FAILED NCLEX (2015). Need advice, please.

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Hi!

I recently found out I failed NCLEX. i cried all day and I do not know what to do now. I tend to overthink, stress myself more than I should, and am always down to 2 answers. I studied for a little over a month, took the NCLEX in February with 230 questions, and knew I failed since I felt like I did not know anything. I know I need to work on my weaknesses which are meds and cardiac. I feel like I know some content, such as the major description for different disease processes, but I don't know the whole patho, so I need to understand more rather than memorize information.

Resources I used:

1. Kaplan classroom with qbank & trainers -- I did every single questions and trainers with an average around 50-56%. The format of the questions were similar to the NCLEX.

2. 35-page study guide -- didn't help me since I didn't really see any on the NCLEX

I don't know if I should get my money back from Kaplan or continue with the 3 month program. I am thinking of doing Saunders (think I need more content review) and LaCharity book. I read that Kaplan is great for questions since it is similar to the NCLEX and Saunders is great for content, should I utilize both? Read Saunders first to understand the content then do the Kaplan questions?

I don't know how to "re-study." I don't know where to begin and how to do this all over again. I really want to pass the second time and not retake it since all of this is expensive. I feel like a failure.

Please help me or give me advice on what I should do or how to tackle this darn NCLEX in a different way. I am sincerely grateful for the help! Sorry, that this post is long :).

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Well i failed on 12/17. I cried for almost 2 days :( but we have to keep going. Its not the end, its just a simple test. This time Im doing NCSBN , Kaplan and Lacharity. Im trying to get the hang of answering questions and reading all rationals and really trying to understand every single one of them. I do believe that while you are doing questions you are also studying content. Keep your head up and start practicing again ;) good luck !!

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I used Kaplan, Hurst videos, lacharity, and Saunders. Saunders is great but its too much information. Like the above post said, when you're doing rationales you're also studying content. What I did after each qbank or trainee was so look at each rationale, if I didn't know something I would go back to Saunders and read about it right away instead of waiting to do it at the end. This is what helped me the most. The more questions I did, the more content I reviewed. I also bought the NCSBN but I didnt really use it.

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I failed on my first try early this month. I was hopeful but knew I didnt pass once I was done with 265 questions. Well I didn't cry. Paid the $200 once I saw the results. Took a wk end to go out dancing...I needed that!! Then went right back to work. Am using NCSBN which I think is the closest to the NCLEX. During the exam I just did not see where and how kaplan strategies was helpful.

In addition to ncsbn which I am doing thoroughly, I am using Saunders review and their flashcards which I find amazing. I am going after those drugs. I think the meds killed my chances of passing the first time around. When I review safety and infection control...I do a ton of questions on that section. Psychosocial...I study the diseases and drugs related to mental health and then questions questions questions.....On the train I use those flashcards especially the PHARMACOLOGY.

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Please look into the HURST review if you need help with core content. I struggled with Kaplan which was provided by my school. I paid for the HURST live review to do on my own and it was worth every penny. It's $350 but totally worth it.

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I appreciate all the advice! Good luck to you all! You can do it! :)

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First of all, don't beat yourself up. Get up, brush the first test off and start with a clear head.

Because I took Hurst Review online (paid $280 after discount) I'm going to highly recommend this course. Even before I graduated nursing school last december, I knew I was weak on content we'd covered almost 2 years ago; so I knew I had to start with knowing the most important info first. HR covers just what you need to know without all the extra detail you needed to know for school tests.

With medications, I was always weak on; especially coming from a very non-medical background, I had no idea what colace, or acetaminophen even was.

To study the meds for the test, I put all the medications Hurst mentions into Quizler. Now, there are TONS of medications out there. So instead of memorizing that metropolol is a heart medication, I studied the meds by their suffixes (in Quigley.com).

For example, one one side of the card I'd write "Benzodiasepines (anti-anxiety/ CNS depressant t)"

On the reverse side I'd write "-zolam; -zepam".

Now, not all benzos may end in just those two suffixes but MOST of them do...and that's what I studied.

Also, I've always had the Saunders book all throughout nursing school, but I found the content boring to read and sometimes it was waaaaay toobasic. I also found the questions on theirCD to be too easy so I just used Nclex 4000 for questions.

Its vital to get the LaCharity book for PDA questions. And depending on how much time you have, do a chapter a day (18 chapters in total, I wouldn't recommend d doing the case studies, just the first 18 chapters) and learn from their rationales to see why, for example, an LPN can't give IV heparin.

I still have my quiz let medication, normals values, insulin times, and functions of the brain saved.

Good luck

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Hurst Hurst Hurst. I call it my Nurse's Bible!!! That LIVE REVIEW Class & accompanying BOOK helped me pass the NCLEX & made me a very knowledgeable Registered Nurse. Hurst only works if you put in the time to master all topics & if you are able to lecture on the topics without the book in front of you. If you master the Hurst & KNOW/UNDERSTAND your core content, NO question can fool on you on the NCLEX. This is coming from one who did not pass it the 1st time. Whatever you decide to use, much success & stay positive!!

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here are the links to my quizlet:

[COLOR=#444444]Medication suffixes: [COLOR=#0068CF]http://quizlet.com/_14at01[/COLOR][/COLOR]

[COLOR=#444444]Normal values: [COLOR=#0068CF]http://quizlet.com/_12ry93[/COLOR][/COLOR]

[COLOR=#444444]Insulin times: [COLOR=#0068CF]http://quizlet.com/_14fksw[/COLOR][/COLOR]

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Thank you for your help!

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Specializes in LPN-Geriatric.

Hello everyone! I also failed NCLEX with 265 questions this month. I was sad for a few days but, life goes on. I know that I'm going to pass this exam soon. I used NCSBN, Saunders, La Charity PDA and Kaplan Q trainer 1-4. I figured if I made it to the maximum amount of questions, I was close to passing :-) I am back to studying and doing more questions. I have been working for the same company for over 5 years as an LPN and I'm just praying on passing so I can move on to bigger and better things.

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Hello all... so September 19 I failed Nclex-RN first time... I took Kaplan and did RN mastery and still was not enough... I studied more then 8 hours per day... in my case... I finished school in Europe 2002 ... was good try but I guess now I will try to pass PN and then will take 7 month bridge to RN :) I still have access to Kaplan review that good till November so if someone really struggle with money I could give you a pass... that is full Kaplan review :) also I have some summary of all I did study. One thing I can say ... it was very hard for me ... and a lot teaching delegating and SATA questions... My Motto ... never ever give up :) Good luck all and pls contact me if you want my guides :)

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