Failed NCLEX-RN

[lilygrl2468]

I am going to share my story, sorry for the long post. . . . .

Failing the NCLEX left me feeling very lost. Before taking the NCLEX I turned to other nurses for their input on the exam, all of them said they passed with the 75 questions. When I went to take the test I was waiting for the 75 questions, once question 76 hit my stomach dropped and my heart raced. I was filled with frustration and anger, where did I go wrong? I walked out of the exam feeling like a failure, I know everyone says this, but I knew in my heart it was not my day. I am not going to tell you how many questions I had or what type of questions were asked. I listened to all the talk about the NCLEX and I believe it hindered me from passing the examination.

When I recieved the results two days later my gut feeling was right. They put the results so nicely, failed is all it read. I stared at the screen for a while, I couldn't believe this happened. The failing results left me feeling as though someone died in my family. I would never wish anyone ever have to feel how I felt that day.

I wish I brave enough to tell more people I failed so those that do would not feel alone as I do. I have a great support system, my parents, fiance, and friends are all behind me and support me. For some reason I still feel low and in a haze.

I went to the bookstore today to look for study books. I just flipped through them and became frustrated, I do not know where to go from here. I did Kaplan before taking it the first time, I was getting low scores on the question trainer and q bank. I think I need to sutdy more on how to answer the questions.

I know once I pass my self esteem will go up, but right now it has been shot down. My confidence has been shattered. I know I need to pick myself up and start being positive, I am just having a hard time doing it. I have 21 days till I retake it. I will keep you posted.

[SusanneCollins13]

Oh I think you are right about the questions. It makes sense to me to study that way and figure out where your weaknesses are. I was just curious, because it just seemed like a lot of questions and when I had to take my Hesi exam my teacher told me that I am overdoing it with studying and I had to agree with her in the end. She said, sometimes less, but more quality to what you do is better then trying to reach a certain goal and rushing through material. I wish you a lot of luck for next time around!!

[RNindmaking]

Sometimes i get confused with people's advice. But majority of them say that practicing more questions gives you more chances of passing. at least 5000-8000 questions before taking the exam would be enough. But some people pass after practicing only at least 2000 questions! Oh my... i'm really confused. My anxiety is so high!

[SusanneCollins13]

I personally do not think that it actually depends on the number of questions. It depends on how you understand them when you take them. So if you are weak, you have to improve in certain areas. I pick usually the areas I am weak in and that is where my focus is mainly, sometimes I take a test with overall stuff to see if my weak areas improved. I also believe that less questions, but going to the book and reading up material as you answer them might be a good way to study. I have seen people doing a lot of questions, but they only read the rationales and that I think is not helpful. You have to understand why you got the wrong answer or the right answer. You should be able to rationalize why the other answers are incorrect, and if you can not do that, because you are missing a connection then you need to open books and review material. Is there a right or wrong studying? Likely not. Everyone studies differently. However, I think you have to be able to know not only the correct answer, but also the ones that are incorrect and why they did not work. Did not mean to confuse anybody just was curious that is all. There is no right or wrong and in the end its all just each persons opinion.

[shoegalRN, RN]

Sometimes i get confused with people's advice. But majority of them say that practicing more questions gives you more chances of passing. at least 5000-8000 questions before taking the exam would be enough. But some people pass after practicing only at least 2000 questions! Oh my... i'm really confused. My anxiety is so high!

I did about 4000 questions and I passed. I did every single question in the Kaplan QBank, including all the QTrainers and the NCLEX sample tests. When I got done with Kaplan, I moved to Medspub and did all the questions there. When I got done with Medspub, I moved to Saunders and just focused on content questions I was weak in. After reviewing, I moved to Lippincott. Then I moved to NCLEX 3500, but only did 150 questions there, and that was to see if I could apply what I learned from Kaplan.

So, all in all, it was close to 4000 questions by the time I took NCLEX. I also made sure I understood the rationales. In Kaplan, if I missed a question, I wrote it down and then looked it up in Saunders. By the time it was over, I had 50 pages of notes, front and back.

[lilygrl2468]

lilygrl2468, I too failed my NCLEX exam last week. I felt so devastated and I felt so dumb! I feel so depressed and lost, I don't know what to do. I have done everything. I took Kaplan as well and thought that was helpful. But I had the same experienced as you, as soon as the #76th question came up, I started panicking...thinking "this is my last question" but it wasn't. I got out of that place feeling like I was a complete loser...I couldn't even drive right, I had to stop and pull over. I felt like I was going to throw up. It was horrible.

I came home and changed to go to work, I got to work and felt worse. I couldn't concentrate and I felt like screaming! So I decided to leave and went home. I cried my heart out...(inside the closet) while my dog watched me and tried to comfort me. After awhile of crying, I calmed down but the anxiety was still there... My gut feeling was I failed...and I was right.

It has been a week tomorrow and I still couldn't believe that I failed. But I feel better now, I am not a quitter and I will pass the next time! I sent my application to retake the exam and I registered to pearson as well last week. I am just waiting for my ATT so I can reschedule my exam. How long did it take u to get your ATT? I am praying for all of us. I think what happened was my nurse got to me... I was so nervous and anxious. How are you studying again? Did u have to contact Kaplan and tell them?

I am still trying to recover from this experience but I have to stay positive...i know we can do this...I know we can get through this... I want to keep telling myself that I believe I will pass this exam... I need to stay positive... I will achieve this goal.

Please keep me posted on how you are doing... I thank evryone also for their positive vibes and comments...

