Failed the NCLEX-RN and FINALLY PASSED!

[Miss_Diagnosed]

It has been 6 months since I graduated from nursing school, and after failing my first attempt miserably, today I can finally say with pride that I am a registered nurse!

For those of you who have failed and are readying your souls for another attempt or are gearing up to take it for the first time, the best advice I can give is this: it is when you have no choice other than to pass that you absolutely will. I hope by reading my story, you''ll find some comfort and perhaps a little extra motivation towards conquering the NCLEX. Never forget that you graduated from nursing school. The hard part is over. All you have left is to take what is yours: your license. Solidify your right to practice as a nurse. Both you and your future patients deserve it. Good luck to you.

So here it goes...

First NCLEX-RN Attempt

Instead of buckling down to study, I partied. Hard. Freedom went straight to my head, and studying was pushed to the wayside for my first 2 months out of school. I went on vacation and did all the things professors warn you not to do until after you pass your test. Finally, as the dust began to settle, I decided it was time to prepare for the NCLEX. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed. I thought to myself, where the hell do I start? Is it truly a good use of time to blow the dust off my 30-page per subject study guides or *gasp* finally have to read that med-surg textbook cover to cover?

Consumed by anxiety I signed up for the online HURST review, NCSBN 5-week review, & purchased the Saunders 6th edition.

Online Hurst Review: Some of my friends loved this review. I personally didn't. It did nothing but overwhelm and strip me of my confidence. Instead of being the simple refresher I so desperately needed, it presented information I already learned in a way that made it difficult to retain. The lectures were an hour each that coincided with a fill-in-the-blank book. Also, the post-tests were excruciatingly difficult, and I began to wonder if I had learned anything in nursing school or if maybe the thousands spent on tuition would've been better spent on a new car. I would soon find out...

NCSBN Review: This was a totally independent study experience, something I jumped at after sitting in a classroom for four years. I found the questions to be quite similar to the NCLEX-RN; however, the content review was dry, boring, and unnecessarily detailed causing my anxiety to climb even further.

Saunders 6th edition: This book was a pain. I had a friend read this cover to cover and fail their first attempt. The chapters are long and grueling; however, the rationales are well-written and included in each chapter. I attempted to get through the entire book and ended up completing about half. It was simply too much.

The day of my first exam I knew I was a mess. I had studied well into the afternoon the night before, and the questions I missed weighed on me heavily. Worried about not being able to stay awake for the duration of the test (at 9am), I chugged down 2 cups of coffee--BIG mistake. Before the test began, I was shaking. I shut down completely and rushed through the questions in a panic. It shut off at 75. I knew instantly that I had failed. I rushed home to do the PVT trick, and the result wasn't promising. I cried non-stop that day. My paper results were sent to me 2 weeks later, and again, I locked myself in my room and cried for what seemed like eternity.

After my pity party sob fest, I finally picked myself up.

Second NCLEX-RN Attempt

It definitely took me a while to get here. For those of you who are going through this, allow yourself time to grieve. As much time as it takes. You can't rush this process because if you're not 100% ready to try again, it will be difficult for you to find the motivation to succeed. For me, this took a few weeks. This time around, I focused my study material. I created a plan, and even though I didn't always stay on schedule, I used it as a guide to my test date.

Simplenursing.com NCLEX75 Review At first I was skeptical, but after completing the free-trial I was hooked. The instructor simplifies everything you need to pass the exam content-wise, including complicated body systems and my personal weakness: pharmacology. Instead of presenting it in full lecture style, you take a practice exam per subject & each one comes with its own rationale via youtube video. There are pictures, mnemonics, and even step-by-step nursing skill procedure instructions (good for those "place these steps in order" questions). He also explains rooming, priority, assessment, and delegation questions in such a way that I barely glanced at my borrowed LaCharity PDA review book. 2 thumbs way waaaay up.

Saunders 6th edition (online exam review) If you purchase this book brand new it comes with a web code that allows you to use an online review study tool. It's all the same questions from the book and more but in an online format similar to the NCLEX-RN. If you're like me, then apart from the occasional online exams, most of your tests were paper-based and meant you were accustomed to writing notes, crossing out answers, and circling key words. Using the Saunders review with rationales allows you to get used to the feel of online testing and helps immensely with basic content.

NCSBN 3-week Review: The questions on here are very similar to the NCLEX-RN in that they are higher-level thinking questions (the kind you want to be seeing while taking your test). I focused mostly on subjects I knew I was weaker in.

