eating before NCLEX RN

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jun 28, 2007

what did you eat before NCLEX? i am not a breakfast person and have to take the test on 7/17 at 0800.. any breakfast suggestions?

I am also not a breakfast person, and I arranged for my test to be 12:30 pm, but, to keep from having a light head/nervous stomach, I had some ginger ale with crackers and cheese. Each person is different, but, I don't think it is wise to go in too hungry or too full. Just enough to keep your head in the clear. There are more than enough other things to stress you out, so think wisely. At least have something very light, and the very best of luck to you!

ohmeowzer RN, RN · Jun 28, 2007

thank you !! i will keep it light... i am afraid of over eating... i don't usually eat at all before work and then a light lunch while at work... breakfast isn't my thing.. i checked to see if there were any afternoon appointments and there are none until the end of august. by then i would be a crazy person ( more than i am now) lol

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jun 28, 2007

thank you !! i will keep it light... i am afraid of over eating... i don't usually eat at all before work and then a light lunch while at work... breakfast isn't my thing.. i checked to see if there were any afternoon appointments and there are none until the end of august. by then i would be a crazy person ( more than i am now) lol

Oh, yeah...waiting too long will drive you crazy, especially after your mind is set for the date that you already have. I had to change my date because my father in law died a week before I was to take the exam, and they decided to have his funeral and burial out of town. That was going to leave me with coming from the train and having to take the test in a few hours. Luckily, I was able to get the next appointment three days later. I was so ready to get that nervous energy away from me.

cjmue12 · Jun 28, 2007

Supposedly eating something with a lot of salt is supposed to help. Also protein becasue it will last longer than carbs so your sugar wont drop and make you sluggish. Peppermints or peppermint gum increases mental alertness. Thast what they give the kids for proficiency tests.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Jun 28, 2007

Keep it light, keep it protein-rich, with a nice balance of carbs. Balanced, period, and not heavy. For what it's worth, I chose a fried egg with cheese on a hard roll, and orange juice. Ate that about an hour before exam time. Have to admit choking down ANY food wasn't easy, I was so nervous, but I knew I needed the calories and the energy that sandwich and drink would provide, so I managed.

There's no magic formula, but knowing that you're going to be nervous should steer you away from fatty stuff, and too much coffee---never a good outcome :)

Bring with you something to leave in your locker, like a protein-energy bar and a drink in case you find yourself there longer than you'd like. You can always NOT eat it, but it's nice to have just in case.

melottome · Jun 28, 2007

I had one packet of cinnamon roll instant oatmeal, and then when I got to the testing center I ate a pack of bottlecaps candy, saving the root-beer flavor for last. I was chewing peppermint flavored gum when I first went in, then I read the no gum part and I couldn't see any garbages around, so I swallowed it.... so that's 3 things :)

Good luck!

ORNURSETOBE · Jun 29, 2007

I am a morning person, so I was ready for a good breakfast. I took my test out of town, so I stayed in a hotel. They serve free breakfast in the mornings. I had 2 eggs, 4 link sausages, 2 slices of toast and a cup of coffee.

I am a strong believer in breakfast for your head.

binanlaguna · Jun 30, 2007

my plan is eating a spaghetti meal, before the exam, high carbo diet, but in hongkong, difficult to find spaghetti meal, found it in jolibee fastfood but i already finished my exam . instead i ended up in a egg burger meal of mcdo plus hash brown. :uhoh21:

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jun 30, 2007

I would have been too groggy with a large meal, personally, since I am not a morning person. Each person has their own way. One of the things mentioned in some book I read was do not change eating habits before the test, or even change a hairstyle...nothing to stress you out before the 'BIG ONE'.