Failed NCLEX 5 Times! Am I The Only One Who . . .

Nurses General Nursing

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Am I the only one who is concerned about someone who has failed multiple times, finally passes and then wants to share their experience with everyone else? Am I the only one who is concerned about working with nurses who finally pass on their eighth try? Granted, I'm so experienced that I took my licensing exam on paper eons ago when it was offered only twice a year, everyone answered all the questions over a two day period and it took six weeks to get the results. In those days, you only got two tries. That was it. So I could be someone biased and/or out of touch. I just wonder, though, about the knowledge base and learning capacity of a nurse that took the exam eight times to pass. Although perserverence is a virtue, and those folks obviously have plenty of that. Is nursing so different now that it's OK to take eight tries to get your license? Or is this a development of the "everyone gets a trophy" mentality? Keep trying and everyone gets a license?

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I agree. I was reading a nclex book from the 80's and the questions were pretty basic. Now days we have to listen to heart sounds, read ekgs, locate organs and things like the macula lens on diagrams. Its' a computer adaptive test, therefore not everyone passes with 75 questions. Some people should really do some research about the new nclex before passing judgement.

Just curious.....do you think I didn't have to listen to heart sounds, read EKGs, locate organs when I went to school and took my boards? You are mistaken......you need to do some research before you pass judgement......and by the way I know how to use a computer.

On your previous post you said the boards can be passed by someone who has never had a nursing class.....now you say they are so difficult and require extensive knowledge and knowledge that "older" experienced nurses don't have or don't have the mental capacity enough to operate the computer.

That is unnecessary and unkind.

I am concerned that the test can be repeated for any amount of times before a re-evaluation of the educational preparation is evaluated to re-seat for the exam. Is the test testing someone's ability to test well or does it test the knowledge required to begin to safely practice in the care of patients. At some point.....there has to be a stopping point to evaluate why the student can't and how far from graduation should it be before a refresher course is required to re-sit for the test.

I don't necessarily want the nurse that took the test 5 times to pass......there is some sort of disconnect that prevented them form passing in a reasonable amount of time. I want the high scorer not the one who passed with the minimal amount of questions. I am not saying that someone who failed their boards the first time aren't great nurses as I have known many nurses that are great that failed once........MAYBE twice and have made stellar nurses and have gone on and achieved every sucess.

There needs to be questions raised when you are repeating 4,5,6 times something needs to stop and be evaluated. Is it the tester, is it the test, is it the computer.....;whatever. There needs to be an end point when enough is enough and someone evaluates what the tester needs or is lacking instead of just taking their money.

Taking it til you make it......goes right along with the mentality "Everybody wins" baloney and continuing to take money for these unfortunate few is robbery. I am not saying that everyone need to walk uphill both ways in a blizzard.......but there is something to say for having to take tests with 850-900 questions on 5 subjects and need to pass each with a minimal score that tested knowledge.

Could I pass the boards again? yes......do I want to try ?.....NO!

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Specializes in Med Surg - Renal.
Ruby it is this mentality of you and others that really irk me. I don't care if a nurse had to take the NCLEX 20 times to pass....

This is kinda what I meant.

If someone failed the NCLEX 10 times, telling them to take it again is cataclysmically bad advice.

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I'm Ms.Test Anxiety but I also have a bad attention span.I didn't think I would pass NCLEX but they gave me ear plugs and I discovered the desks had built in blinders! I passed the first time. It's not just 75 questions and you pass. I had 170 questions. I knew the material but I kept over thinking some questions. I know someone who had 75 questions and didn't pass. My classmates passed with 75-265 questions.

I personally don't think a person should take this test so many times. I would give two tries and then it's time for remedial work. If you get the material, do the practice questions several times until you get a hang of how these questions work, you'll pass (and wear ear plugs). All the people I know who did not pass the first time, did not practice the questions like they should have.

Just my thought on this subject.

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Specializes in Med Surg - Renal.
My husband (who went to law school) was telling me about a friend who finally passed the bar exam on the 3rd try.

I know a guy who passed the bar exam on his third try.

He is an idiot.

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OMG. In almost 27y, I never had to listen to heart/lung/bowel sounds, never had to know how to read an EKG. The heart...let me think..."smoke over fire," no wait, that's something else. Oh yeah! EKG! I just heard the other day there are lobes of lung tissue, and one side has more than the other. Awww, heck, why don't bodies come with maps? Can I google this stuff?

Why OCNRN63!!!! Why would you expend the energy needed to actually Google?!?! Why now you poor old bat, would you not come here to Allnurses.com and start a thread entitled, "HELP!!!!!!!! P, P, PLEASE!!!! I NEED ADVISES (note spelling, heh)" You can get your answers bedside on your phone this way. Oh, I forgot you can't use a phone either can ya because you are electronically challenged.

FYI for all you who are of the notably uncool set: OCNRN63, being a member of the cool set, is not confused by my post being sarcastic.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Why OCNRN63!!!! Why would you expend the energy needed to actually Google?!?! Why now you poor old bat, would you not come here to Allnurses.com and start a thread entitled, "HELP!!!!!!!! P, P, PLEASE!!!! I NEED ADVISES (note spelling, heh)" You can get your answers bedside on your phone this way. Oh, I forgot you can't use a phone either can ya because you are electronically challenged.

FYI for all you who are of the notably uncool set: OCNRN63, being a member of the cool set, is not confused by my post being sarcastic.

I will definately get right on that thread!

I have chemo-brain and peripheral neuropathy to blame if I misspell or word something badly, LOL. I wonder what excuse(s) other have.

I am flattered, though. No one has ever called me "cool" before.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

I believe you're welcome to take it as often as you want to spend $200 to schedule the exam. Do I think that's "right"? Why, no. I do not.

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Specializes in LTC.
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Good for you ! Would you like a trophy?

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Specializes in LTC.

Maybe menopause is kicking in ??? Not sure what is up with some of the mood swings... moving on to another thread. Done with this one...

Carry on folks. Got better things to care about....

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I don't think NCLEX is a very good test for gauging nursing knowledge and abilities, whether you pass in one attempt or seven.

Now, will someone please turn this into an "old eating young" thread? The wait is killing me.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Maybe menopause is kicking in ??? Not sure what is up with some of the mood swings... moving on to another thread. Done with this one...

Carry on folks. Got better things to care about....

As a matter of fact, it did kick in, rather abruptly. It's what happens when you get certain kinds of cancer.

But keep mocking people by poking fun at physical ailments. Classy. Particularly for a nurse.

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Specializes in Ortho Med\Surg.

I want the high scorer not the one who passed with the minimal amount of questions

I have to respectfully disagree with this... The ones who pass with only 75 questions actually have answered more questions at a higher level than those who move on past 75. If you are hovering around the baseline (minimal competency to practice as a safe, entry level nurse) the computer will continue to give you questions until it there is a 95% certainty that you are either at level or below level. More questions answered does not equal more questions right.

I recently took the NCLEX myself and honestly wanted MORE than 75 questions. When it cut off, I felt like I had more to prove and that what I was tested on had nothing to do with what I had spent 6 years learning. I do not understand how this test I took, with questions about disease processes I was never taught in school and meds that seemed to be from Mars, could competently assess my ability to be a safe nurse. Our instructors, however, insisted that NCLEX tests more on your nursing judgement, assuming that you have a solid foundation in the basics as a result of graduation from the nursing program. Is this the best way? I have no idea. Is it something I'm going to stress over? Nope. Last time I checked, my badge does not list my grades nor the number of questions I answered on my boards. It simply states RN.

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