HEEEELP....failed

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i've never done anything like this before..but people around me just don't understand. ok here it goes. it has been almost 3 yeras since i graduated nursing school. i have taken the nclex three times and every time at 265 questions has shut off. i have taken the hurst review and have multiple books i study from. at this point i really don't know what to do or where to go from here.

i feel like i shouldn't be doing this. how many times do they have to tell me no before i get the picture. i don't know how much more i can take and how much more i can study. when i study with nurses i work with they look at me like seriously you don't need to study anymore. you know the material. i can study with people and have no problems. when i take the practice test that hurst provides and the NLN predictor tests they all say i am gonna pass. yet every time i have taken the test i have failed. not sure where to go or what to do from here. any help would be appreciated.

Stay positive & keep your head up!! :) I failed my first time taking the exam & it was like my whole world came tumbling down b/c Nursing is all I've ever dreamed of doing.....but I didn't give up & you shouldn't either. If this is what you really want don't let anyone or anything hold you back from what you know you are capable of doing. If you believe you WILL ACHIEVE!!! Keep telling yourself that.

I actually had ALL 265 questions my first time & you know as much as I do how dreadful it was to sit there & answer all questions...

My advice to you is to review your weaknesses. You answered 265 questions which means you are borderline passing. I found Kaplan strategies & review book a HUGE help in my studying the 2nd time around. It breaks down the different types of questions on nclex, & how to approach each question. I also did nclex 4000 questions, 200 each day. I took about a month 1/2 before I went in and took the exam again & passed with 88 questions. Remember to breathe, read each question carefully, take your time & take breaks when needed. GOOD LUCK to you xo

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What is the Kaplan review like compared to those like Hurst and other review companies?

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I unfortunately cannot give you a comparison b/c I ONLY used Kaplan. I used no other reviews. The book is very small, easy to read. I read it 3 times! It was referred to me by a friend who also failed her first time. I didnt buy it, I went to the library & I truly believe thats the reason I passed, and I agree with the previous post by Jo Anne that Kaplan is the closest you will get to the real nclex questions. When you do practice questions using Kaplan & do poorly do NOT get discouraged b/c Kaplan questions are more on the application level. Up to the day prior to my nclex exam, I was scoring lower 60's & still passed. Keep up the great work. I know you will persevere!!!

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Hi, I have been through the same thing. They say the questions are basic and I see it as not basic, yet I tend to complicate things more than they are. I do so much better with critical thinking than basic, which is weird. I know how to start and IV, I know how to insert a catherter, etc. So, why am I such a bad test taker. Those are the things I think of and oh, am I not worthy of taking the test or being a nurse. It's craziness. I hope there are answers. I can't imagine that we are destined to not be nurses. Best Wishes!

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I would strongyl suggest you take the in-person Kaplan course. Mine was required for school, and it was like $400. I moaned and groaned about it, how it was a waste of time, yadda yadda. But you know what? I passed the NCLEX first time, with 75 questions, thanks to Kaplan. NCLEX isn't about testing your knowledge- it tests your decision making and prioritizing. Yes, you do have to have a working knowledge of nursing, but more importantly, they want to know that you will assess the suicidal patient before the alcoholic; the compromised airway before the pt. that is vomiting; That you know what to look for in the way of complications, that you know which dr orders seem inappropriate. Instead of recalling facts, they want you to look at the whole picture and really, really think about it. You already had your knowledge of facts tested during nursing school.

They don't really care that you can do skills like nobody's business, or that you have an excellent bedside manner. They want to know that when the dr orders a foley for the pt that can void on his own, you're going to question it. That you won't just blindly follow orders, but that you will use critical thinking to provide safe and effective care for your patients.

So try to relax, try not to focus so much on recalling facts. Study more on your decision making and prioritization skills. Take kaplan. Then go pass the Nclex.

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Keep your head up!!!

Thank you everyone for all the advice and tips!!

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I just saw your post and I had to sign up for this site so I could give you advice. I know exactly what you are going through. Failing the exam is very frustrating, I know from my own personal experience. I failed my exam twice. After the second time I had basically lost all hope and I wanted to just give up. If you took 265 questions then that means that you were very close to passing (at least that is what a Kaplan expert told me). After speaking with someone from Kaplan I decided to sign up for their In Classroom NCLEX-RN Review Course. This was the best thing I ever did. It wasn't that I didn't know the information (seems to be the same situation with you) it was that I didn't know how to properly analyze the questions and answer them correctly. Not only did Kaplan give me the tools to succeed but they drilled it in my head and gave me the confidence to take my NCLEX again. My goal was to go in and take 75 questions and pass and that's exactly what I did. Once you finish the Kaplan course, they give you question trainers and a question bank to study from. If you take the course and follow their instructions after the class ends you will probably end up like I did, going from taking 265 questions and failing to taking 75 questions and passing. I wish you the best of luck and I hope that I was able to help you. Keep your head up, you will get through this, and this struggle will only make you appreciate your job more in the long run! Best of luck to you!

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Hey,

You are not alone....Please don't give up. Keep at it and you WILL pass!! Hang in there....

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I have a friend who took the test 5 times and finally passed. Don't give up and pray, pray, pray!!

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I have a friend who finally passed after 5 times, so you can do it. Don't give up and as they said PRAY PRAY PRAY!!!

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