Failed the NCLEX 5 times. Please Help!

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I have taken the NCLEX 5 times now and will pass it this time. I am taking the Hurst Review in the middle of October with the plan of taking the actual NCLEX-RN in the beginning of December. I have previously taken the KAPLAN course and found it to not be very helpful, for me that is anyways. I finally began to overcome my severe test anxiety, which I had accommodations for during college, after taking the NCLEX for the 3rd time. This last time I took it, almost a year ago, I was so close to passing. Currently I am at a loss of what to do and how to set up an appropriate study program for myself. PLEASE HELP!!! If you have any thoughts, tips or recommendations please, please, please feel free to contact me.

Please & Thank You

I am a practicing RN with more then 25yrs experience. I still do shifts per diem @ bed side nursing because I love to stay close to patients/ families and line staff. That being said I have been in a management role for some years now.

I commend you for NOT giving up on Nursing. Nursing will never give up on you. This field is about COMPASSION for our patients and ourselves.

The best advice I can give you is - try something different with your studying. You must be freezing up at the test site.

RELAX, STAY CALM- you know the information- just let it flow.

I read some of the other replies:

So all that time away from school & no direct healthcare experience, what will happen when they finally do get a job? It won't be good. I wouldn't want that person who has been out of school for a year or more trying to pass the NCLEX as my or my family's nurse.

Perhaps the person who wrote this response passed the computer test and might have clinical skills but really needs to work on her compassion- I would not want HER for my mothers nurse! So there. There is a GREAT DEAL more to nursing then clinical.......

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I am a practicing RN with more then 25yrs experience. I still do shifts per diem @ bed side nursing because I love to stay close to patients/ families and line staff. That being said I have been in a management role for some years now.

I commend you for NOT giving up on Nursing. Nursing will never give up on you. This field is about COMPASSION for our patients and ourselves.

The best advice I can give you is - try something different with your studying. You must be freezing up at the test site.

RELAX, STAY CALM- you know the information- just let it flow.

And as for everyone talking about clinical skills etc. all the knowledge you have from school....

well you just need to pass the test and you will be at the SAME level as every other nurse on the 1st day of their 1st job- scared....

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I am a practicing RN with more then 25yrs experience. I still do shifts per diem @ bed side nursing because I love to stay close to patients/ families and line staff. That being said I have been in a management role for some years now.

I commend you for NOT giving up on Nursing. Nursing will never give up on you. This field is about COMPASSION for our patients and ourselves.

The best advice I can give you is - try something different with your studying. You must be freezing up at the test site.

RELAX, STAY CALM- you know the information- just let it flow.

I read some of the other replies:

So all that time away from school & no direct healthcare experience, what will happen when they finally do get a job? It won't be good. I wouldn't want that person who has been out of school for a year or more trying to pass the NCLEX as my or my family's nurse.

Perhaps the person who wrote this response passed the computer test and might have clinical skills but really needs to work on her compassion- I would not want HER for my mothers nurse! So there. There is a GREAT DEAL more to nursing then clinical.......

I'd rather have a nurse who has amazing clinical skills but is lacking in the compassion department. I don't want a nurse or any clinician trying to do a procedure on me but fumbling & bumbling. You can feign empathy, you can't pretend to have good clinical skills.

If you'd rather someone be coddling your mother whilst they try for the 15th time to get an IV or foley in, be my guest. I'd rather the nurse who comes in & doesn't make small talk but gets the IV in my son on the first attempt.

Lol. So you are judging me as a nurse because I have standards when it comes to my & my families care? Well, that says more about you than it does me.

The NCLEX is not like a driving test or something minor, we are going to be taking care of people's lives. Why is it ok to take the NCLEX so many times? Having compassion is great, but that won't help you when you're in the middle of a code. Critical thinking is the biggest factor & most important in nursing. You don't get multiple attempts to save someone's life. While having compassion & empathy is wonderful, if someone can't think critically enough to pass the NCLEX after 3 attempts, what does that say?

Why are we being so lenient? Why are we coddling these students? There should be a 3 strike rule. After that it should be either remediation or go back to school. Obviously something is missing if people can't pass the NCLEX in 3 attempts.

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If you have failed 5 times you really need to ask yourself if nursing is really for you. You are going to have people's lives in your hands & the NCLEX is the minimum competency exam.

Nah, don't listen to this OP. Don't let a stranger plant seeds of doubt and fear into your mind. Nursing is for you. Don't let failure define who you are. You got what it takes to pass Nclex and become a successful nurse. Evaluate where you went wrong, switch up habits that aren't effective, develop a new plan to increase your chance of success, and try again! View these failures as a way to improve yourself. You got it. In 5 years, when you're a SUCCESSFUL nurse in practice, you'll look back at this moment and laugh.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Nah, don't listen to this OP. Don't let a stranger plant seeds of doubt and fear into your mind. Nursing is for you. Don't let failure define who you are. You got what it takes to pass Nclex and become a successful nurse. Evaluate where you went wrong, switch up habits that aren't effective, develop a new plan to increase your chance of success, and try again! View these failures as a way to improve yourself. You got it. In 5 years, when you're a SUCCESSFUL nurse in practice, you'll look back at this moment and laugh.

