How I PASSED 1st time 75Q

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I promised myself I'd submit a summary of what I did to pass because several of you guys did and it really helped me. I'm a read/write and visual learner and felt like I learned nothing in school (though I did, just not what I expected) AND I passed with 75Q, mostly priority and SATA for the last 30 questions so here's what I did:

First off, I graduated in December, had trouble getting my ATT, and was working all the time to catch up on bills so I didn't even have a chance to start studying until Feb 1st - NCLEX date on the 18th. I ended up rescheduling for the 23rd.

I needed a system that would get me through the basics thoroughly and help me figure out why I was missing questions when I actually did know the material. So I needed CORE CONTENT and questions with really good rationales. I think Hurst is the best because it doesn't overwhelm you with details but it gives you what you need to understand the relationships between things (something my patho class failed at). Plus, for me, the filling int he blank part keeps me engaged and listening - I tend to space out :) and helps cement the content in my mind a bit better.

For a question bank I used UWORLD. I had access to VIRTUAL ATI (too chaotic and too much detail, it was crazy) and Kaplan (the questions made me crazy - I didn't need to be focused on whether or not they really meant to use a certain word, I needed to understand why I was missing questions and I needed a source that would underscore the content I was learning - plus you can't opt to just take questions from a specific system in kalpan, like renal questions... so for me, it just didn't work - but I know a lot of people who used it and it really helped them). Also, UWORLD has 1700 questions which give rationales that have pictures/ diagrams etc and you can select a system to practice questions on. PERFECT for me and wish I'd known about them earlier!

Anyways. A hear a lot of people reporting that they did a 75 or 150 question pretest each day. I DID NOT DO THAT. Frankly, I think that would have killed me. Here's what I did:

EACH DAY: I would listen to a hurst lecture/ fill out the pdfs as I went, then take maybe 20 UWORLD questions and read through the rationales thoroughly. I'd take a break then do another 20. THEN I'd review the hurst lecture from the day before and re-write it (YEP - very slow but it is how I learn best). Then I'd take questions from both. If it was too much data (which it often was initially, before I got through all the hurst lectures at least once), then I'd just review the questions I had marked for follow up and the questions I got wrong from before and practice the answers in my head.

If I really, really didn't want to review a certain lecture then I wouldn't. I'd find something to do that I DID want to learn or that I knew I needed to brush up on (labs, OB emergency procedures, antidotes, PPE --> I highly suggest the SPIDERMAN/ MTV acronym for memorizing the PPE diseases). If you buy Hurst then a lot of that is on the 5th day materials (I didn't have access to those so I just used Saunders fundamentals). And I would review the silly basic stuff, RICE/ FIRE PASS, etc.

HOW TO DEAL WITH PRIORITY QUESTIONS: I guess about halfway into it all, I realized that I was missing a significant number of priority questions which freaked me out. So I reviewed ABCs and kept missing questions! So I looked on youtube, found a video that REALLY helped me out. I'll save you the time, in case you're like me and the ABCs are of very limited, if any, value. In priority questions: SEE THE MOST UNSTABLE PT FIRST. Who's going to die first? Who is showing UNEXPECTED/ a change in/ or increased symptoms? That one thing changed my whole Q bank experience. I went from 50% to 65-70% correct.

HOW TO ANSER SATA: So, people kept saying to treat each answer option as a true/false statement and that mostly worked for me but not until I'd taken heaps of them. I pretty much got all the SATAs WRONG over the last year in my classes and on ATI - literally every single one of them. There were some weird ones on the NCLEX, but most of them were a little easier than I expected. I will say that getting used to taking them helped me the most though. In retrospect, I think that when I read the answer options for a SATA, I kept expecting the good answers to be in there somewhere so I had to get used to the fact that none of the options were usually nice/ solid answers and then I got increasing numbers of those questions right. If you struggle with the SATA then just keep taking the questions and it desensitizes you in a way that is helpful (or was for me anyways).

My advice for when you're taking the test:

For the 1st 75 questions TURN OFF THE CLOCK. Take each Q as slowly as you possibly can.

Read it, write down the key words, read the answer back as it relates to the question. When you hit 75, if it doesn't turn off then open the clock, check the time and take a break. Leave the room, take some breaths. Get some water. Don't panic. I know several people that passed in the 100's with few SATA. For real. I know them personally. I also know someone that passed with 265. Don't panic, just try to get more right. That's the goal. The goal ISN'T to answer more questions. It is to get more CORRECT. It's a whole different animal. I spent 3 hears on 75 questions. I know that sounds crazy but I know other people who spent 3 hours on 80 or 100 questions.

And practice questions from a question bank - as many as you can truly focus through. I downloaded apps to try to use during my lunch breaks - got few answered but it helps to keep your mind in it.

IF you know the disease process and none of the answers make sense then write down everything you know about the patho - EVERYTHING. That saved me on two questions. I was about ready to just guess and then I thought, "No, I know this! I should be able to get this" and the answers were just so obvious after I laid it all out there.

I only got through 400 of the UWORLD questions. I didn't get to the PEDS lecture ever. I never listed to my pharm lectures (I'm really weak on pharm) that a friend sent. I prioritized though. I let those two go because they accounted for less of the material and I was less motivated to learn that material. For pharm, just review the classes and the endings - don;t hyper focus on each drugs - it's just too much material. I'm NOT saying to not do these things or that they aren't worth spending time on, I'm just saying that if you run out of time or will to study then prioritize.

The day before the test I reviewed all my labs, PPE, OB emergency protocols and looked through my hurst notes for things I'd highlighted in pink.

Also, I have a request from ALL OF YOU. Please be kind to your patients as well as your coworkers. We need to recreate the nursing culture. Set an example. Deal with conflicts with genuine kindness and directness, with an ear to understand and a commitment to work through them. Support each other. Be honest. Be vulnerable. Be real.

I really hope this helps someone out there! GOOD LUCK and BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!!!

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Congratulation!!

Could you please share with me the Hurst review resource?I appreciate it!!

I am a new nursing student but I started to think prepare for future as early as possible.Threfore, I have been reading some threads on taking NCLEX,like your story. I found those testimonies are very encouraging me. I really want to pass nursing school and finally become a real nurse!

Please also share with me your studying tips during nursing school!

My email [email protected] share with me your resource!Thanks in advanced!

wish you the best on your next step and nursing career!

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Congratulations. Thanks for the helpful tips. It seemed like your study plan schedule was set up based around the most asked NCLEX style topics Priority, OB, infection control, delegation and practice lots of SATA :) . I know pharmacology depends, but smart move :) I think I know the exact video you are talking about on youtube in regards of priority questions .. hehe . did you set up a quizlet on the drug class endings?

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Congratulations, learned a lot from your post. I will be implementing a lot of what you said to my studying routine.

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Congratulations and thank you for the wonderful word of advice. I appreciate it and wish you well on your journey!

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