Confessions of a 30-Something RN Grad

[LuvofNursing]

First question, okay, 50/50.....A or C..... hmmm...A.... "next".....2nd question.....what? What are they asking? These are all right, and there are no indicators in the question showing priority. Can I ask them "is this patient stable?" "how old are they?" "should I assume they are anxious?"....Can I phone a friend?

Okay, quit assuming, take the question at face value......uh......well, if I were getting this done, this is what I would want to know.......B........

Right about question 8 I hear the girl next to me groan. Then about 10 questions later she does a big sigh, then a few later she says, "Oh gosh." Seriously? Shut-up.....I am freaking out, too. The least you can do is give me some silence, right? Maybe I should've said yes to those earplugs.

Where's the delegation? Where is the alternate question with apical pulse location? Where are the labs? Where is the question on crutches?

Why do I get the feeling they are asking me about the same thing over and over? Maybe they are thinking (I have now humanized the NCLEX monster as "they") if I give her the question 5 or 6 more times, maybe she'll get it right.....then.......

Black screen.....wait! They are thinking....we gave her every shot possible, but she blew it. 75 questions, and I knew the answer to a whopping.....TWO (with certainty).

I do the outgoing survey, looking for the question that says, do you think this test was made as an evil joke? "Strongly agree"

I again get fingerprinted (I am thinking, if you think I actually paid this pathetic looking, short-haired blonde girl in sweatpants to take the test for me, then she did a poor job.....I am demanding a refund). I courteously smile and get my stuff. Then I realize, it's time to hit the potty. My stomach is gurgling, and I can actually see my heartbeat in my abdomen. It is pounding. I get into my car, deciding who won't think I am crazy if I call in this state of mind. Okay, my hubby, of course, he always makes me feel better. "Oh, that stinks." Is his response to my description. "When can you take it again?" I'm thinking "I DON'T KNOW, I DIDN'T PLAN ON FAILING!" You're not helping, click......then, my mom. Mom's always make you feel better, right? "Oh sweetie, it's not the end of the world, you can just take it over." Again, not what I wanted to hear.

At this point I am hoping that Ashton pops out from behind the car next to me with his trendy hair and crooked smile and says, "You've been Punk'd!" so that I can slap him in the face or kick him where the sun don't shine or something equally degrading.

Where are all of my girlfriends who are RNs? Voicemail, Voicemail, Voicemail.

I am sitting in a random parking lot thinking, "Maybe I'll just tell everyone that I had to reschedule, then take the exam again before anybody finds out that I've failed." How vain is that?!

Ugh!!! My stomach is hurting again. I get a few calls/texts and I can't bear to tell the whole ugly story again.

I get home (I can't even remember driving really....it feels like I got home in 5 minutes). I sit on my couch for about 45 minutes.....no TV, no kids, no talking, maybe even no blinking. I didn't take the NCLEX serious enough. I should've done a different review. I should've done more questions. I should've taken it later or maybe earlier or maybe I should've just NOT studied.

Of course, nothing on BRN the next day, the day after that, I wake up at 0500 and check...nope...I am even looking on allnurses.com to see what the odds are of failing at 75 questions. Meanwhile, I am talking to people now. I am trying to convince myself that I am okay with whatever happens (of course, I am MORE okay with passing!). I contemplate setting my alarm for 0200 Saturday morning (I've heard the BRN updates their website at 0200 for the previous day). I decide that if it isn't there, it will ruin the rest of my night's sleep, so I pass on the alarm idea.

Saturday morning, I sleep in, 0900.......I click on my bookmark (yes, I have bookmarked it).....type my last name.......can you believe it? There is another woman in my county with the same name....well, that is annoying, even SHE passed the NCLEX....wait....oh, okay, I think I can actually hear the word relief as I exhale. Now, I can drop the weight on my chest and the pit from my stomach. Phew.

Moral of the story, sometimes the signs and symptoms (abdominal pain, bounding pulse, anxiety, feelings of impending doom) don't match the diagnosis (Effective testing output r/t using my noggin aeb name showing up on BRN site)

What's next?

You mean, now I have to find a job? My stomach hurts again.