You aren't even a nursing student yet! How can you comment about what the NCLEX is like if you don't even know what NURSING SCHOOL is like? Seriously?! No. So many shades of no. If you had even a YEAR of real world nursing experience I would be ok with that comment, but the fact that you aren't even IN nursing school yet. No. I have worked as a nurse in so many settings & can tell you I wouldn't let an incompetent, bumbling nurse who doesn't know their way around any skill near ME or MY family. I'd rather have the cold, quiet nurse who has their skills down pat & work with that nurse too. Because when I'm in a code or in an emergency, I sure as hell don't want that nurse that is full of compassion but can't critically think or needs to take their time doing whatever skill it is I need.

But obviously, it's just me.

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There are resources available the OP can use to their advantage to sharpen their skill set. I'm here to encourage, motivate, and empower the OP, not argue with you.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
There are resources available the OP can use to their advantage to sharpen their skill set. I'm here to encourage, motivate, and empower the OP, not argue with you.

Then why did you quote & disparage me? How can the OP sharpen his/her skill set if the OP can't even pass the NCLEX? Be realistic, don't blow smoke up the OP's behind. Not everyone is meant to be a nurse & that is life. I would *love* to be Bill Gates but that's not in the cards for me. You might be able to practice skills but critical thinking is different story. You either have it, or you don't. If it takes someone 4, 5, 10 attempts to pass the NCLEX that person obviously can't think critically enough to be a nurse and that's OK!

But we shouldn't be cheering on failure, we need to be realistic & tell people when enough is enough. No more hand holding, no more participation medals, just the harsh truth because life is harsh. Why do we coddle people now? This mentality has to stop. No, it's not ok people fail the minimum competency exam to become a nurse 4+ times. No one holds your hand at work & you SURE AS HELL don't get 4+ tries to save that person's life! So why is it ok to repeatedly take the NCLEX? You either know your stuff or you don't. Period. This is life & nursing is rough. If you can't handle the NCLEX, choose a different career.

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Specializes in Psych.

Im sorry to hear that you're having a tough time. U will get through though!! I personally recommend UWorld! Uworld was my only study source but i made sure to fine comb through every single question and rationales to both right and wrong answers.

I sorted through questions according to different systems. Take notes on what i felt was important and moved on. Once i got through every system, i went back and did all the incorrect answers for each system.

And repeat until you no longer have incorrect answers.

Leave priority/delegation/leadership questions until youve finished all the other systems.

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Hi ,

The reason you don 't pass that you didn 't have clinical experiences in hoapital. Try to get any jobs like phlebotomist , patient care coordinator, home health aid , or medical assistant at local clinic that don 't ask MA certificate. You can try to study and take it again while you work around patients.

Are there any other good idea ?

Or i don 't know what is the process of docs to challence the board of Nclex-PN. I also failed three times , i am looking for help too. What should i do ? Pls , text me

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Hi ,

The reason you don 't pass that you didn 't have clinical experiences in hoapital. Try to get any jobs like phlebotomist , patient care coordinator, home health aid , or medical assistant at local clinic that don 't ask MA certificate. You can try to study and take it again while you work around patients.

Are there any other good idea ?

Or i don 't know what is the process of docs to challence the board of Nclex-PN. I also failed three times , i am looking for help too. What should i do ? Pls , text me

I didn't have ANY clinical experience before I became an LVN but it didn't take me 3+ attempts to pass the NCLEX.

I wouldn't suggest becoming an MA because that follows the medical model of care not nursing.

Is English your second language? Could that be why *you're* having issues passing the NCLEX?

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Hello there,

I would def really absorb the Hurst review, they have a lot of good information! Also you can do it at home too after the live review. I would HIGHLY recommend re-watching all the videos and following along in the workbook the week prior to your NCLEX. The other resource I would recommend is UWORLD. You can buy monthly subscriptions, or a year. It is worth the money. The test bank has many varied questions, the rationales reinforce all the information as well. In addition it will tell you what areas are your weakest and you can design a quiz with just those areas to improve those concepts. I believe anyone who successfully finished nursing school can pass with Hurst and Uworld. AND remember....if you complete Hurst they have a money back guarantee!

ALSO I was told b my Kaplan instructor that statistically ADN NCLEX takers are more successful than BSN. It may be related to clinical hours and the amount of time from those clinical hours. I know with BSN there are a lot of mgmt type classes, papers, etc. So Hurst and Uworld would both bring you back to core content.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Psych.
I didn't have ANY clinical experience before I became an LVN but it didn't take me 3+ attempts to pass the NCLEX.

I wouldn't suggest becoming an MA because that follows the medical model of care not nursing.

Is English your second language? Could that be why *you're* having issues passing the NCLEX?

sorry I just have to comment on this, I've been following this thread and while you've been giving honest feedback- I see that you've also been posting a lot of negativity not only to the author of the thread (who is honestly just trying to get some help) but also to others who are kind enough to give her encouragement. Your criticism and ad hominem comments based on speculation are starting to make me cringe.

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