Failed Nclex a few times? Don't give up!!

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I started an account just to post this thread. I'm in no way gloating, this is all about pure motivation. If you've failed your NCLEX multiple times, are desperate, think you wasted 4 years of your life going through nursing school and it's pre-reqs...read on.

I was a cum laude student with over 3.6 gpa out of Nursing school. In my 4 years of college, I never got a final C grade. I excelled in clinicals and was part of a group dubbed the A-team by our preceptor. I was so psyched to become a nurse and choose a path to follow. I was even preemptively getting nervous for the potential interview processes. I was hearing about group interviews and showdowns.

I went to take my NCLEX exam, very worried, for I had always done bad on the Hesi tests. My problem was I over-thought every question and came up with a logical and scientifical reason to why another answer was "more" correct.

I failed..6 hours and 231 questions in. I got upset, blamed it on my over-thinking, waited 6 months to take it again and didn't study. I just brushed up on my lab values and meds. I failed it miserably in 75Qs.

Took the Kaplan course, rocked it! Went into the testing room a 3rd time feeling super confident, Kaplan had figured it all out after all. Computer shut off at 75 Qs, I smiled, I knew it was over. Told all my family and friends I passed. Got the quick results 2 days later, I failed. Now I was desperate, ****** off and ashamed. My jaw dropped. I thought there was a system glitch. I even called Pearson and asked them to double check. Imagine the pain in the guy's voice on the phone...um, no sir, there's no error in the result you see.

I re-register for 45 days later, what else was I supposed to do..studied my butt off. Did thousands of questions and studied hard from various sources. Went back to take my NCLEX, computer shuts off after five and a half hours and 230Qs. I didn't know what to think. Quick results: Fail.

Now I'm panicking. Some of my fellow classmates already have one year experience on me. How can one exam with ridiculous questions stop me from achieving my dream. What do I do?

I re-register. My close friend tells me to look into a tutor. I decide to go with Mosby and delacharity books. Over 5000Qs combined plus a new approach. I also read a lot of positive feedback of people failing with Kaplan and Saunders succeeding with delacharity which I believe is part of Elsevier. Amazing book. It breaks up the questions by topic so you know exactly where your weaknesses are. And I'm not talking about vast categories such as basic care and comfort or safety and infection control. No, it narrows it down to pain, cancer, f&E, respiratory..so on and so forth. My brain was so burnt out from 3 months of continued studying that I didnt even touch the Mosby book and only did part 2 of delacharity (21 chapters of pure light shed).

I went back in Saturday morning to take my NCLEX for the 5th time, I sit down and a shooting pain from my molar goes straight to my brain. You gotta be kidding me I thought. It lasted 20 painful minutes. By question 42, 50% of my exam had been choose all that apply Qs. I've counted a 10% success rate for myself on those Qs. I was desperate and trying to not let that throw me off.

The computer shut off at Q76. I thought I failed miserably because over 35% of my exam was choose all that apply and I didn't get one drug calculation Q. The only comfort I had is that the computer shot me an extra question which I knew I answered correctly and then shut off. 48hrs later, this morning at 9:30 am exactly, I passed and became an RN.

Moral of the story if you're still reading. Don't give up! And I honestly feel a lot smarter than I did 5 exams ago.

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congrats girl..wish that you will surely enjoy ur profession..just send u a pm.

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Congratulations on a job well done. You are truly my inspiration and hope. You exemplify that perseverance do lead to success. Truly, the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong but to those that endures to the end.

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Congratulations RN!!! Yes you're right! NEVER GIVE UP YOUR HOPE!!!

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Thank you for writing that! I so needed it. I am trying for my third attempt and I feel very overwhelm. Good for you! You made me smile!!!

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Which lacharity book are you referencing?

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Sorry. Yes it's LaCharity, not delacharity. The book is 'Prioritization, Delegation, and Assignment. Practice exercises for the NCLEX examination. 3rd edition.' It's a small book. Unlike other books that cram a million questions that contradict each other, leave you frustrated and don't explain why they chose a certain rationale, this book is small but loaded with goodies. It gives you explanations to why an answer was the correct choice but also to why the other choices were wrong. This helps you understand where your thinking went wrong, why you should of chose the other answer and helps you identify triggers (keywords, absolutes, certain values..) to not make the mistake again. I had the knowledge, this book helped me pick up on the subtleties (ie. tricks) of the Nclex.

Thanks for the positive feedback! I'm glad I could inspire some. I'm a male nurse btw. Gdeshaw, never stop trying!

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I haven't even started nursing school and I'm already nervous about the NCLEX! I hope I pass the first time but am preparing myself mentally for the possibility of having to take it a few times.

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So inspiring. I have been there myself. It's all about motivation. You're more prepared than the average. I too took it more than once and know exactly how you feel. It's not the greatest feeling but you don't realize how strong you are until you get those results back and keep going back. We're are relentless when it comes to not giving up and I'm sure your will be a wonderful nurse

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I appreciate this! I also did well in my nursing courses and I failed for the fourth time this weekend. I just said "I give up" classmates have a year or so of experience ahead of me and it's so easy for me to motivate others. Normally, it's easy to motivate myself but I feel like crap right now! I had to hold in tears at work this morning. I'm gonna reregister and pay another $289 (something like) life is a bummer.

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This is so inspiring..I'm down in the dumps as well for my unsuccessful attempt for the first time on nclex and I can't find the strength to pick myself up and keep trying. Spent over a month studying, sacrificed time with family and friends, had a self-destructive lifestyle (didn't sleep or eat much) due to stress, and after all that effort, things didn't turn out the way I hoped for. I'm thankful I found this thread. I feel I'll read it multiple times to help me stop crying and being depressed and try again. I understand this thread is from a while ago but thankyou for posting it. It just saved my life.

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