Help! Failed NCLEX five times, out of school for 9 years

Nurses Retired

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Hello Everyone,

I am new to allnurses.com. A very long story short: I graduated RN school in May 2001. I have taken the NCLEX five times and was unsuccessful. I had tried everything I knew to do and still couldn't do it. I will admit I did give up. The last time I took it I was eight days from having my first child and she is now six. I thought for some reason I was not supposed to do nursing. I got out of nursing all together a year later. I really want to get my license, otherwise nursing school was a waste. I contacted my old school and they didn't even seem to care. I have searched and searched and the only thing I can find online and otherwise is refreshers that you already needed to have your license at some point in time. I never had trouble in clinicals or any hands on work just that test. I am very frustrated and although I want to figure out what I can do even as I write this I feel like there isn't any help out there. If the only thing I can do is go back to school and do the WHOLE program over NO WAY! I am married with two young kids and work full time repeating two years of that again I don't think I can do it. If any of you out there has any ideas you could send my way I would appreciate it. Thanks for your time:)

LadybuggRN said:
Have you ever been tested for dyslexia? A friend of mine failed the boards several times. She is very smart and it didn't make sense. Finally, she found out she had a mild form of dyslexia that was just enough to confuse her with test questions. Once she learned how to compensate for it, she took the Boards and passed.

Wouldn't dyslexia have affected nursing school too? Tests in nursing school are geared towards NCLEX

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Ellie G said:
Wouldn't dyslexia have affected nursing school too? Tests in nursing school are geared towards NCLEX

Pretty much

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1111111

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That is what training is for things change everyday in this field. Bottom line is human organs and diseases don't change by much. There are only so many things that can be wrong with a person. Nurses are constantly learning we are professional students. But at the end of the day sepsis is sepsis, dka will always be dka, and nurses will always have fat butts and overinflated egos. You cannot judge someone's work quality by a test life doesn't give us sata questions and drop boxes to arrange procedure steps. Nursing should be hands on learning 100% with weekly exams period. With so many nurses in lawsuits or repeating state tests it's the system that is at fault. a person who passes school should come out a nurse but that wouldn't be profitable so some get screwed and that's sad.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.
Dani0618 said:
That is what training is for things change everyday in this field. Bottom line is human organs and diseases don't change by much. There are only so many things that can be wrong with a person. Nurses are constantly learning we are professional students. But at the end of the day sepsis is sepsis, dka will always be dka, and nurses will always have fat butts and overinflated egos. You cannot judge someone's work quality by a test life doesn't give us sata questions and drop boxes to arrange procedure steps. Nursing should be hands on learning 100% with weekly exams period. With so many nurses in lawsuits or repeating state tests it's the system that is at fault. a person who passes school should come out a nurse but that wouldn't be profitable so some get screwed and that's sad.

#sourgrapesmuch

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Dani0618 said:
and nurses will always have fat butts and overinflated egos.

Well, that's one way to get off on the wrong foot with pretty much everyone.

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You cannot judge someone's work quality by a test life doesn't give us sata questions and drop boxes to arrange procedure steps.

No, but a test can be used to determine that those who completed a program did so with enough knowledge to pass an exam of minimum competency.

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With so many nurses in lawsuits

Yeah, that's probably not anywhere near a significant portion of licensed nurses.

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or repeating state tests it's the system that is at fault.

Actually, no nurse repeats a state test, because passing NCLEX is what allows one to become licensed. Those who repeat aren't nurses until they pass.

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a person who passes school should come out a nurse but that wouldn't be profitable so some get screwed and that's sad.

Those who pass school should have the minimum knowledge to pass that exam.

Something tells me you're one of those who hasn't passed NCLEX and instead of doing what you need to do to pass is busy being bitter and blaming everything/one else instead.

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Specializes in ER.

To be honest, nurses forget things fairly quickly after they become "specialized." Art lines? God, it was fun setting one up the other day because we don't use them. Trying to remember the quick rule to calculate due dates? Is it minus 3 months and add a week from LMP? I don't know, our EMR calculates it. Heck, we implemented a sepsis protocol a year ago.

In a rural ER, they seemed shocked when I asked how they mix vanco at night when there is no pharmacy because apparently it's just 1 gram for everyone instead of weight based. Although I learned another mix of the STI cocktail is Flagyl 2 grams PO. Sounds scary to take. We normally ship people with a flagyl script.

