I guess the 2nd time is a charm afterall!!!

[krazieklutz03]

So I finally made an account here even though I have been on here for at least a year just reading posts. My story is kind of long but here is my experience with the NCLEX. I took it this morning and it shut off at 75 Q and I got the good pop up. I waiting for it to be official but thought I could post before then since I have nothing else to do since I am not studying anymore. haha.

Anyways I graduated from a well-known nursing school June 2010 with my BSN. I thought I had the NCLEX in the bag. I had to take sometime before scheduling my test with my brother's wedding, visiting family, some road trips and like 3 graduations in my house going on all in the same month. So I took my test August 2010. For this test I prepared by reading the posts here and reading cover to cover Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN® Examination Edition 4. I had ordered the Kaplan NCLEX-RN 2010-2011 Edition: Strategies, Practice, and Review and Prioritization, Delegation, and Assignment: Practice Exercises for the NCLEX Examination but ran out of time and decided to go without reading but merely skimming through them both(bad idea). "Heck I graduated nursing school I can handle this. How hard could it be?" Again bad idea.

I walked into the testing center, a little nervous but still confident. I actually ran into two classmates of mine and that made me more confident. I hit the 75 Q mark and the screen did not turn blue, I started to get restless and just wanted the screen to turn freakin' blue already. I took no breaks and got all 265 Qs. I felt defeated but I did not want to let my pride down yet so I ran home and checked the PVT trick and yes indeed the NCLEX has defeated me. I cried, I mean I more like sobbed for hours and days. I am the type of person that usually schooling and testing came naturally for me. So to have to tell my parents, my friends, my family and everyone else that knew I was taking it that I did not pass was crushing.

Time goes by I get the official letter in the mail. Near passing in every level. I just needed a break. I felt like I studied really hard. The entire Saunder's book I knew the content but fell short on the prioritizing and SATA questions and of course meds. So I took a break, I sent in my letter to reapply to the BRN and just waited to start studying again. I went on trips, I took up a parttime job, I hungout with friends, I was done with school. with studying and just needed to not think about nursing. Well, time added up and I didnt reschedule a test date until 3 weeks ago for today at 8am.

Now this is how I studied. I began real intense studying around the beginning of April until last night around midnight when I called it a night. I reread Saunders again bc I forgot alot of content between August until now. I did LaCharity Prioritizing book twice, once before Saunders and again the week before the test. The second time of LaCharity I did like someone else on here suggested (sorry i forgot everyone's names but thanks for the idea) I would do the questions and then write on a separated piece of paper what a RN, an LPN and a Nurse Assistant can do for delegation purposes. That worked great.

I did the Kaplan book and the free CD inside. I also did lots of Saunders pharm questions since I was really bad at them before (I am still bad but I put effort at least). I also got NCLEX-RN Quiz Card System app which was helpful because I could do practice questions whereever I went bc it was on my iPod (although I think some the questions were the same as NCLEX 3500, not sure but I think so). I also did some NCLEX 3500 from a link on this site (thanks for that whoever it was that posted it), some other random study guides and facts people posted on here. I would check this site ever few days for new updates, new ways of studying, people's experiences good or bad so I could prepare accordingly.

I notecarded any numbers I had to memorize and also the hyper- and hypo- 's of the endocrine system because I had a hard time keeping those all apart. And I used the pneumonic that is posted all over this site about airborne, droplet and contact precautions (the My Chicken Hez TB one, haha). That was definitely important one because it came in handy on the test, just fyi.

And lastly I used a link to some ExamCram pdf somewhere from on this website and did like 100 from there and felt like they were kind of easy. But nonetheless more practice.

So in all I did all those books, cover to cover, question after question, rationale after rationale and the random links I found this website to study. I would study anywhere from 3-10 hours a day inbetween work, errands and sleeping. The last week was the intense studying. And the last weekend I did cram.. come on I went to college I can not break the habit. Even if I did not retain any information from it I could not help not trying to memorize a med or trying a couple practice questions before my eyeballs were so tired and I would fall asleep mid questions.

I really stressed out. I blew off all my friends and family. I did not shower (I know gross). I did not leave my room for the 60 hours before my test. I was breaking out from stress. I was clinching my teeth all night and could not get a good nights sleep. I overwhelmed myself bc I did not wanna have to go through all this studying again and pay all the fees. I wanted this to be the last time I had to go to that testing center.

Then today I woke up at 6:15am. Left my house. Brought along some study material. Stopped at McD's got a quick breakfast but I could not stomach it so a few bites and I was at the testing center. I went in. Tried to calm my nerves and took that pain in my a$$ test. I went through it slowly, thought each question through and answered what a nurse should do. The questions seemed easier the second time around. Maybe bc I forgot the questions I had previously gotten the last time around but after thousands, I mean around 3,000-4,000 practice questions I did. These seemed a lil more basic. I was out by 9:30am. So about 1.5 hours of testing. I went out mass texted my family and friends. Blasted music all the way home to relax. Tried to reregister for the test and the good popup showed up. So now I wait for the official letter or for my name to pop up on the BRN website and then I can truly celebrate.

Anyways, I know this is long but I promised myself after I "passed" the test I would pass on all that I used and learned to help those (like myself) that took to this website for advice, ideas and motivation. We can all pass, whether it is our first, second or tenth time. It is achievable. Just put in the time, the effort and u will succeed.

Good luck to all of u. And I can not wait to go do what I truly want to do: helping people rather than eat, sleep and dream NCLEX material.

[odooma]

Congratulations!

[kennethca]

congrats.how do i get the 3500 link?thanks

[Tinkerbell04]

Congratulations to you!

[SpreadLove.]

Congratulations! Thank you for posting your experience and inspiring others here. Again, congrats! :)

[keldel]

thanks so much....you just motivated me big time!!!

[CharcoalPepper]

Congratulations!

[Spydered]

Congratulations to you RN...!!! I just got my ATT but don't know how much time to schedule for NCLEX...

[caliotter3]

Good luck with your official results.

[krazieklutz03]

thx for all the messages.

as for how much time to spend studying. i had the problem of not signing up for a day and kept postponing my "ideal" day for my test. hence i waited so many months to take it again. i suggest setting a good 2 months of studying and sign up for that date.. if it gets closer and u havent covered all the material u were planning on covering u can postpone it a few weeks. but like everyone mentioned on this site... u will never feel completely ready. otherwise good luck. u can do!

and as for the link for the NCLEX 3500. ill post it later since im at my parttime job and dont have the link here or u can look thru the other threads if u need it immediately. ive seen the link a gazillion times.

[madetobeanurse]

Thank you sooo much for posting this. I've taken the NCLEX RN 3 times and have not passed. I have studied my heart out since January and I'm determined to not let this test defeat me! I'm a LVN right now and have been for several years and I KNOW i'm a good nurse! This was a great post to read! THANK YOU! (I don't feel so alone now)