How I passed NCLEX for the first time with 75questions (foreignEducatedNurse)

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hi everyone!wave.gif I will share my experience and how I studied for my Nclex Exam. In this post I hope to help people with limited resources and don't want to spend a lot of money for expensive review courses.

I took the Exam dec10 and I just found out last Sunday that I passed. Basically I dont want to spend a lot of money for Kaplan and HUrsts review for I know it costs a lot, i have the savings but I just want to be practical and prove myself I can do it w/o spending a lot of $$$. I wanted to do the cheapest possible... haha

Just a little background of me: Im just an average student. Like everyone else I also sometimes failed in my tests, I graduated 2011 ( so I have to do a lot of reviewing pretty much). I know I have a lot of disadvantages

1st Im a foreign educated nurse- According to statistics below 50% foreign educated nurses passed the NCLEX exam on their 1st take.

2nd I graduated 2011 and I have to catch up more and refresh more, and I dont like reading and I have short attention span.3rd Im in the middle of life crisis which you dont wanna know.. lots of distractions bag.png

When I started my Self Review nailbiting.png

The hardest part I should say is where to begin, I have a photographic memory and I don't like reading so I really don't like doing it in my own pace. I don't have a study habit I just read whatever I wanted. I forgot to say, I also have selective perception hehe... I wanted it to be discussed in front me with lots of diagram and stuff or video lectures since I don't like reading, you might think I should spend courses like Hursts and Kaplan since this is the learning style that suits me. But I did the exact opposite. yes.gif

What I used and my reviews:

Saunders Comprehensive Review for NCLEX 6e-

You can rent it for 36$ at Amazon.This I should say is the umbrella of my success in passing NCLEX. This is what i used mainly to refresh myself to all the topics I have forgotten in nursing. Like I have said earlier Im not a bookish type of person and I have very very short attention span. But since I have faith and perseverance to pass, I manage to read this book from cover to cover.

(I couldn't believe it myself happy.png).. I treat every pages with importance since they can ask anything in NCLEX. 1st did the FUndamentals and went to MEDsurg and Mental Health.. I studied OB and pedia last because this is my weak parts and I wanted to be stored in the short term memory. So if I did it you Can do it Too thumbsup.png

CONS: Easier qbanks than real NCLEX.

PDA by LaCharity (latest edition)-

37$ if you buy it or rent it @ 16$ in Amazon.

Due to my limited resources for q banks I also did everything as well as the case study. I have like 6 delegation questions and lots of prioritization. This I could say helped me a lot in NCLEX style questions. Their questions are harder than NCLEX so I suggest to study this in the last part before your exam (makes your Nclex exam looks less harder) and do every question in this book as possible. This book is easy to cut because it has outline so I basically cut them per chapter for convenience when its time to check my answers.

NCBSN course- you can subscribe it for 3weeks or 5 weeks for 50 - 70$

I almost read everything in this course but I was too overwhelmed and got tired because its as if im reading Saunders again. Its less more comprehensive than Saunders so I missed some of the topics. QBANKS are the best! very challenging and the nearest type of questions to Nclex. I enjoyed their q banks. I answered all the qbanks as well. It comes in a different kind of formats which mirrored Nclex Exam.

Others:

Allnurses notes: Its the study guide posted in here. I read it in the last three days before my exam which really helped me a lot and reviewed important points .

TIPS

To top it all, I studied basically 5 days a week, I don't study if I am tired and I made sure that I have goodnight sleep, helps your brain to rest and re-process everything. One thing that is essential in studying is not to memorize but to understand what you've read. If i don't understand something I read it again until I discern it.

Believe in yourself and law of attraction. Positive thinking :yes:

On the day of my exam, Be prepared to answer 200+ question with no expectations that computer will shut off in 75 because you will just be anxious, if it doesnt shut off just think that you're still on the game, and you can do it! Just relax and always take a break. During my 1st break(after55 questions) I just ate biscuits and drink my orange juice and did 6 deep breathings to relax myself. hehehe...

Lastly, cliche as it may seem but do not ever ever underestimate the power of prayers. This I could say helped me in the most part, I really thought I would fail after the computer shuts off in 75 question and thinking there's no way I did it (45 SATA, yes! I counted it) . I didnt do any Pearsonvue Trick since I am not sure of its reliability and I dont want to give myself false positive or false negative results.And I didnt buy the 2 days fast result either. I am very paranoid of waiting, but instead I prayed and prayed and after 4 days I check my Application I.D in the BON state website. And there was it! I saw my name with my new License No. And my status says ACTIVE.;)

One of the happiest moment in my life.. Im now officially USRN :nurse:

Hope this post Help you. If there's any question I will gladly answer them. Good luck and Godbless future nurses!

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Congratulation to you dear RN. I'm glad that you passed and came back here to inspire us. I'm having trouble using Saunders. How long did it actually take you to go over it?

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Congratulation to you dear RN. I'm glad that you passed and came back here to inspire us. I'm having trouble using Saunders. How long did it actually take you to go over it?

Hi Leiloo, Thanks! Im happy to help.

Saunders was the very hard part in my studying as well . What I did was to 1st Study Saunders skipping the OB and Pedia at 1st because those are my weak parts. So I did Funda and med surg as well as the Mental Health for 4weeks. And sometimes answered their qbanks everynight. And the last week of My exam I did their Pedia and OB. A total of 5weeks to finish Saunders. It took me longer because I did side notes in every topic too, which helped me review and scan topics a week before my exam. I know its hard, Coz i was having a hard time too and I dont like reading myself. But always think of happy thoughts and things you want to accomplish in life (RN:yes:). Condition your mind and post a date that you want or when you want to finish it, so you can motivate yourself if you post a deadline.. Goodluck Leiloo, You can do it!

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Thanks a lot @Gembrian for these great tips. Like you OB and Peds are my weak areas. I will start with Saunders tomorrow. I wish you success in your career and May God bless you!!

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You are welcome! ;) Thanks Leilo Godbless too!

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Congratulation to you! I'm like you an international nurse,and finished my nursing 2008.I have a lot to read. Now that i read you post i feel like I can do even though I'm an international nurse. Failed first time :(

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Me too.....foreign graduate year 2000. I have a lot of studying to do. Please inspire me!!!:sarcastic:

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Praise the Lord! I am a foreign educated nursing graduate too and have failed my nnclex four times. I am preparing for a fifth attempt through self study. I found your post very helpful and encouraging. I pray to one day post my successful story and experience here too" .pray and wish ,e luckí ½í¸ƒ

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I am an international nurse failed second time. I hate SATA I dont know why������ I need help!!!!!!!

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I am foreign educated, first time I took NCLEX and passed 1st time with 75 questions in 2005. It took me 45 minutes. Before NCLEX I was soooo anxious. So, I over-studied. I remember studying every day for 12 or more hours for 3-4 months. I was obsessed, but very well prepared. CONGRATS!!!

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Specializes in Emergency, Delivery and OR Nurse.

Wow! Congrats! I'm also a Foreign Educated Nurse, I'll be taking my NCLEX this Feb 26,2015. I'll try to cover all you're review Materials. I'm already enrolled in a Review Class in my country. Hopefully these past 3months will help to be prepared. wish me luck. Thank's for the info and God Bless!:)

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Here's the link to my google drive with the NCLEX study materials I used: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B6cH6AUzd7AXSTR2TWtudUdxZTA&authuser=0 check this out. It may help....

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