Help for a Second Timer??

nrcolee6 · Jul 29, 2009

im in your boat as well! any advice would be much appreciated! i get my new att on aug 14th and am planning on retesting end aug! i haven't received my letter about my first test either but ive done lots of content review and have tried to keep a positive attitude going into studying, but easier said than done i guess!

what i did was take a few days off to be sad and upset and then regathered myself and slowly got back into studying. i then created a study schedule week by week and made sure to stick with it. ive only been doing a few hours everyday so i dont wear myself out and it seems to be helping as i get a lot more done rather than just going through the motions, if that makes sense. and im planning on redoing my kaplan starting next week, saunders, and thinking of trying NCSBN for 3 wks. anyhow, thats my plan as of now. and lots of prayer and support from family and friends! i keep reminding myself its just a stinking test, i made it through nursing school and countless hard exams...i can do this one!

here's to us! we can do it!

MH24 · Aug 10, 2009

When did you take your first test if you dont mind me asking? I took mine saturday found out I failed today. I took all 265 questions so I guess I was in it until the very end. I already reregistered with Pearson and I have to send the application in to the BON. I did ATI the first time and im going to redo starting this week. I want to give myself a couple days and then Im ready to move on and think positive. Look at it this way at least we know what to expect going in there. I was thinking about trying the NCSBN as well. HAve you heard good things about it? Heres to only having to do this one more time. :)

jarlesha · Aug 10, 2009

I would suggest that you give your self some time before jumping back to studying, I suggest at least a week or until you get your results so you know where to focus on. What review have you used. I failed boards 3x and just passed last week, thanks to the lord up above and this site. I would definetly recommend Linda LaCharity prioritzation (it's your bible for NCLEX). Also pray cause prayers work.

MH24 · Aug 11, 2009

Im planning on letting it settle in a couple of days. I took my test with NJ board of nursing. Where do I find the prioritaztion items you are talking about. I really need to and only want to do this one more time. Any help would be great. I also believe that everything happens for a purpose and there was a reason I wasnt meant to pass on the first time. So Im going to stay positive and try and refocus and slow things down a little. Thanks for the advice.

NurseThis21, BSN, RN · Aug 11, 2009

i'm so sorry about your results, but remember that just as a baby falls over and over again while trying to walk, they too will end up succeeding; perhaps not at the exact moment they want, but they always come out a winner...and a walker! :chuckle

this is actually a great example of what you will face as a nurse; there will be times where something won't go your way and the outcome looks bleak, but we all have a job to do and we need to quickly pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and get back into the program! that being said, i have a few tips for you.

:pntrghi:1. create a study plan for yourself. from what i've seen with my friends who needed to retake the test, it's not necessary to bring out the big books again and start over at chapter 1. instead, focus on the big topics and this year, the big nclex topics are: infection control, delegation, prioritization, & pharmacology. find some good books that will help you absorb that particular content such as lacharity, saunders 4th ed., exam cram, and hurst/lippincott. cdc.gov is a great source for the infection control info as well.

:pntrghi:2. act as if you've never taken the test before. the testing centers all have a history of what was on our tests and this is to prevent repeat questions for those who might have to retake it. so don't focus on the questions you saw on your first test; more than likely you won't see them again! use your study plan to guide you and help you focus on what you need to understand.

:pntrghi:3. test yourself daily (i.e. practice at least 75-100 questions). this will get you back into testing mode and will help you understand how to answer nclex style questions. exam cram and saunders have great cds that will keep you on the right track. also, i'm not sure if you have this nclex 3500 link, but here it is and actually it helps out a lot of people when they're learning how to decipher a hesi or nclex style question...and it's free! woot!

http://198.146.4.5/nclexrn3500/mainm...75ce2004385fcf

:pntrghi:4. don't worry about what people will think. i know that nursing school teaches us how to compare ourselves to others and always think about what everyone thinks (competition sucks sometimes!), but honestly, this test is about you. it is so individualized that you don't have any room to sit and think about how well everyone else is doing and the same isn't happening for you at the moment. think about yourself first and focus on what needs to be done. if it helps to not tell anyone your next test date then fine, keep it that way and this will take some of the pressure off of you. dedicate yourself to your preparation; i don't care what anyone else says, this test is a life-changing experience and can make or break a person. i hope it makes you want to conquer it!

:pntrghi:5. stay positive and keep your head up! need i say more!?

good luck with studying and i hope that a crap load of optimism and clear-headed thinking comes flying your way!!!! :yeah:

learn it, love it, loathe it, know it - nclex.

nursethis21, bsn, rn :nurse:

uic alumna

MH24 · Aug 11, 2009

Thank you "Nursethis" for the wonderful advice. I wish I had been able to keep my emotions and nerves in check on saturday but I just lost it right when I was going in to test. Im thinking positive now and I know for sure that next time will be different :) I have given myself a couple days off and then its back to work. :) At least now I know what to expect and I know what to do differently. Thanks again for the advice. I cant wait to retest. :)

nrcolee6 · Aug 12, 2009

nursethis- thank you so much for your advice!!

david.cummiskey · Aug 12, 2009

Hi everyone
I recently took the NCLEX-RN and unfortunately did not pass. I haven't gotten the letter in the mail with the breakdown of how I did, but I've started studying again. I really just wanted to throw myself back into it to try to gain some control of the situation and not let my disappointment take over.
Anyway, everyone on this site seems super supportive, helpful and compassionate (like true nurses!!) so I wanted to see if anyone had advice for a re-tester like myself. I'm just really mixed up about what to do and how to (re)attack this.. especially while pretending like I didn't fail-- I didn't want to tell all of my friends.
Any wise words of wisdom or people in similar situations?? I feel stranded.
Thanks :)

Hey there in.the.middle! I was just in your shoes a little over two months ago. I found out the news that I failed the NCLEX on June 21st. I just took it again August 10th and found out an hour ago I passed. To find out what I did to prepare. Check out my post titled: I Passed My NCLEX 2nd Try THANK GOD!!!!! Here's how! I wish you the very best of luck! I know you can get it your next try! Don't give up, keep up the positive attitude, I'll say a prayer for ya! :up: