what to bring? besides my brain.

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Jan 16, 2015

That's about it. Leave your cell phone, notes, etc all in the car or at home. There will be a list of things you can take with you into the examination area. Bring only those things. Nothing else. You'll probably have to leave your water/electrolyte drink in the locker as you won't be able to take your first break until about 2.5 hours into the examination and unless there's a vending machine nearby that you'll be allowed to visit, don't expect to get to visit it until after you're done. You might want to consider bringing a small snack or two to put in your locker along with your water for your use during your breaks. That way you'll eliminate any chance for a hold to be put in place.

christina731 · Jan 16, 2015

Bring a healthy snack. Eating junk from a vending machine isn't conducive to a sound mind IMHO. Good luck to you!!

JonnyQ23 · Jan 16, 2015

My center didn't have vending machines. Bring a healthy brain snack. You can take a break whenever you want, but the time keeps ticking. There is a scheduled break at 2.5 hrs that you don't have to take. You have 6 hrs to finish, period, don't waste too much time on breaks. Oh, and if you have your cell, they just bag it up.

Sparrow91 · Jan 16, 2015

Bring a drink

A snack with both carbs and protein, I bucked the system and instead of bringing a healthy snack I brought my lucky chocolate milk! It has carbs, protein, and CHOCOLATE! Seriously how can you go wrong? Plus it got me through all 7 HESIs, no sense in breaking with tradition now!

and your ID

Make sure to leave the cell phone in the car, I know it sounds simple but everyone in the group I tested with had their cells phones with them and you can imagine the disapproving stares they got.

Wear something basic, one person I saw wore a sweat shirt with a hood and cargo pants, it took like ten minutes for them to take of the sweat shirt and to flip all there pockets in side out.

Wear clothes that will be good for a room that may be either too warm or too cold, I tested in the summer and a lot of people had shorts and flip flops and the testing room was freezing!

Leave jewelry in the car or at home, again you don't want to be that person that holds up the line while taking off copious amounts of jewelry.

You have made it through one of the toughest degrees out there. You can do this! :up:

B52, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 16, 2015

Floss before you go. I sat in the car and ate a handful of almonds before I tested. I had a piece of almond stuck in my teeth and it drive me crazy throughout the test.

Amesmo93 · Jan 17, 2015

LOL...Floss! This made me giggle. But yes I can definitely see how it can drive you "NUTS" Ha Ha Ha....get it because you had almonds! :roflmao: Don't mind me...I can be a bit of a goof sometimes!

itisabouttime · Jan 17, 2015

got done in 75 questions. it was simpler than i thought. probably failed. i will update with the obligatory "THIS IS HOW I PASSED NCLEX" thread when my results post