I PASSED AT 265!

Hey guys so I'm writing this now because I remember how hopeless I felt two weeks ago when I walked out of the building in which I spent 5 hours and 50 minutes taking the NCLEX. I remember looking up hopeful posts on people who took their exams and passed at 265. However, I also remember thinking that I probably had failed and that those individuals were special cases.

Well guess what? I PASSED. The journey was not easy. That test is not about your nursing knowledge as it is more about your mental strength. I had scored high 60s on all of my Kaplan questions trainers and QT's and felt confident that I would stop at 75 as my nursing friends had. I mean I had studied 6-8 hours/day just like them and would even score higher then them on some tests. I was confident in my abilities to become a nurse. But then test day came along and when I passed 75 I began to doubt myself. By question 120 I started to feel the anxiety creep in, and by the 180s I felt that I was about to have a panic attack. I started guessing some answers after that (I even thought about walking out of the exam and just taking it another day, that's how desperate I got) up until I got to questions 200. At that point, I decided to take my first break(take more breaks unlike me!!). I washed my face in the bathroom, gave myself a motivational speech (out loud too, people probably thought I was crazy, and to be honest, at that point I think I was about ready to be admitted into a psychiatric facility so I honestly it made no difference to me hahaha.)

After a ten minute break I went back into my cubicle and gave those last 65 question questions my all. I still felt like crap, but I really tried to answer them to the best of my ability. After the test was over I went outside to my car and began to hyperventilate and sob uncontrollably. My mom had to pick me up because there was no way I could drive. I kept thinking, "Why me? I studied so hard, scored very well and to take the full NCLEX was just about my worst nightmare. So, why did it have to come true?"

Needless to say, I got home and did not eat. Heck, I couldn't even sleep. However, there was a sense of hope when I got the "good pop up" that night. But of course, I doubted that just as I doubted myself during parts of the exam. So after a night of torture and hell, I woke up the next morning and was too nervous to look up my own results. Thankfully, my boyfriend,who had taken the NCLEX a week before me, checked and called me back with the amazing news. I can honestly say that that has been the best phone call I have ever received! I was officially a Registered Nurse!

And so ladies and gents, I am writing this long story not to put fear in your minds but to tell you that anything is possible. Do not think that just because you went to 265 you failed. Some people stop at 75 and fail too. There is no way of knowing the technicalities behind the NCLEX. Just study to the best of your ability and go in CONFIDENT! That is the key element. Treat each question like a new patient. You are either a nurse or nurse-to-be, it is within our scope of practice to deal with unplanned circumstances because we take care of unpredictable individuals. Well, the NCLEX is the just as unpredictable. Don't loose sight of your goals. Stay calm during the exam. Take breaks when you need to, and never, ever, ever, give up. Every nurse goes through this. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. And remember, "You cannot climb the latter of success with your hands in your pockets." Work hard for what you want. Not just for the NCLEX, but for all other aspects of your life.

I wish you all the best of luck and if there is any advice you need feel free to contact me!

-Elizabeth, RN