El Centro/ Northlake-----Spring 07

JaxiaKiley · Feb 14, 2009

I posted this in the NCLEX forum, but thought I'd post it in this thread in case some of you don't check that forum:

My NCLEX experience was pretty rough. I wasn't the best of students in school and didn't make the best grades. I struggled with tests because I had a bad habit of over-thinking the wording of the questions. I've had a lot going on in my life and have been very stressed out. My stress level has been so high that it made it very difficult for me to focus and study the material. Add my general performance/test anxiety to the mix and well, it hasn't been pretty.

The night before my test date, we had tornado warnings, and so I was in the bathroom (for safety) with 3 other people and 6 animals when I wanted to be resting. I woke up early and made it to the testing site with plenty of time. When I feel anxious, I tend to experience GI issues. During school, I took a bottle of Maalox with me into the tests (yes, I'm odd). Since I knew I wouldn't be able to do that for the NCLEX, I took some Zantac, and Immodium before I left my house and put two chewable Pepto Bismol tablets into my mouth as I went through the check-in process. It's better safe than sorry, right? I had a few more chewable Pepto tablets in my pocket, and I asked if I could open them into a tissue and take it in with me. They said that wasn't a problem.

As I sat down to take the test, my hands were trembling. I went through the tutorial and started the test. Egads! I had a ton of mother/baby questions and drugs -- my two worst subjects! I kept watching the clock and was racing through questions. I kept telling myself to slow down. At one point, a question comes up that is based on a medical term that I don't know. Frustrated, I put my head in my hands, closed my eyes, took a few deep breaths and tried to relax. Wait! I do know that word because I studied it during 3rd semester; and look, there's an answer that's appropriate!

In the end, I had 75 questions and it took me right at an hour to finish. I only had two alternate response questions, and both were SATAs. No med calcs, no ordering of answers, nothing like that. When the test stopped at 75 questions, I was shocked. Surely I failed! With all those mother/baby and drug questions, there's no way I had passed this thing. I wanted to shake the computer and beg for more questions. Don't stop now; let me show you that I do know something!

When I got to my car, I couldn't help it. I cried. I felt terrible and knew I'd let everyone down who believed in me and supported me. How would I tell them?

I spent the next 48 hrs as a basket case, obsessively checking the website to see if my results were available. On Friday morning, they still weren't available when I got to work. After we finished the first surgery, I used my phone to check the Internet for my results again. They were available! I went over to the BON website and my name wasn't listed. Oh no! Shaking like a leaf, I found a secluded computer to enter in my credit card information and looked at the screen:

Pass

That is such a beautiful word! Relief rushed through my body and I couldn't believe it. I passed; I passed!

I was all giggly the first time I signed my name as an RN. :)

I'm sharing this because I thought there may be other graduate nurses out there who were in similar situations. Trust me, if I can do it, YOU CAN DO IT!

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Thank you so much for all of your support. These El Centro/NLC threads were a lifeline to me.

Spill, RN · Apr 18, 2009

wow guys- i miss you!

the semester is coming to a fast end! thank god! i was wanting to see if you guys have any suggestion on prepping for the hesi. should i get a hesi review cd or something?

also, please update me on you both, either on here or by email.

you both graduated just in time! unfortunately for me and my classmates and the rest of the united states, graduate nurse positions are hard to come by.

most of the major hospitals in this major metroplex are on a hiring freeze for new nurses, or there are just a few, as in a few, one, two, and three spots available. (which are filled)

i am doing better than some of my classmates and i have actually gotten a couple of interviews, but no offers. a couple of my classmates got jobs back in january, so they are set, but most of us are freaking out! if you look over these boards, there are a lot of new nurses in this position. its craziness. especially since we have been told all through school that nursing is the best career, and we will have people begging for us when we graduate, especiallly since we went to el centro.

i can attest that i interviewed for a position at a major hospital, over 70+ applicants, only 7 spots. i was the only one from el centro! and the manager that interviewed me, graduated from el centro, and i didn't get the job! ***!

so, just to let you know that is reality for future el centrol/ northlake graduates! good luck and get yourself a backup plan!

1day2010 · Jul 21, 2009

I was hoping someone could share what their 3rd semester experience was like. Is there any study materials that I should get to help me out? I've ready 3rd semester is the worst.. but not sure why. I'm getting anxious and nervous! Any inside help would be great!

Yin Yang · Jul 22, 2009

Spill - how is it going for you? Somehow I didn't get the notice when you and jaxia posted in feb & april - but you did get a job! Are there still some from your class that don't have one? I'm VERY grateful that we graduated when we did....I love where I'm at and the ER is awesome! Touch base and let me know how you're doing! Nursing school seems like so long ago already.....but, I'm about to start my Masters next month!

Anybody else still watching these boards??

Yang