[emmanewgrad]

I took the NCLEX this afternoon, it shut off at 75 questions, perhaps 10 of which I was sure of, and said "Thanks for playing!" Since I don't drink, I went to the bookstore and bought the biggest chocolate chip cookie I could find and sat and read comic books for two hours. Someone in our program figured out an unofficial way to determine if you pass within an hour of taking the test. Basically, you log onto the Pearson Vue website and try to re-register for the test. If it says "there is another test scheduled" or something like thaty, you've passed. According to this hacker method, I passed.

I am no longer tachy, but will not be completely relaxed until my name appears on the BRN website. Regardless, I'm calling myself nurse Rob!

You are right, it's all over allnurses.com! i tried it too man! mine shut down at 75 questions, plus a survey towards the end. I panicked, had migraine that made me feel a near death experience, was scary. Anyhow, the trick is what gives me a peace of mind until it's official~so far pearson trick did not let me reschedule for "the test"...I hope I did pass!

[tlwkaw]

Good luck!!! sounds like you passed so congraulations!!!!

[RN_waitlister]

This post and all these comments pump me up so much! I am on a 2-year waitlist for a 4-year RN program and I just want to get started now!!! I'm so looking forward to a challenge and a change! I'll be 30 when I start the program.

I'm done all the pre-reqs and electives from past College time, so for now, I just have to wait (). Hearing about this crazy test motivates me to start studying now though. for the next 2 years while I wait, I'm going to start reviewing anatomy and physiology. Any other recommendations to start studying and preparing for the program? Books?

Thanks and goodluck to everyone doing the test!! How exciting it must be once you find out you passed!

[ilovenursing09]

Cogratulations to you :bowingpur! You portrayed this story exactly how I felt the first time I took my Nclex, only I failed. I feel very confident in the knowledge, I'm just such a poor test taker but I refuse to let this exam defeat me. However, on your exam when you kept seeing the same question topic did you choose the same answer or did you change?

[shoegalRN, RN]

Oh, I can sooo relate to this story! I am a 35 year old single mother who just took NCLEX on July 8, 2009. I went to nursing school after spending 14 years in Corporate America. I spent one month studying EVERYDAY for 2-3 hours a day for NCLEX. I took it in 2 hours, got 75 questions and was a nervous wreck on the way home. I had prayed about it, went to church the morning of the test, had the pastor lay hands on me, had the church lift me up in prayer, and when the computer cut off at 75 questions, I about lost it.

I was such in shock, I walked around the parking lot of the testing center, calling all my friends and family and telling them, I just don't think I passed.

Afterwards, I went to get my eyebrows waxed, and to take off some anxiety. I came home and checked the Pearson vue "trick" and got the pop-up! That relieved my anxiety for the next couple of days.

Then exactly 48 hours later, I got my quick results that said I passed. And did I mention I got a job in a Level I Trauma teaching hospital in the ICU? And not to mention, I'm also in their "New Grad Residency" program? I went on an interview the day after I took NCLEX and was job offered the same day. So, I HAD to pass this test!

The last 2 1/2 years of my life has all boiled down to this! And every test, every presentation, every "all nighter", every cup of coffee, all the getting up at the crack of dawn for clinicals, every care plan, was all well worth it!

[Harlene]

Considering NCLEX as monster I will agree, but the local board exam in the Philippnes is much much worse I think, They have 5 sets of 100 questions that will be taken for 2 days and the result will be after a month, then there is the leakage. Wahahaha.

[emmanewgrad]

Oh, I can sooo relate to this story! I am a 35 year old single mother who just took NCLEX on July 8, 2009. I went to nursing school after spending 14 years in Corporate America. I spent one month studying EVERYDAY for 2-3 hours a day for NCLEX. I took it in 2 hours, got 75 questions and was a nervous wreck on the way home. I had prayed about it, went to church the morning of the test, had the pastor lay hands on me, had the church lift me up in prayer, and when the computer cut off at 75 questions, I about lost it.

I was such in shock, I walked around the parking lot of the testing center, calling all my friends and family and telling them, I just don't think I passed.

Afterwards, I went to get my eyebrows waxed, and to take off some anxiety. I came home and checked the Pearson vue "trick" and got the pop-up! That relieved my anxiety for the next couple of days.

