HELP! TOOK NCLEX-RN 9 times!!!!! Keep failing!

Yayaone · Nov 28, 2016

Did you review and write down the ones you got wrong?

Medix73 · Nov 28, 2016

The registry for paramedics is just as hard. Plus, you have little to no direction in the field and are directly responsible for making split second decisions with minimal information about the patient.

If you are having trouble with the NCLEX and all the information that is provided to make sound nursing decisions, I do not believe being a paramedic is right for you.

Paramedic of 11 years. This isn't easy.

Best of luck.

rockstarninja · Nov 28, 2016

dxt038,

have you tried hurst elevate?

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Nov 28, 2016

I encourage you to pursue non nursing options. Even if you were to pass on your 10th or 11th try, securing a job would be highly difficult with six year gap. As a hiring manager (which I have been before) I would not consider an applicant with such a gap, nor would I have confidence in the abilities of a RN who could not pass in 9 times.
I am sure you can have a wonderful and fulfilling career. I doubt nursing is it.

While I am not in total disagreement with this post I don't think an employer has any way to find out how many times an applicant failed the NCLEX before passing. But a 6 year gap between graduation and passing is definitely a red flag that would require some explanation were you to finally pass and reach the job hunting phase.

It might sound harsh, but I am in agreement that you may need to consider an alternate career. After 9 failed attempts I can't bring myself to give you the "don't give up! You can do it!" rhetoric.

Extra Pickles · Nov 28, 2016

your question is what should you do, you have failed the NCLEX 9 times. We can't tell you what you should do because none of us knows your situation in life and whether you went to a school that taught you nothing. you aren't failing because you are a horrible test taker, if you graduated nursing school you know how to take tests. you are failing because you are missing something very basic in your knowledge of nursing practice or very basic in how to apply that knowledge and without that you will just never pass the exam no matter what.

you say you can see and feel passing just right outside of your reach. ok. but what is the likeliness that you'll reach it next time? or the time after that? statistically it'd be an astronomical stretch to expect you to pass at this point. doesn't mean it isn't possible it means it's not likely. anything is technically possible but ask yourself if maybe there is something else you can and should be doing now instead of preparing for this test a tenth time. people like to say OH you can DO it but they have no clue if you can do it and if the first nine tests are any indication it doesn't look like you can do it from where I'm sitting. I'm sorry but that's the truth.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Nov 28, 2016

My ex-best friend had a hard time finding an RN position after she took a year off to have elective surgery even though she passed the NCLEX on her first try. The only way she got a job is because she knew someone.

Employers may not know how many times you took the NCLEX but if you pass this final attempt, how will you explain the gap between school & licensure?

I know now a lot of people are going to want to cheer you on. But what they fail to realize is it's not like you took 9 attempts in a year, it's been several years.

I also dont don't buy that you're a "bad test taker". You made it through nursing school & after 9 attempts at the NCLEX you should know the format.

Some people just aren't meant for nursing & it seems like you are one of them. I would suggest doing something else, probably not becoming a paramedic though.

ProperlySeasoned · Nov 29, 2016

While I am not in total disagreement with this post I don't think an employer has any way to find out how many times an applicant failed the NCLEX before passing. But a 6 year gap between graduation and passing is definitely a red flag that would require some explanation were you to finally pass and reach the job hunting phase.
It might sound harsh, but I am in agreement that you may need to consider an alternate career. After 9 failed attempts I can't bring myself to give you the "don't give up! You can do it!" rhetoric.

You are right that one doesn't put how many times they took NCLEX on a resume. What will stand out is the length between graduation date, and becoming licensed. It is foreseeable that someone might graduate, pass the test, then take time off before getting a job. The gap between graduation and licensure would give it away. I would 100% ask about this during an interview. The applicant would either have to confess the real reason (failed NCLEX multiple times), or admit to poor judgment (graduating school then waiting 6 years to take the exam). Neither one would result in a job offer.

