I am so excited to finally be able to say that I am an RN!!! It's been a long journey and I would like to share it with all of you. I come from a long family of nurses; three aunts, my mother, three cousins, my brother and his girlfriend, it is in my blood! Not many people know this but I made it through nursing school with a reading disability and Epilepsy. However, I have never been the type of person that passes everything on the first try. I was always a "B" student in school but was very determined with a strong work ethic. It took me two tries for my driver's license, nursing school, and FIVE tries to pass the nclex-rn.
I graduated in December of 2009 in New York and struggled with passing my exam for over a year. I failed the first time 151, then 256 the second and third time (very close), then 152 the fourth time. I took a break for a few months, got married and decided to give it another go. I felt like I was never going to pass but knew nursing was for me and that I could not imagine doing anything else. This time however was very different.
On Friday March 18th 2011, I passed the boards with 265 questions in 4.5 hrs. I tried the Pearson Vue Trick, and yes it has worked for me every time- I finally got the "good popup" and paid the seven dollars for my results just to make sure, and it was a PASS!!! Finally! This time around, I studied five days a week after work for about five- six hours. I did about 3,000 questions when studying this time. I went to a PESI HealthCare conference that was about 6 hours based on pediatric health problems (illness and heart/lung disease). I also had a private tutor for the three Sundays before the exam that really helped and gave me confidence. If I can pass this exam, then anyone can and no one should give up on their dreams!!! Remember, it is just a test and does not prove how good of a nurse you will actually be, and you can always retake the exam so no one should stop trying. :redpinkhe
I studied about infection control, lab values, triage, mnemonics, pharmacology, prioritization and delegation.
The books that helped me pass the NCLEX-RN:
1. Kaplan NCLEX-RN 2010-2011 Edition: strategies, practice, and Review: Birds eye view of NCLEX exam. Will give you strategies for questions (read through twice).
2. Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN 4th edition: Most important book, do all pharmacology questions for each section and focus on ENDOCRINE.
3. Prioritization, Delegation and Assignment: Practice Exercises for the NCLEX Examination: VERY, VERY Important book!!! Most of the NCLEX is priority and delegation so do all of the questions ch 1-18
4. NCLEX-RN Exam Cram (2nd Edition): Good for content review and helps with endurance of answering questions. (memorize the CRAM SHEET in the front, it is a life saver!!)
5.Kaplan NCLEX-RN Reviewer MP3: free download can be found online, listen to for content, pharmacology and math
6. Memory Notebook of Nursing: EXCELLENT content and mnemonics review (perfect for the visual learner!!)
CD's to practice:
1. Saunders most important!! Do as many pharmacology questions as possible!!!
2. Exam Force
3. Nclex 3500 for content
Addisons: hyponatremia, hyperkalemia
Cushings: hypernatremia, hypokalemia
Hypothyroidism
Hyperthyroidism
*Know symptoms for each, and what sets them apart from each other
Heparin -PTT (7 letters plus 3 equals 10)
Coumadin- PT (8 letters plus 2 equals 10)
1. Keep your patient SAFE and ALIVE!!!
2. Remember ABC's
3. Always pick the least invasive answer!
4. Don't tie patients up
5. If something can be done without drugs first that is probably the answer
6. Do not choose the answer that would delay treatment, kill or harm the patient
7. The patient has 100% right to their healthcare
8. Eliminate answers that say always, never (nothing in nursing is ever that certain)
9. Like patients can be placed in the same room (know isolation precautions)
10. Know medication endings (B-Block (olo)l, Ace(pril), p pump (zole), etc ) and side effects
11. Know basic lab values
12. ROME: respiratory opposite, metabolic equal
13. Pain never kills a patient
