Graduated Nursing School and Passed NCLEX

Published Jul 7, 2016

2 Posts

Hello all!

It was often enough I'd search through this site for information and thought I would share my experience in return.

I took NCLEX about a month or so after graduating nursing school. I think this is important. Do not wait too long to schedule your exam.

My NCLEX exam consisted of 75 questions. It does not matter how many SATA popped up because the multiple choice was much harder than the SATA in my humble opinion.

I studied every day up till two days before my exam. I did mostly questions and refreshed on content in areas I felt I needed to in the Saunders book. Do not waste too much time reviewing ALL content areas. Focus on your weak points.

I used Kaplan, ATI, UWorld. After taking the exam, I solely would recommend Kaplan, UWorld, and Prioritization, Delegation, and Assignment (mostly utilized during nursing school) by LaCharity for QUESTIONS. QUESTIONS is KEY!

Recommended:

#1) UWorld. Hands down! The rationales are excellent. You need to read both the rationales for right and wrong answers. There is no question! I don't care if you got the answer right. Just read it because sometimes we guess answers and happen to get it right. That doesn't mean you know the content or the reason behind selecting an answer. The program itself will really show you were your weak areas are. Any topic areas below a 60% I went back into Saunders to review it.

It is worth noting that this program actually has up-to-date information compared to the others.

My average was 71%, and I had 500 questions left before I took the exam. Do not let my percentage scare you, I will explain that in a paragraph below later.

#2) Kaplan. This was provided through my school. Although the rationales are pretty dry, and the questions are boring, I think this mostly resembles on what the NCLEX is kind of like. I suggest doing the Qbank. I did the trainers and mostly averaged around 60-65. My QBank average was 68% before taking NCLEX. Again, review the rationales.

#3) Prioritization, Delegation, and Assignment by LaCharity. I used this mostly during nursing school. If you struggle with priority questions, which hands down made up a majority of my NCLEX exam, you need to go through this book.

Not recommended:

Virtual ATI NCLEX-RN Review. Although I received the green light for 99% passing the NCLEX on the first try (made 81% on the predictor) and they were correct, this in my opinion was the least like the NCLEX. There is no way I would have felt prepared doing this program alone. It is also completely overpriced. Some of the information is outdated, which made me feel like the program was outdated. The ATI predictor exam I took in June 2016 was a 2013 version.

I was entirely infatuated with the whole "green light" idea, but doing thorough research AFTER purchasing the program it is definitely safe to say getting a green light is not guaranteed that you will pass NCLEX.

Ending Note on NURSING SCHOOL:

It is probably worth mentioning that I did very well in nursing school.

I always read silly little posts like "Being a straight A student nursing school won't make you a good nurse." Along with similar pettiness, and I am so sorry some need to stoop so low with negative comments in order to make themselves feel better because their colleagues were far more dedicated than they were.

I went into nursing school with the mindset that I wasn't going to accept anything other than excellence because this was my future. If I can grasp the knowledge and do well, surely I could pass NCLEX. Not only that, but knowledge is power. How am I going to be safe and minimally competent if I half-assed my entire nursing school experience? I remember everyone meditating on the whole C's get degreesâ€, but that's just not me. I am not saying getting C's are bad, or there is anything wrong with getting C's. I am saying MY GOAL education-wise was to get all of this done right the FIRST time. That means shutting off the TV, turning off Facebook, skipping the party, and getting to work. Do you have to deprive your life for 3-4 years in order to do this? No. It just means having a CALENDAR, and sticking to it! Being organized, not procrastinating, and not leaving things for the last minute. You will at least have 7 hours of sleep on average every night, and enjoy having you timeâ€ every now and then if you have a plan and stick to it.

Overall, I liked nursing school. What I didn't like was when classmates had too much pride, or made me feel like I didn't know anything, people being overly competitive Don't share this information with the rest of the class.â€ I got kicked out of a group study once because somebody didn't like me. That's all okay because they did me a favor. I distanced myself from people who were looking for respect by throwing others under the bus and that is perhaps once of the best decisions I could have made for myself. I instead surrounded myself with people who were positive.

I also didn't like clinical instructors that made clinicals overly stressful. I'm talking about the Your scrub top isn't white enough and your shoes have scuff marksâ€ type. When the day arrives that I will be educating students, I promise that I won't be that. All in all, if you just shut up and take the crap you will make it past these instructors. Do not argue and just apologize for whatever wrongâ€ you did. SWALLOW YOUR PRIDE.

Even though I spoke on some of the bad, thankfully the majority of the class and instructors were uplifting. Many were kind, generous, and helpful. To the girl who always brought chocolates to class: the world needs more of YOU! Our student body had mostly good spirited people, and will make AMAZING nurses! Anybody is lucky to have them.

Nursing school overall was an eye-opening experience. At the beginning I wasn't even sure if nursing was for me. Even though I'm a new-grad nurse and still feel like I don't know squat, I've experienced many moments that I will never forget, nor take for granted. This profession truly is something so special and I am so glad I became a registered nurse.

If anyone has any questions, I will do my absolute best to help you in the comments below.