One option - Find some way to pass the exam, then move to a greatly underserved area clamoring for nurses. In my opinion, that will be your only viable shot gaining employment.

Mavrick, BSN, RN · Nov 29, 2016

The NCLEX is designed to winnow out those with minimal competency. Does not bode well that you cannot demonstrate minimum competency after 9 tries.

Time to deal with reality.

Snowwhiteprincess · Nov 29, 2016

Someone on UWorld simply said, just stop it. You went to nursing school, you are a nurse, you will take again and PASS. Everyone neglects to realize this is still a cat exam so the only person you are battling is yourself and your knowledge. Everyone says it doesn't matter how many times you take, okay than, so stop making someone feel bad. The people that are complaining about the time gap, guess what, life happens. According to the Nursing Journal there are nurses that can pass the exam, but when situations arise, they fail. So you can pass the nclex but now your license is being revoked because you aren't following procedure and common sense. Life is hard, this doesn't give you the right to put others down, all of you that went to nursing school know how hard it is. So as people who once struggled or even excelled you should only push fellow nurses to succeed. It's your job to be that smile even when things are doo-doo. It's been sometime now since the person that created this site and took his families life and his own. Learn to be positive!

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Nov 29, 2016

Someone on UWorld simply said, just stop it. You went to nursing school, you are a nurse, you will take again and PASS. Everyone neglects to realize this is still a cat exam so the only person you are battling is yourself and your knowledge. Everyone says it doesn't matter how many times you take, okay than, so stop making someone feel bad. The people that are complaining about the time gap, guess what, life happens. According to the Nursing Journal there are nurses that can pass the exam, but when situations arise, they fail. So you can pass the nclex but now your license is being revoked because you aren't following procedure and common sense. Life is hard, this doesn't give you the right to put others down, all of you that went to nursing school know how hard it is. So as people who once struggled or even excelled you should only push fellow nurses to succeed. It's your job to be that smile even when things are doo-doo. It's been sometime now since the person that created this site and took his families life and his own. Learn to be positive!

Everyone deals with -ish in their lives & manage to get through school/work/etc. The OP needs to check within herself if nursing is really the right path for her. It's not that she has attempted the NCLEX 9 times & failed each time. It's that fact that it has been several years & it will only get worse since she is so far out of school & the knowledge is going to fall to the wayside.

If the OP *does* happen to pass the NCLEX this time around, where will she get hired? Unless she moves somewhere that is severely hurting for nurses or just takes any job out there, she will have a LOT of trouble getting a job.

Also, would you honestly let someone who took *years* to pass the NCLEX to take care of you, your family or friends? I wouldn't. They couldn't pass the minimal compentency exam to get her license. Working as a nurse is SO much harder.

Why are you excusing the OP's nine fails in several years? Are you telling me that "life" got in her way *every single time* she took the NCLEX? I highly doubt it. If she has "test anxiety" she would not have been able to pass nursing school or as a prudent student nurse would have come up with a solution for it. Is the NCLEX stressful? Yes. But not any more stressful than a test in nursing school. Also, if she is stressing this hard & making herself fail during the NCLEX, what will happen when she starts working?

IGOTMYBSN28 · Nov 30, 2016

Oh gawd, just pass the NCLEX. If your employer or wherever you apply wants to know why you took so long to take NCLEX, just tell them you had family problems, or you needed time to find yourself blah blah. Whatever you do, don't tell them you failed the NCLEX 9x.

Good luck!

RNNPICU, BSN, RN · Nov 30, 2016

HI OP.

Right now, after 9 attempts I imagine it is very defeating. If you still want it you would likely need to purchase audio tapes with questions, do a week long review course, then test right after the review course, don't wait weeks. It is not test taking at this point, some of it may be really reading the questions and understanding the questions.

At some point you will have to decide if the investment and money is what you really want. You will have your degree. If you have a BSN you could apply for jobs that want a health care degree, but not nursing.