HELP! Failed NCLEX-RN 6 times!

Nursing Students NCLEX

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I have been out of school 2 years today. I tested yesterday for NCLEX-RN for the 6th time and looked on the licensing website this morning and my name had dropped off indicating that I failed. I am devastated. I am always so confident when I sit down. Then as the test goes on I get anxious and nervous. I have answered all 265 questions 6 TIMES!! I am so close to passing that it just makes me so sick! To think of all the $$ wasted.

What else can I do? AM I meant to do this? I have completed the HURST review, the Kaplan review, the VATI (virtual ATI), worked with a private tutor and plus have used some other study materials. I even went as far as to go to the doctor and request a small dose ant-anxiety medication. However, now I am pregnant and cannot take this.

Anyway, I feel lost, want to quit, and just go into retail. I feel like a huge failure and embarrassment.

Oh, not to mention that I have had to go in front of the nursing board twice now. Each time I've gone in front of them they don't exactly boost my confidence. It's always something like, "If you don't pass this time, well I don't know what we'll do." Or "It gets harder every time you test, it's also hard to get the opportunity to test every time you don't pass." Really? Do they have to be like that? I'm already a nervous wreck.

Any help? Suggestions? Advice? :down:

Specializes in CEN, CFRN, PHRN, RCIS, EMT-P.
If y'all ain't got nothing positive to say don't post . She didn't ask what to do in that way . This isn't for kicking ppl when they down . Your opinions aren't always needed. Green whoever .. And everyone who agreed & said what they said .. I would never want them to be my nurse .. Are " realistic " to your patients or do you show empathy .. It's not like her forehead is going to say nclex 7th attempt . You wouldn't know . Nclex isn't real world . Orientation will get her here she needs to be . If you wanna be a nurse go for it love do what you gotta do for this stuff that you gotta have . Your in my prayers[/quote']

To quote my favorite show "Star Trek" "divine intervention is unlikely" just like praying does not cure disease, it also doesn't help you pass the NCLEX. Seriously people, stop with the false hope.

Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.
To quote my favorite show "Star Trek" "divine intervention is unlikely" just like praying does not cure disease, it also doesn't help you pass the NCLEX. Seriously people, stop with the false hope.

People need to be realistic. I could decide that I wanted to be the world's first 48 year old chubby ballerina but no amount of faith, prayers or belief on my part would make it happen.You can't just "will" something into being true or achievable.

To quote my favorite show "Star Trek" "divine intervention is unlikely" just like praying does not cure disease it also doesn't help you pass the NCLEX. Seriously people, stop with the false hope.[/quote']

Don't no body care about no fake Star Wars . How about comparing it to something real . You don't know her struggle or her life . Like someone else said .. I know someone who has failed just as many times & been a nurse for 30 plus yrs #facts

Specializes in ICU.

Have you been tested for learning disabilities? My friend had to take it. Twice. After the second time she was tested and found to have dyslexia .she passed with extra testing time and she took it in a quiet room. She was a BSN whostudied her butt off and now understands why she had to work so much harder.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Don't no body care about no fake Star Wars . How about comparing it to something real . You don't know her struggle or her life . Like someone else said .. I know someone who has failed just as many times & been a nurse for 30 plus yrs #facts
Impossible...years ago once you failed the second time remediation occurred..you had to take that section in a program again. Then you could test 2 more times before remediation occurred....then repeat it all over again. Then you were done and had to repeat school if you were do inclined. Testing was given only 2 times a year. January and June. Period.

While they may have failed 6 times....years ago it meant formal classroom time in between 2 attempts. They may be a good nurse now...that is the exception and not the rule.

OP you need to find out where you problem lies...maybe nursing isn't for you. There is no shame in that...have you tried the LPN exam?

Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
If y'all ain't got nothing positive to say don't post . She didn't ask what to do in that way . This isn't for kicking ppl when they down . Your opinions aren't always needed. Green whoever .. And everyone who agreed & said what they said .. I would never want them to be my nurse .. Are " realistic " to your patients or do you show empathy .. It's not like her forehead is going to say nclex 7th attempt . You wouldn't know . Nclex isn't real world . Orientation will get her here she needs to be . If you wanna be a nurse go for it love do what you gotta do for this stuff that you gotta have . Your in my prayers[/quote']

I am going to go out on a limb and assume you are both a novice nurse and have a history of multiple tries at the NCLEX in the past. In that case, are you unbiased in giving advice? Would you be so quick to give advice if you were paying her fees and living expenses while she continued to try? If you were a hiring manager and noticed that a nurse graduated more than a year ago but was just recently licensed would you have questions?