Then exactly 48 hours later, I got my quick results that said I passed. And did I mention I got a job in a Level I Trauma teaching hospital in the ICU? And not to mention, I'm also in their "New Grad Residency" program? I went on an interview the day after I took NCLEX and was job offered the same day. So, I HAD to pass this test!

The last 2 1/2 years of my life has all boiled down to this! And every test, every presentation, every "all nighter", every cup of coffee, all the getting up at the crack of dawn for clinicals, every care plan, was all well worth it!

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What state is it you took nclex for?

[Babs0512]

I was one in the last group of nurses who took the boards over 2 days - with the little circles that had to be filled in with a #2 pencil! I was so nervous, the card table I was sitting at just kept shaking! I remember feeling all those feelings. I remember thinking "What the hell kind of nursing school did I go to, I've never even heard of this type of traction!" Anyhoo, I passed the first time. But I had thoroughly convinced myself I had failed.

Back then we had an 800# you could call to check if you made it or not. I tried that number for three days, all hours of the day and night, it was always busy. The day I found out that I passed, my kids were in school and I had just taken a shower. It was summer and the front door was open. I ran down stairs NAKED to get clothes from the laundry, and I thought, "I'm sure it's still busy, but I'll press re-dial anyway!" and I got through!!! Standing naked in my kitchen, hoping no one came to the front door! I finally found out I had passed. I was jumping up and down, naked, whooping and hollering, all by myself, I'll never forget that day.

The following year is when they started the NCLEX on computer. No matter how you took it, it's a great milestone that all the stress, studying, care plans, papers, all nighters were worth it.

Great Job on the article. I think we can all see ourselves there.

Blessings

[emmanewgrad]

I was one in the last group of nurses who took the boards over 2 days - with the little circles that had to be filled in with a #2 pencil! I was so nervous, the card table I was sitting at just kept shaking! I remember feeling all those feelings. I remember thinking "What the hell kind of nursing school did I go to, I've never even heard of this type of traction!" Anyhoo, I passed the first time. But I had thoroughly convinced myself I had failed.

Back then we had an 800# you could call to check if you made it or not. I tried that number for three days, all hours of the day and night, it was always busy. The day I found out that I passed, my kids were in school and I had just taken a shower. It was summer and the front door was open. I ran down stairs NAKED to get clothes from the laundry, and I thought, "I'm sure it's still busy, but I'll press re-dial anyway!" and I got through!!! Standing naked in my kitchen, hoping no one came to the front door! I finally found out I had passed. I was jumping up and down, naked, whooping and hollering, all by myself, I'll never forget that day.

The following year is when they started the NCLEX on computer. No matter how you took it, it's a great milestone that all the stress, studying, care plans, papers, all nighters were worth it.

Great Job on the article. I think we can all see ourselves there.

Blessings

Thanks for sharing your story, it made me laugh and cry all at the same time! It has all been worth it, I did it all around my kids schedule by taking many online classes as possible, morning lectures, Saturday 12 hr clinicals, and working on call, typing up 20 pg. papers in the myst of early dawn (I typed super slow-like 20 wpm if not less), and crying. I was a baby in stress most of the time, I gained 20 lbs. from stress and sitting around while studying ...yes, I did read a lot. I can't believe it, I made it through at 35 yrs of age. I'm not done yet though, I am planning on a BSN and specializing in Forensic Nursing! and yes, I learned to type faster! he he

Again, there are many things in my life that came and left or came and stayed. My knowledge and education is something no one can ever take away from me. Yes, I earned it and I am very proud of myself. For those that wonder about earning an education, do it; it is All worth it.

[matokokepa]

i am a 50 something graduate and can totally relate. class that was nice size that dwindled down to two graduates, yes two in the end. both of us took the nclex together both of us went thru the stress she was in her early 20s and myself. end of story we both went thru the anxiety, checking every site we could think of and then both were pleasantly surprised with RN beside our names.......this just came to occur a week ago.......still in the honeymoon stage.......difference was that my fellow partner had an active CNA license and almost died when she could not find her name at all when searching the BON site. All was well at the end though and both of us are quite happy. loved your story thanks for sharing!!

[wmg246]

What a great thread, I am just starting school, but love to read of others experiences.

Thank you

[shoegalRN, RN]

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What state is it you took nclex for?

Thanks! I took it in Missouri.