Failed, nclex rn 5 times! Help?!?!

Palliative Care, DNP · May 23, 2015

It's not opinion that the NCLEX tests minimum competency. It's not opinion that nurses deal with lives. Its not opinion that without passing said NCLEX that one can't be a nurse. Failing 5 times means there is a lot of material that wasn't grasped again not opinion.

lystacy · May 23, 2015

Thank you lj3_nurse!

lystacy · May 24, 2015

KatieMI, you must have mistaken. I was referring to the length of the question given by the test whether it made any difference in the type of question given such as passing, near, or below level. I didn't mind it being long I just had this mind-sent that the longer the length of the question given meant I was in the passing level, and a sentence long question meant I was in the below level. So, with this mind-sent and judgement on my part I felt like DARN, I need to answer correctly and get more questions longer in length. Yes, maybe I did worry myself too much on that but I just wonder if it made any difference... =/

lystacy · May 24, 2015

plastic100% thank you! I read through your story and I am VERY inspired! That gives me a little strength and courage to make my way through. I believe I will get through this and become a great nurse!

lystacy · May 24, 2015

Jody - a part of me guess do have to agree with you. I just thought that with life and a job, if I could take that time to prep and be prepared for it I should be okay. However, I believe I must be wrong. The longer I waited or time it took... somehow you start to lose a little something I guess. Since I failed this time I am going to start at it again NOT from contents but by doing more questions, hopefully to drift the way I think differently to answering them correctly.

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · May 24, 2015

Lystacy,

Length of question has nothing to do with its "level". All NCLEX bank questions are written under strict guidelines. They all have certain elements which you must identify, recognize and analyze correctly in order to chose the right answer(s). There are one sentence questions from infamous SATA category of which one can only ask "what the heck they want me to know?" There are half a page essays which at the end ask about a simple fact.

If I were you, I would ask the NCLEX prep program you went through about getting my money back. "Breaking questions" is the thing #1 they should teach; apparently, that was not done.

Get Kaplan prep book from any public library (not necessary the last edition) and READ the part about anatomy of questions and how to work with them. Then do the 200 or so questions from the same book slowly, breaking down each of them to the bones. You should understand why the question is written this way and not another, what every word and sentence means, what exactly you are asked and where are the "key words" before starting 200-300 questions/day sessions. Try to re-write questions as if you want to ask about different thing ("how would I ask that if I want to test ethics? delegation? prioritisation?").You need to do several thousands questions at least to reach certain degree of competency. Sorry, test taking is just a skill, and only can be developed with practice.

What you tried to do during the test (trying to "get more long questions") is known among people writing test programs as "breaking the code". It is known phenomenon, and test algorithm is designed the way so only test takers who beat between 97 and 99 percentile or up at first cutoff, which comes between 35 and 45 answered questions, are able to do it and see so-called "peak and plateu" (the questions become progressively more difficult, then leveled and computer stops). The rest attempting it will be either led to infamous 265 questions as at 75 the program will have them somewhere in "inconclusive" area, or fail then and there.

Therefore, an ordinary test taker as you are must not ever try to play over the program. I cannot write it strongly enough: do not, ever, try to get more of this or that questions, or make any conclusions whatsoever out of type, theme, length or any other characteristics of questions you see on the screen. A question's "level" is determined by complicated set of rules, large piece of final score coming from how many takers took it right or wrong during trial runs. If it is one sentence about something patient taking Coumadin should not eat but it mentions cumquat and nobody knows what it is (a sort of citrus fruit, contraindicated in given sutuation) and so everybody answers it wrong, this question will add a whole lot to your "level" even if it is stupid as stupid goes. You cannot realistically hope to beat the program, so just stop thinking about that and do 101% of what you can on every question.

turtlesRcool · May 24, 2015

KatieMI, you must have mistaken. I was referring to the length of the question given by the test whether it made any difference in the type of question given such as passing, near, or below level. I didn't mind it being long I just had this mind-sent that the longer the length of the question given meant I was in the passing level, and a sentence long question meant I was in the below level. So, with this mind-sent and judgement on my part I felt like DARN, I need to answer correctly and get more questions longer in length. Yes, maybe I did worry myself too much on that but I just wonder if it made any difference... =/

The length of the question is not an indication of its level of difficulty. A longish question might have a short paragraph to set up a scenario, but ask for low-level thinking. A short question might require a high level of analysis or test a complex concept, even though it's only one sentence.

Honestly, I think if you haven't passed after 5 attempts, there is something very fundamentally wrong. it goes beyond the test format.

The problem is either in your knowledge base or in the way you apply what you know. Either way, just doing more questions is probably not going to fix this.

What kind of pass rate are your classmates experiencing? Does your program typically have a good rate on the first time? If the first-time pass rate is low, there's a chance your particular program does not adequately prepare its graduates. In this case, a focus on content (like Hurst review) might be in order. If nearly everyone else is passing, the problem is you. In this case, you need to figure out if your problem is content weakness or an inability to apply what you know to the questions (a review like Kaplan is good for test-taking strategies).

