Canadian RN Passed NCLEX First Go! Here's what I did...

rainnice

Now the first thing I tried to determine was what the big difference between NCLEX and the CRNE that I had written in Canada and what little I found did end up being true. So here it is: I personally felt that the Canadian exam was easier, much easier for me. So factors that may have played in that included that I had just graduated and everything was still fresh in my mind but also I felt the Canadian exam during that time genuinely focused on true real issues that I would encounter each day versus the NCLEX which was just like another world. I learned about diseases that I had never heard of before and memorized lab values I never had to before.

Now how I actually studied for the exam. Truthfully I did not know where to start from so I came here. Everyone kept mentioning Kaplan but I did not want to spend so much money. I started by reading the Saunders book, it was horrible so I skipped it. I read an article about Mary Ann Hogan book so that is where I started.I read about 14 chapters in that before giving up and realizing it was just too much content. I really did need that content component so this is where my studying really started. I started studying on March 1 2015 officially no fooling around.

How I Studied

1. Hurst Review:

I had access to the older Hurst videos and watched through them all once. I spent about a week and half on those videos. They had a good core content review and I highly recommend them. I just could not convince myself to read those huge content reviews and this really truly helped me!

2. Mary Ann Hogan:

My book came with access to the question bank on their website and I did anywhere from 150-200 questions each day going through all the different learning areas ie: safety etc. I found the questions really good but I did feel some of their questions were very straight forward knowledge type. When I first started I was scoring between 55-60's and near the end closer to 70's.

3. Lacharity:

I read so so so much about this book and for thirty + bucks why the heck not. I did get quite a few prioritization questions but the questions in the book were much harder then the actual thing. I worked through the first 21 chapters. I did not do the case studies simply because I ran out of time. I left this book to last which I should not have. my grades fluctuated a lot and it caused me a lot of anxiety but its fine seriously do not pay attention to the grades its what you learn from the rationale! My lowest was 38 and highest 78 but majority of my grades were 60-65%.

4. Kaplan q trainers 1-7:

Everybody talked about how similar this was the NCLEX and I knew I had to find time to fit these in. These scores were the scariest to get back because they were not the best for me.

q trainer 1: 60%
q trainer 2: 58%
q trainer 3: 57%
q trainer 4: 60%
q trainer 5: 59%
q trainer 6: 63%
q trainer 7: 59.7%

They were not the best grades and they really did scare me. But again STOP WORRYING ABOUT THE SCORES. Read the rationales and understand where you are going wrong. I did the last q trainer one day before the exam in one go to get an idea of how long it would take me to get through all the questions.

THE NCLEX!!!:

I booked my exam for April 16th 2015 @ 2:00 pm. I wanted to be wide awake for my exam but if I had to do it again I would have booked it in the morning or maybe a little earlier then all the way at 2 pm. Mostly because the whole day I was a nervous wreck. JUST GET IT OVER IT! Before the exam I ate a couple of eggs and a banana to keep me full. I brought a couple of water bottles and granola bars for the actual exam. As soon as I got there, which was a half hour earlier then I was supposed to they scanned my palm, got my phone into the bag and my things into the locker. I was in the room before I knew it. I finished my tutorial and started the exam.

Now here's the thing I have never learned or had to read an ECG strip and I reviewed it a bit but did not actively study it was much as I should have. Because on the NCLEX I did not just get one, or two I got 3! Yes three ECG questions! I had a good amount of SATA questions and holy heck a lot of medication questions. I did not study for the medications which I was kicking myself for a lot. I also got two medication calculations questions. Near the end of the exam I was GETTING A LOT A LOT of "easy" straight knowledge questions so I assumed I for sure had not passed. I was waiting for question 75 and when it kept going my heart dropped. But I sucked it up and prepared myself to go till 265. The message came up to take the break I ignored it I just wasn't tired yet and I wanted to keep going. I had decided in mind I would take a break at 4:30 but my exam closed five minutes before that. I had answered around 120-130 questions.

After the exam:

Like I said the last questions I had were VERY easy and I was sure I failed. Definitely got the last question wrong and according to the "rumors" surely that meant I failed.

So I sulked down to the lobby and tried to hold back my tears. I felt like I knew nothing that I had written on the exam and more so then anything it was all such a short blur, initially could not recall any of the questions they slowly came to me. My husband picked me up all happy and I cried. I cried some more and what he said made so much sense what's the point of crying before you even know what the result will be. I was still feeling super down but I ate the peanut butter cookie he had so sweetly bought me. After the exam everyone who called me to ask how the exam went got the same answer, it was not good and then they would feel super awkward and tried to pacify me.

I wrote my exam on Thursday which meant I would not get my quick results until Monday. I did not want to take the chance with the Pearson Vue trick. I checked Michigan Board of Nursing website and it said my application was still pending awaiting results.

Saturday morning by fluke I checked the website and my application status said completed and I clicked the link and BAM there I was on the website my license active with my name and permanent ID.

I could not believe it, frankly I still can't but now I can just look up my name and there I am

The take home message from all of this is:

If you go in prepared please believe in yourself you can do it and you will
Stop fussing about the rumors (easy questions etc)
Do not be a nervous wreck and be confident
Do every question you possibly can
Do not ignore content but do not dwell on it, do a core content review and then just do as many questions under the sun
STUDY MEDICATIONS

You can do this! You really can believe in yourself!