Nursetobe4- Once you sign up with pearson it is not to long till you receive the ATT. I gave myself a few weeks till I jumped back into studying again. You need sometime to recover and regain your strength. I did not contact Kaplan because my job will reimburish me, so there was no need to contact them. I am using Kaplan rightnow, I am going back and redoing the QT and QBANK. I am taking a new approach when doing them, I am focusing on them like they are the NCLEX which has improved my scores. I am also thinking back to things I had trouble with on the NCLEX and focus on that.

I also went and bought a NCLEX content study book to refesh myself on things, I was not confident in my answers on the NCLEX b/c some of the stuff I had not looked at since the beginning of nursing school! I have 7 days to go till I retake it so wish me luck.

[nursetobe4]

lilygrl... Good Luck, I know you will do great! What NCLEX content study book are you using? I don't know if I should retake Kaplan again (since they have the 100% guarantee or money back) or just do saunders book. I still have not gotten my ATT I registered last thursday and I don't know what to do. Should I call pearson vue and ask? I want to reschedule my test and take it in 45 days. I am slowly starting to study again, but don't know how or where to start. I have to push myself because everytime I try, I thought... I could have been an RN already by now. I'm really trying to keep my head up and not let this failure get in me... How did u start studying?

I am praying for everyone and keeping all in my thoughts! Keep me posted and pls let me know how you did it. :)

[lilygrl2468]

nursetobe4-You need to take some time off from studying. You need to regroup and rest for a bit. I gave myself a few weeks before I started studying. You have to re-motivate yourself and look at the ultimate goal, to be a RN. I have been studying a few hours each day and doing questions using Kaplan. I am also using Prentice Hall NCLEX review book. I like it b/c it breaks the chapters into the different content area the NCLEX tests on. It reviews all of the content area, which is a good refresher.

[SusanneCollins13]

lilygrl... Good Luck, I know you will do great! What NCLEX content study book are you using? I don't know if I should retake Kaplan again (since they have the 100% guarantee or money back) or just do saunders book. I still have not gotten my ATT I registered last thursday and I don't know what to do. Should I call pearson vue and ask? I want to reschedule my test and take it in 45 days. I am slowly starting to study again, but don't know how or where to start. I have to push myself because everytime I try, I thought... I could have been an RN already by now. I'm really trying to keep my head up and not let this failure get in me... How did u start studying?

I am praying for everyone and keeping all in my thoughts! Keep me posted and pls let me know how you did it. :)

Though I have not taken the Nclex yet; I still think I wanted to comment on your question. I think if you have done Kaplan before and you have moneyback garantee you should use it. You have those videos on there that you can slowly review, all those questions and the diagnostic test they have. That test, once you take it, will give you an indication were to start your studies. I think you should make yourself a plan. Do a diagnostic test, find out your weak areas and then systematically approach it starting were you scored the lowest. Use the videos on all your low areas, make your tests the way you will be questioned on the low areas and then once in a while take a test with all areas to see if you improved. That is how i go about my tests that I took. If you make yourself a schedule, you wont feel so lost and you know exactly what you have to do when and for how many questions etc. This may take a little work to create a schedule, maybe two hours or so, but then you have a good indication how long it will take you to prepare again and you can figure out if you need more time or not. I do every day at least one hour of watching the vidoes and it takes a little while to get through them. I also do every day 50 question, review all rationales and look items up right when I review that I am not sure about, or that i had wrong in Saunders. I wish you the best of luck and cross my fingers for you!!

[nursetobe4]

SuzanneCollins13~ I did watched the videos on Kaplan. I also did all the qbanks and question trainers. I read all the rationales, made notes and reread them! I need a way to control my nerves...I think that's what got me on the real exam. I still have not recieved my packet from the BON and I also would like to reschedule my test. I hope that now since I know how the exam is, I would be more confident when I get in there...coz the last time, I was a wreck...anxiety attack once I reached #76.

When you are doing questions, are u really applying the Decision tree that Kaplan thought? I should be doing that but it's was hard for me, I don't know. I am really trying so hard to get a study plan but right now I don't know where to start. I am thinking of going to the kaplan test centers and maybe they have tutors or something... I want to pass the next time and I am trying to stay positive everyday! I wish you good luck as well on your exam...I'm sure u will do fine! I am praying for all of us! :)

[SusanneCollins13]

One thing that I have started to do and that helped me a lot with the Hesi, was to cover my answers up. I use a sticky and cover them. I read the question and formulate answers in my mind, then I see if any of my answers are in the answers and if so I pick it and do not change my answer. Sometimes, you can not formulate anything in your mind, because the question does not really state what it wants, or because you have to pick which person you see first etc. When that is the case. I read all the answers first, before I make a decision, I ask myself if assessment is required, if so...I pick from the assessment answers. In terms of whom to see first, most the time I apply ABC's and I also ask myself why I would not pick the other patient. I really think alot about a question, but once I picked an answer I will not change it, unless I misread the question, meaning it was a negative question and I thought it was a positive one. If I have absolutely no clue...then I try to break the question down and pick whatever I feel might be the answer, but I do that very seldom.

[nursetobe4]

that's a good advise...thanks... I will do that and try. Any advise on how to control nerves? That is what gets me...

[SusanneCollins13]

Guided visualization is supposed to help. Envision yourself every night for ten minutes going through the test in your mind, mastering hard questions with confident, doing easy questions and then feeling confident and seeing yourself making a high score at the end of the test.

They say that it is proofen that guided imaginary visualization is very powerful.

I also would find some hobby to do where you use small muscle group motorfunctions. I do stitching for example to calm my mind, or whatever you think might work for you to relax. The day before, do not study, do not even open a book. Go and get a massage done or something and maybe go to church and have the spiritual input that you might need.