Failed NCLEX; any suggestions?

Nurses New Nurse

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Hi everyone. I took the nclex on Wednesday and found out Friday that I failed!!! :crying2: :crying2: :crying2:

I was devastated!!! I cried for hours upon end!!!

Does anyone who failed the first time and passed on the 2nd try have any words of wisdom for me??? PLEASE!!!!

I really recommend NCBSN's NCLEX review online. The questions I got on the NCLEX resembled those the most. It's on www.learningext.com, and is $79 for 7 weeks, which is actually pretty good...

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I understand how you feel I failed on my first time and I cried for one day . I got up the second day and said to myself that I will pass the second time and I look at what I may have done wrong the first time and I started a new strategy. I took and kaplan course the second time to boost up my confidence. I understand how you feel I took my test the second time with much confidence and pass so grieve then get back up and do it again and always know that as long as you keep trying you will be a nurse and know that we all are here for you to vent and for encouragement. :)

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Specializes in Inpatient Acute Rehab.
I really recommend NCBSN's NCLEX review online. The questions I got on the NCLEX resembled those the most. It's on www.learningext.com, and is $79 for 7 weeks, which is actually pretty good...

Thank you for this. I bought the 3 week course, which has the same exact content as the 7 week course. It was $49, but that's all I could afford. It is an excellent program!!!! Thanks again!

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Specializes in Mental Health, Med/surge, Forensics.
Thanks everyone!!! I do not personally know all of you, but I feel like I have friends that understand !!! I will do each suggestion!!! Thanks!!
Sagarcia, it takes courage to open up to strangers in a trying situation such as yours. Remember that failing NCLEX for the first time neither means you will not make a good nurse nor you are or will be a failure in life. Out of great tests, come great testimonies; out of great trials come triumph. You will emerge as the victor and not the victim. As for my NCLEX, which I passed at 110 questions, I never went to any review. I am the cheap type of guy and that frugality helped me through nursing school. I bought the Saunders, and all I did was to study 200 questions everyday....rain or sun. An indepth review of the Saunders CD will help you as it did for me. With consistency, determination and focus, you will pass NCLEX the second time around. Remember the reason you went into nursing the first time, and remember that out of great struggles come great sucesses. Good luck and God bless you.

Pedus CEE Pedus

RN, BSN, BA

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Hi everyone. I took the nclex on Wednesday and found out Friday that I failed!!! :crying2: :crying2: :crying2:

I was devastated!!! I cried for hours upon end!!!

Does anyone who failed the first time and passed on the 2nd try have any words of wisdom for me??? PLEASE!!!!

Hi:

I really do feel for you because I've been there not once but twice. The first time I failed it hurt really really bad because you just want that chapter in your life to be over so you can move on. I had to give myself some down time because it was like I had a mental block or something after I failed. I used NCLEX 3000 CD by springmaid and Saunders questions and answers book. Those two were the only two things I thought was anywhere similar to boards and they weren't exact either. I think doing so many questions a day is the best way to attack this thing because it teaches you how to answer questions and when you read the rationales it sticks with you. I had 265 the first time I failed then 186 the second and 265 when I passed the third time. But I tried reading and reviewing not doing questions for the second time and I think doing questions is the key. I passed LPN the first time with the minimum and I had used Saunders then also. Hope this helps but believe me I know it doesn't change you pain. :kiss

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I agree with the posters here. Honestly, I believe that we all have that knowledge tucked away to pass boards. What one needs is the "strategy" to accomplish that test.

Doing practice questions is Great for building up stamina, but if you dont know the information now, you are not going to know it.

Trust me, I took the kaplan review course (week long) IMO, it was a waste of money......

the only thing that truly helped me was the Kaplan nclex-rn book.

It teaches you how to break down the question and reword it to get your answer.

It is the only book you need IMO.

so, get that book, right?then read each chapter and apply what they are telling you to your practice questions.

Good luck! The past is the past......Lets move forward and defeat that "beast"

happy :p

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When you take the test the next time, spend the evening before RELAXING -- not studying. See a movie, go out with friends (no alcohol or late night though; you want to be fresh). Schedule your next test for the time of day you feel most energized.

Along with your studying, make some time for relaxation or meditation. Clear your mind of worries every time they come up; worrying won't help and just gets in the way.

When you do take your test, read the question all the way through, then read all the answers before you decide. Mark your first choice and don't over think the question. Your first, gut answer is usually the right one. Once you've answered it, go on to the next and don't worry about any previous questions.

If you can't decide between two answers, review what you know, and if you still can't decide, just guess and go on. Don't agonize over it.

If you don't have a clue, guess and go on, and again, don't worry about it.

I take tests better than anyone I know and these are my strategies. I took no review courses and studied very little in the month before I took NCLEX in 2001 (and passed).

It's important to remember that some people make great nurses but just don't do well with paper or computerized tests. At least part of this is due to test anxiety. Another part has to do with the way people think and learn.

The real test is your hands on, on the job delivery of the knowledge that you have...the NCLEX is just a hurdle for you to get past so you can use it!

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Specializes in med/surg, oncology.

I am sad to hear that you did not pass the NCLEX test. Now hopefully through study, you will find out what your weak areas are and you will be able to improve on them. Look at the first time as a learning experience. It made you go back and look at the information again, know what your weaknesses are, so that you could improve on them. Does that make sense? I always look at mistakes as a learning experience and work to do better the second time around. I failed a nursing course once, and the second time around I worked harder, developed good study skills and passed that course with a B! (and for me that is good because I had a very low D.) I applied those study skills to the rest of nursing school and they worked for me. I just took NCLEX on the 28th of June,(got 75 questions and passed.) I studied for a month. I did the 100 questions a day, and I read the rationales. That is what helped the most. I used Mosby's Comprehensive Review of Nursing for NCLEX-RN. I liked that book. There was review material at the beginning of each chapter before the practice questions. I spent some time just reading the "chapter" to review on areas that I was weak. My hospital, which also has a college on grounds, had a library that had RN success programs on the computers. I recommend that program if you have access to it. It will tell you how to look for key words in the question, and then help you choose the right answer. It also gives rationales. You will find what works best for you though. But get up, brush yourself off, and go for it again. You can do it!! Wishing you the best!!

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Specializes in PICU, Peds Ambulatory, Peds LTC.

Dont give up. Keep the faith.... You got through nursing school, you will get through NCLEX. GOOD LUCK ON ROUND 2.

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Sagarcia, I'm so sorry. But like everyone is saying, you made it thru nursing school so you KNOW what you are doing.

Take it from someone who has problems with studying, don't overwhelm yourself getting this book and that. You will go INSANE with anxiety. If at all possible enroll in a NCLEX review course or RN refresher course. Then focus on these two study guides for content: Kaplan NClex review (for strategies and management questions) and Saunders Comprehensive NCLEX review (for content). Try not to get too anxious with trying to remember every single concept but rather try to hone your critical thinking skills (if this, then that).

I wish you the best of luck and remain confident that you WILL pass the second time. God bless you.

Pokey RN

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My two cent is this-I studied like a madwoman for several hours a day, including mostly taking tests out of Mosby.Lippincott and Kaplan. I studied on campus and a former professor told me to, "focus on the strategy that you know (I don't know if your graduating class had to take a seminar, we took Kaplan), which is Kaplan, stick to those stategies and use the rest of the tests for content only." So.........I took that to mean..stick to the strategies from one text and use all of the other review tests for study. and YOU WILL PASS!

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i failed my first time too, just found out today i passed on my second time around!

but i used this book by exam cram. it was amazing. i loved it. i suggest that with my whole heart!!

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