nazarene) and im so lucky that someone helped me to land a hospital training (i have no choice but to cling on a backer--with tough times like this i need to hold on if there is an oppurtunity.. even if i feel that it's kinda unfair:cry:) Right now, i'll be starting soon at a private tertiary hospital along Manila (just around taft) wish me luck..
by the way, i erased almost every subject from test1-5.. (at test 2 i erased 15 items but luckily i got 80% at that part) erasing wouldnt make ur score low (as long as u erase the wrong answer, not ur correct answer)
i hope things would be better for us, new chances and doors maybe opened for us..
yes there are inadequte number of nurses in some hospitals. One of the reason for not hiring nurses is business and no budget. There's not enough budget to hire the required nurses and business that they take advantage of the situation wherein some are willing to pay for their training.
For me, it's not really that important. I got 85.4 for my rating. The tenth placer during my time got 85.8 so I know I was just a few points away from being a top notcher.... YET I am still jobless now. It really didn't help much except that during one interview, they really asked me if I made it to the top 10.
I know having a nice rating is a blessing but it's not the basis of everything. I have God to thank for the good grade yet I know there's so much that I have to learn. There's so much that I have to explore and it wouldn't depend on that number... it would depend on His grace in my life.
Chances of landing a job in the hospital in the Philippines now are getting slim. But like what other people say "its a matter of who you know, not what you know anymore". . . thats the sad reality nowadays.
Chances here in our country to get a hospital job is so poor:cry: (it can be compared to drought, tigang!) I hate it because registered nurses in our country are getting so many (and it's getting bigger, add up the incoming passers of november '08 boards)
There is still so much hardships after the board exam in store for a new RN. U need to apply and eventually ull wait for so many years for a call from the hospital. Hospitals nowadays doesnt accept many applicants & the salary for hospital nurses is so low (8k for some tertiary private hospitals, but some even pays 6k/month) They look on the boardratings that u got(i think it's too judgemental to accept applicants with good scores.. the new style of boards does not even check on one's clinical competency.. is research and nursing management included in ur daily nursing skills? just a thought), the grades u had, the seminars u attended and even ur appearance (amf! if ur too small or if u look younger.. what's the relationship of that with ur capacity to do ur nursing skills)
As for me, God had been good. I took the june 08 boards and i got a score beyond 80 (miracle indeed, its the fruit of my novenas at baclaran and at st.jude plus the prayers to the black nazarene) and im so lucky that someone helped me to land a hospital training (i have no choice but to cling on a backer--with tough times like this i need to hold on if there is an oppurtunity.. even if i feel that it's kinda unfair:cry:) Right now, i'll be starting soon at a private tertiary hospital along Manila (just around taft) wish me luck..
by the way, i erased almost every subject from test1-5.. (at test 2 i erased 15 items but luckily i got 80% at that part) erasing wouldnt make ur score low (as long as u erase the wrong answer, not ur correct answer)
i hope things would be better for us, new chances and doors maybe opened for us..
God bless us all..:paw:
Hehehe, you have a point there, just don't erase the correct answer!
Anyway, I believe the absurd criteria of hospitals now are just their way of cutting down the number of applicants. Plus, they can afford to be choosy because there's a lot to choose from anyway.
Having a good NLE grade gives you a competitive advantage over others with the same knowledge and skills as you have. If I were an employer, from a pool of a thousand novice applicants (I am not kidding with the figures,guys) who will I choose?! I wouldn't have time to test all of their nursing skills, won't I?! So what will I do then?! Of course, base it on their NLE scores. Then after shortlisting those with good grades I will screen them further thru exams and interviews just to save TIME AND MONEY for recruitment and hiring. Let's be realistic. Your grade is a fact in your life but doesn't end there. I had a co-worker whose grade ranges from 75-80 but still she landed a job in an ICU. That was 3 years ago. Of course, times have changed and it became TOUGHER!
Ranking the applicants through their board ratings is just one tool the managers use to help thin out the list. They do they same thing in the US. I was asked to supply my transcripts, since the NCLEX doesn't have a board ratings, with my application. Some hospitals will even post on their website a minimum GPA is required to even apply. There are too many new grad nurses fighting over too few new grad nursing slots in the US as well. So don't think the process is unfair. It's just a simple supply/demand problem. Too many nurses, too few open positions.
If you don't believe there is an over supply of new nurses across the USA. Please check out the different states under the "Region" tab above. You will read about the heartache American nurses are going through after several months of not even receiving an interview, much more a job offer.
So do the best you can on your NLE. Remember to study and brush up on your readings and skill set. Because you are always selling yourself in every interaction.
) and add up.. the govt doesnt do anything about the current problem/situation.
suzanne4, RN
26,410 Posts
But this is no longer a possibility for anyone. If they are permitted to sit for the NLE, then they are going to have to pass it to even be able to sit for the NCLEX exam for CA. It is now a requirement that is being enforced by them. As well as a requirement for the Visa Screen Certificate. If it is written, then it must be passed.
And for those that hold only US citizenship, then they must actually obtain a written letter from the PRC that they are exempt from the exam. Dual citizenship and one is not exempt, therefore the exam will need to be written. Same goes for green card holders, the NLE will have to be written for CA.