Hi, everyone. I'm a longtime reader, first time writer. Just wanted to get this off my chest. I have now taken, and failed, the NCLEX 3 times.
The first time was, admittedly, my fault. I graduated in May 2013, earning a BSN with honors. I thought I had everything down, and the boards would be no problem, so I didn't study much at all. I got all 265 questions, which I've usually heard means you're close to passing, but I was in for a rude awakening when I failed. I lost my Graduate Nurse job and had to go to work as a tech.
The second time, I started reviewing content in an NCLEX review book (the 2010-2011 version of the Saunders review book), but I didn't do many questions. Big mistake because I failed with only 75 questions the second time--really bombed it.
The third time, I decided I was going to be ready. Everyone told me to do questions, and not to get bogged down with details in the content. They said you have to learn the styles of questions the test asks and learn how to avoid the traps. So, I did the questions in that Saunders review book, did the questions on a CD that came with the book, and got a Kaplan review book from a local library and did those questions too. I did thousands of questions, and I was getting better and better at avoiding the traps they talk about (like answers, closed-ended terms), etc.
There was even more pressure this 3rd time because, this time, my employer told me that my floor was overstaffed, that my tech job would be gone (which it was at the end of May), and that if I didn't pass the boards, I'd have to reapply to new tech jobs within the company.
So, I took the test 2 days ago, and none of the information from that Kaplan book even seemed relevant. Unless I missed something, the traps they were talking about and the obvious ways to eliminate answers weren't even part of the questions I got on the real exam. It also seemed that at least half the questions were about stuff I'd never even heard of in school or forgot about after so much time. But I thought beforehand that doing practice questions, like everyone told me, was supposed to help make me better at the questions on the actual test. It didn't seem like it; that's for sure.
I got all 265 questions again, and my heart sank. I held out a little hope, thinking, "Well, that means you're on the border. You might've passed." So, I just checked the early results, and I FAILED AGAIN.
Every aspect of my life has suffered because of this. Now, I spent all my savings on nursing school, I'm out of a job, I'm depressed, and it's all created a rift in my relationship because my girlfriend thinks I'm "too negative" and "worry too much about money."
About the only thing left to try is the Kaplan course, which I can't afford right now. After I find a job, I guess I'll have to save up for it or borrow the money from someone. But how can I even have faith in the Kaplan course when the Kaplan review book I checked out at the library didn't help me at all?
I'm broke, broken, and broken-hearted. I HATE THE NCLEX. I don't know where to turn or what to do anymore. I don't think I can do this. Can anyone offer any suggestions?
