How I passed the NCLEX 2016

[Sweetjane6]

Hi everyone. I wanted to write a forum when I passed the NCLEX because I can remember constantly reading other people's posts and some were very helpful. I graduated in BC Canada in April 2015, I got hired right away at my local hospital as a Med/Surg nurse. I took the NCLEX for the first time in August 2015. I studied for maybe 2 weeks 8 hrs a day just reviewing content and doing ATI. I wrote to 118 questions and the computer shut off, I was in the testing centre for maybe an hour and twenty minutes. I got the dreaded email the next day telling me I had failed. I was devastated. Everyone kept telling me "well at least you know what to expect for the second time around" but they didn't know , no one really knows until they write what that test is like, and it is very hard to study for. Where I live we have two attempts and can still work under a provisional license until the second failed attempt. So for me writing again, I had a lot riding on it, my job, my pride, my career, and because I was unsuccessful the first time I had a lot of self doubt and negativity. I worked full time right through until February 2016. I took Kaplan and Uworld and studied for about 8 hours a day, 4 in the morning and 4 hours in the evening every day for a month , taking the odd day off here and there. When I wrote the second time , I got the full 265 questions, and it took me 4.5 hours. I left in tears, I barely slept and was convinced I failed and already began to ponder my career choice. And then I got the email- congrats you passed. I'm here to tell anyone who is doubting themselves you can do this ! If I can do it , so can you!!! I especially found this hard as I am from Canada and my nursing class was the first year of students being forced to write the NCLEX instead of the CRNE. Force yourself to study, first do content , and then I recommend Kaplan for learning how to answer the questions and Uworld for the q banks and rationale , I know some people who did hurst review for content and said it was great, I did not try it however. Good luck everyone! You can pass, whether it's your first attempt or last, you got this!! We are nurses and this test will not define us!! Rock this exam and it will feel so good to have RN beside your name :)

[RNfindingherway, BSN, RN]

Congrats.