There is nothing here that is "kicking" anyone while "down". The purpose of this forum in not for thoughtless positive reinforcement regardless of situation.

Curious, if you don't want anyone who was "negative" in the post as your nurse, do you think you would be left with educated experienced nurses or novice nurses that have had multiple shots at the boards?

Don't get me wrong, everyone deserves a retake. I know a great NP that took three attempts at her NCLEX. We are talking about more than double that here.

Specializes in CEN, CFRN, PHRN, RCIS, EMT-P.
Don't no body care about no fake Star Wars . How about comparing it to something real . You don't know her struggle or her life . Like someone else said .. I know someone who has failed just as many times & been a nurse for 30 plus yrs #facts

Ehhh I said Star Trek not Star Wars, yes it's as fake as results by prayer ;-)

Specializes in Hospice.
If y'all ain't got nothing positive to say don't post . She didn't ask what to do in that way . This isn't for kicking ppl when they down . Your opinions aren't always needed. Green whoever .. And everyone who agreed & said what they said .. I would never want them to be my nurse .. Are " realistic " to your patients or do you show empathy .. It's not like her forehead is going to say nclex 7th attempt . You wouldn't know . Nclex isn't real world . Orientation will get her here she needs to be . If you wanna be a nurse go for it love , do what you gotta do for this stuff that you gotta have . Your in my prayers

I'll take GrnTea and her years of experience over someone who has failed the NCLEX 6 times any day. Posters keep saying that the NCLEX doesn't have anything to do with "real" nursing but I beg to differ. It is a standardized test just like the SATs/ACTs and the horrid ISTEP test that is required in my state to graduate high school.

Do we really want nurses to come straight out of nursing school and let them practice without making sure they know at least basics? I understand some people get test anxiety, but I always wonder when the "big test" comes and the patient is crashing are they going to get anxiety then too? IJS

Nursing isn't for every one and that is okay!

Specializes in geriatrics, IV, Nurse management.

All this negativity...thank gawd no one saw my first test score. I failed by one mark. But I took some time off, got a tutor and took a testing course to help. I've heard of people failing multiple times and passing it. Obviously with the attitude exhibited here, most won't admit to other nurses about it. Let's be honest, there are some questions that have more than one right answer but you have to pick the "best right answer". And to the question about hiring - you don't have to disclose on your resume how many times you wrote. As a manager, I would rather hire someone who learned from their mistakes than the a cocky new grad who "knows all".

Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
All this negativity...thank gawd no one saw my first test score. I failed by one mark. But I took some time off got a tutor and took a testing course to help. I've heard of people failing multiple times and passing it. Obviously with the attitude exhibited here, most won't admit to other nurses about it. Let's be honest, there are some questions that have more than one right answer but you have to pick the "best right answer". And to the question about hiring - you don't have to disclose on your resume how many times you wrote. As a manager, I would rather hire someone who learned from their mistakes than the a cocky new grad who "knows all".[/quote']

There is a HUGE difference between failing your first nursing school test by one point and failing the boards six times. That's not negativity that's reality.

So you would hire a nurse that has been out of school three years and just passed her boards over a fresh new grad out of school that passed right away? Whose skill do you think are most up-to-par let alone knowledge.

Specializes in geriatrics, IV, Nurse management.

True, but knowing my results versus my friend who failed 4 times...are we not the same nurse? Obviously tests were not my par. I was told in nursing school that I'm more hands on. Some people struggle with testing situation. And yes, I most likely would. The new grads I've seen know nothing about any real life nursing and jeapordize patient safety but their test results were perfect.

Specializes in CEN, CFRN, PHRN, RCIS, EMT-P.
True but knowing my results versus my friend who failed 4 times...are we not the same nurse? Obviously tests were not my par. I was told in nursing school that I'm more hands on. Some people struggle with testing situation. And yes, I most likely would. The new grads I've seen know nothing about any real life nursing and jeapordize patient safety but their test results were perfect.[/quote']

Thank god you're not hiring because you'd end up with mediocre unsafe nurses. Please re-read your post and reflect on your flawed logic.

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