I can't imagine trying to pass NCLEX two years after graduating and not working as a nurse. I wouldn't pass. Not to mention I think they've stuck EKG strips on and a lot of nurses I know have trouble with basic EKGs.

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Wow this sounds just like my story !! Please write an update I need to know what ur current status is ??ii graduated 9 years ago and with all my heart all I have ever wanted was to be a nurse since I was 16 years old !!!!!!! I have five children and 4 grandchildren. I attempted the NCLEX 4 times and each time a disaster !! I have just submitted another application to request an ATT!! I have been nail bitting since I mailed it out and now I sit waiting in fear they will not allow me to retake it due to the time that has lapsed !!! I will literally die, you may has well put me under a rock if I am not allowed to retake the boards.... and if that school was a waste of time.after all those years of sacrifices and putting my family through what I did, how we all sacrificed day after day until I finally graduated then I fail!!!! I have terrible text anxiety and the boards are more stressful then any text therefore my anxiety was sky high!! Second guessing myself all the way through... mostly believing they are tricking me it can't be this easy ??? Then I switch my answer, . after the last fail I gave up and feel into a state of depression. Lately, I was unable to think straight and finally resubmitted an application bc this is my reason for depression!! I am not able to move on until I pass!!! I am quite aware of how hard it is to get a job I will tackle that issue when I pass bc to be honest I don't care how or where I work what I want is to be labeled as a registered Nurse it is what I have always wanted I even want it on my grave stone!!!!!! I love my family dearly more than words can discribed but a nurse is what I have dreamt to be far before ever imaginaing a family with all the children god has blessed me with!! But this can not be my only reason for living? It just can't be!! I have refused to work for the past 10 years, take on only none obligating jobs temp/ short term, my husband has been very supportive in this regard, nonetheless, he now needs assistance... I have refused bc I only want to work as a RN!!!!!!!! I kept feeling if I start to work outside of a nurse I will never get out! I will become obligated I will stay there and never get out! does anyone now if I can still b allowed to take the boards in California and not have to re do my schooling ??? I will just die!!! If I have to.. and if I am allowed to take it should I go the Kaplan way??? I will pay for the big package in class 30 day and online questionnaires????? Please help anyone who has been in a similar situation??? Missed up and desperate....

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Just to respond to those of you who were not attempting to be mean but commented on the length of time and whether or not one can retain information and or even bea good nurse because of the time lapse, well every person learns and retains information differently, I have extreme test anxiety which I managed through my nursing program refused assistance thinking it would help me when I finally take the boards, it did not, and anxiety kept me from passing, second guessing and all. But the information has stayed with me as if it was only months ago I graduated and when ever I sit and review nursing question it all comes right back to me amazingly as if it was yesterday !!! But if it were the actual boards I would have stumbled over myself!!! So, what I am writing is we are all I. Different situation and some ppl have learned the information long term yet suffer from test anxiety and I do t k ow what to ask the boards I am not handicap?? So I take the boards like anyone else would I do not ask for special needs ? And I fail and stress and fall into depression because I have helped so many ppl pass the boards yet I am unable to pass myself !!

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Hello cpmom! May I asked if you ever chose Kaplan or another type of review course that has helped you?? I have taken my exam 4 times and seriously feel like giving up. Please let me know if anything helped?

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Specializes in psych/medical-surgical.

Dang... 7 year old thread but I guess it's popular so here we go:

To all those trying and trying over and over, taking so many tries to pass - ask yourselves; if you were in a hospital, would you want a RN that couldn't pass the test on multiple attempts? Yes of course it sucks to go through all that schooling to not be able to get the license, but surely there must have been signs along the way.

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The NCLEX-RN® Exam. The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN® exam) has one purpose: To determine if it's safe for you to begin practice as an entry-level nurse. It is significantly different from any test that you took in nursing school.

If you can't handle a 75 general knowledge/judgement test questions, should you be entrusted to handle other's lives? After 2-3 attempts, spamming away at questions is not likely going to help!

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I'm also on the same boat as you. I took nclex-RN back in 2009 but didn't pass the two tests. On a third attempt, Ca BRN required my clinical experiences from the Philippines. I give up taking it but still thinking about it until now while working as Lab Asst in a correctional facility.

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