Failed NCLEX more than once? Do this.

I just don't know what I am doing wrong.. I've studied all kinds of stuff I've used Kaplan, RN mastery app!! I just don't know what to do or what to study.. I'm starting to feel defeated..

She asked what she could possible do different..and this is the answer: she needed to stop focusing on memorization and start focusing on meanings, rationales, understanding the WHY of every fact she knew.

NCLEX (and nursing) expects you'll have some level of baseline fact knowledge, of course, but is much more concerned that you know how to think about using them when you have them.

Do you need to get more information? Why?

Do you understand what's important in a scenario or question, and what's not? Why?

Do you know what's expected? Why?

Do you know the effect of a drug? Why do we care?

Do you know what a lab value means? Why do we care?

So many more whys...

Why, why, why... it's the basis of everything we do, it's the foundation of critical thinking in three little letters. It's not something you have to do just to pass NCLEX, it's something every nurse has to do every day of a professional life.

Anyway, that's what I told her. And today I got an email telling me that she stopped memorizing and started thinking about her critical thinking, and found herself on Monday going into the testing center calm and confident. And like the mayonnaise: cool but not frozen. And she passed.

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