ToyaB · May 24, 2015

I think she was looking for advice everyone not personal opinions of whether or not she is dumb and going to be an incompetent nurse. Why comment?

You took the words right out of my mouth! The OP asked for help, not for anyone to jump all over her confidence with both freaking feet! She may be an excellent nurse. She may be a horrible tester. You all keep saying that the NCLEX test basic knowledge and that is not entirely true. It test "minimum competency" and for a nurse there is nothing "basic" about that!

This is not kindergarten we're talking about. This is critical thinking.So if you're not going to offer the OP "help" (which IS what she asked for) then keep your demeaning, snarky, and flat out ignorant comments to yourselves!

OP, I am studying for the NCLEX now and I am also a mom who works full-time. I am using Kaplan. I'm not sure if you've done that, but they have great tools to help you see where your weak spots are and their decision tree has helped to improve my score on their content as well as on other's questions (including Saunders and various NCLEX quiz apps). DO NOT lose heart if nursing is what you want. You made it through nursing school with all of the time and effort it takes, and that means a lot!

Identify your weak spots and focus on them, REVIEW, REVIEW, and REVIEW again, then go into this test and TAKE YOUR TME really seeing what each question is asking you. If your issue is focus and you can only get through 25 questions before going to LalaLand or Panicville, take an unscheduled break. You can do that. I wish you the best of luck and I will pray for your strength. You'll need that especially with all of these Negative Nancy Nurses on here.

emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B · May 24, 2015

Didn't see anything snarky. Failing a basic test 5 times means something is wrong.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · May 24, 2015

Your statement " I will tell you that I have taken the NCSBN 15 week course (didn't exactly finish all the practice questions)," more than likely contains your answer. You had a great resource, but did not utilize it. Did you just barely slide by in nursing school, too? I am not trying to be harsh, but this just jumped out at me.

This.

The NCSBN is an excellent resource and has questions VERY similar to the NCLEX; I used this resource and I know others who used this singularly and passed the first time.

I think you have a disconnect on solely focusing on content, rather than reviewing questions and rationales; did your school prepare you with NCLEX style questions?

To add:

The issue may not necessarily the source of the review, but how one approaches the NCLEX itself: understanding the four concepts of becoming a competent, entry-level nurse:

1. Safe, effective care;

2.Health promotion;

3.Physiological Integrity;

4.Psychosocial integrity

Will determine WHAT the question is asking you; the question may be Respiratory related-but is it a Health Promotion or a Safety, or a Physiological or a Psychosocial one? Would you know the difference and choose the BEST answer?

Once one understands the concepts of NCLEX, they can do so successfully.

Don't look at content; you know most of the material because you passed nursing school; begin to do questions related to each concept; review all questions and rationales; ANY rationale you struggle with, THEN review content. Lather, rinse, repeat.

When practicing the questions, prepare the questions like a mock NCLEX exam, review the minimum and then work up to the maximum for endurance purposes.

After looking at your report, focus on the weakness and review questions and rationales; make mock NCLEX tests and start with the minimum and gradually until the maximum; you have to have an endurance in answering application questions.

After each "exam", make sure you are reviewing the rationales; any rationales you are not clear on THEN look up for content.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · May 24, 2015

You all keep saying that the NCLEX test basic knowledge and that is not entirely true. It test "minimum competency" and for a nurse there is nothing "basic" about that!

"Basic" in the relative sense. For the lay public, no, but for the practicing RN, yes. In other words, "Minimum competency." Mastery olf the NCLEX content is the minimum of what someone needs to be safe enough to be entrusted with the public.

She may be an excellent nurse. She may be a horrible tester

"Horrible tester" shouldn't make someone forget their content...and if their anxiety is so crippling that they cannot think clearly, that is an issue that needs to be fixed before practicing as an RN. What's she (or any other of these multiple NCLEX takers) going to do when her patient is circling the drain? Or when she's repsonsible for 6-7 med-surg patients--or 40 LTC residents--with demanding families, decline in status, frequent call light ringing, and medical providers who are expecting their pts' nurses to be on top of their game?

It may well not be the OP's fault; nobody has called her stupid. Maybe her program was one that needed to be shut down last year...that would be horrible, and I do feel for people in those situations. But it doesn't change the fact that she will need to master the content if she is going to pass and be a competent novice RN.

This is not kindergarten we're talking about. This is critical thinking

Exactly. Critical thinking is absolutely something that every RN needs to be able to demonstrate.

You'll need that especially with all of these Negative Nancy Nurses on here.

Here I just needed to point out that none of the *experienced, knowledgeable RNs* resorted to name calling.

Palliative Care, DNP · May 24, 2015

Also, excuses about working and family don't fly for me. I graduated my ADN program in 2009 with twin 6 yr olds, an 8 yr old, and a 12 yr old. I took the Kaplan Review and passed the first time with 75 questions. The twins were 4 when I began nursing school but I did it. Next year when I finish my DNP I can't use 4 kids and a job as an excuse to not pass the AANP boards. Five times failing speaks volumes and after 3x a person should need to move on.