Lippincott's NCLEX-RN Alternate-Format Questions 5e This book was a godsend. If you aren't comfortable with alternate-format questions (select all that apply, fill-in-the-blank, hot spot, etc.) then this is a MUST have. I was able to get through the entire book in a couple days. The rationales are thorough and it really prepped me for the NCLEX.

The day of my 2nd attempt I did no heavy studying past 12pm the day before and had little to no anxiety that morning. I arrived nearly 2 hours early to my test site. I brought a bunch of healthy snacks (protein bars, fruit, dark chocolate) in case my test went the entire six hours. I went to the restroom and gave myself the usual pep talk in the mirror before a big test. During the exam, I took time to read each question carefully but tried not to spend too much time on each one. I went with my gut and what I was confident in. I tried my best to not look at what number question I was on. Instead, I made sure to take a break every hour. I finished around 130 questions in a total of 3 hours. A few days later, my results were posted. I had passed.

My final advice:

1. Know your basic content. There is no way you can know everything as a novice nurse, and the NCLEX-RN doesn't expect you to. You're expected to know just enough. Don't bother with the nitty gritty details. Also, doing 1000 questions a day is pointless if you don't know your content beforehand. Every review book is written differently than the actual NCLEX, so you can get close to practicing similar questions, but at the end of the day, what will save you as you take your test is your command of content.

2. Know the chain of command. Just as you are not expected to know everything, you are not expected to fix problems that are out of your scope as a new grad. If you've exhausted all your resources as a new nurse, get help.

3. Never pass the bucket. YOU are the nurse in the room. If something is wrong with your patient, you do not ask for a second opinion or enlist another to do the job for you (unless it is out of your scope or a delegation question that fits the practice scope of a UAP/LVN)--the NCLEX wants to know what YOU would do in that situation.

4. Never leave your patient in distress. In the world of NCLEX every patient is high-risk for some negative event, so walking away or coming back to check on them means you're not competent enough to know that something is wrong. You are deciding to leave your patient to die. Choose the option that saves them.

5. Pick one review and stick with it. Don't confuse yourself with more than one. You don't need the extra stress. Be confident in what you know. You had the knowledge to graduate from school. A review is just that: a review. There is nothing new to learn.

6. Create a routine and stick to it. Study a couple hours a day or break it up into 30-minute periods. Do whatever works for you, but do not over-study and exhaust yourself.

7. Take time for yourself. I know this is hard for you since you just spent the last few years of existence fighting to survive the seemingly endless clinical hours and exams, but this is just as important as knowing your basic content. Your brain needs time to process and retain the information you're studying by *gasp* NOT studying. Take two days off out of the week to do non-NCLEX related activities. Go shopping, watch a movie, heck--have a couple drinks with your friends. Be a human being. I promise it will go a long way.

8. Think positive. Write your name with RN at the end and stick that bad boy to a wall nearest you. Visualize your success. Remind yourself what this journey means to you and how much you have already achieved. Tell yourself you're going to pass and that nothing is going to stand in your way. And then tell yourself again PRN during your test.

9. Take a deep breath. If ever you feel frustrated, panicked, or angry during studying or even while taking the exam, pause and take a couple deep breaths. Clear your mind and collect yourself. Your brain is no good to you when it is filled with negative thoughts/emotions.

and finally...

10. Never give up. Think back to the day you were crazy enough to agree to the obliteration of your social life. The day you signed up for nursing school. Try to remember why you chose to be a nurse. Remember how long ago and impossible it seemed? You are literally one last step away. Take the leap. Then take as many more leaps, jumps, skips, and cartwheels it takes to pass the test.

Congratulations on making it this far. Now go get 'em tiger!

[wayemika]

congratulations and we are all so proud of you. Passing is one of the coolest holiday gifts you give yourself.

as Rocky said ,"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place, and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain’t you. You’re better than that!" you did it

[nlitened]

Congrats!!!

[ForeverRoosky]

CONGRATS!!! :)

[FaithinJesus]

I just love how you said that" it is when you have no other choice but to pass that you will".This is how I am feeling right now as a repeat nclwx taker.Thank you for the inspiration!!!

[Balby]

Congrates

[jaylamia]

Thank you I needed that, going to take my nclex for the second time in a couple of weeks, now I know to stop feeling sorry for myself and study hard.. Congrats and God bless