I'm very guilty...of laziness....gulp....

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Mar 18, 2011

Please don't delay in taking the nclex. It is recommended to take the nclex 30 days post graduation because the information is still fresh. It worked for me to say the least.

cav5 · Mar 18, 2011

I think most (if not all) people get by with doing what they need to do. I also think most of the real learning in life comes from doing the job-at least with me it did. Nursing school is there to make sure you know enough-nursing is a lifelong process.Don't postpone your NCLEX-buy one of the books/CDs that help you practice. I was terrified my first day/week/month etc of nursing. However, there is almost always someone there to ask questions and help you. It is a steep learning curve those first few months but you will be get through it.

gatoraims RN · Mar 18, 2011

You can do it in 6wks. You really are not catching up the 2 yrs. Just look at it as picking up the "slack" that you left over the last 2 yrs. You still went to class, took the tests, studied, and you are passing. Try to study for the NCLEX at least an hour a day. When you see a weakness pick up the nursing book that you covered that and read it and really study. You can do it and do not beat yourself up. You still have those 6 weeks to beef it up. Good luck! I know you can do it.

Jess1990 · Mar 18, 2011

They told us at our graduation ceremony, "that today is only the beginning of your learning and the bachelors degree you have all just finished is only a pre-requisite." Boy, were they right! I wouldnt worry too much about feeling like you have to catch up on 2 years worth of work :) I'm sure you'll be an amazing nurse!!

mentalhealthRN · Mar 18, 2011

Gotta agree with the posters so far. And actually when you start studying for the NCLEX you would be surprised how much you will learn. I found the studyying process helped me to see where my strengths were and were I needed to fill in the gaps a little--or in some cases a lot! I got two different NCLEX questions books and did every single question in both books. After yo anwer the questionsfor each section you go back and see what you got right and what you got wrong. There is a rationale for why the correct answer is the correct answer and why the others are wrong. If I found that I got the answer correct and the rationale they had made sense and was crystal clear to me--I moved on. If I got it correct but after reading the rationales I realize that maybe it was more of a good guess or a rationale that I had notthought about in coming up with my answer-- I pulled out my texts on that topic and read up till I got it. If I got it wrong--same thing, I read all the rationales and then hit up that specific area in my texts. I studied for about 2-5 hours a day from mid May till my test at the end June, about 5 weeks. And the others posters are right. They are going to test you on the "text book" answers, which you will find may vary a bit from the "real world" once you start practice. You don't want to be sitting there at the test thinking--okay now wait, I remember learning 'abc' in school one way, but geez at work on the unit we do 'xyz'.....which is right???? Also the school I went to offered the Kaplan review class as part of the program and that helped a lot--with more the test taking strategies. the HOW they will word the questions and good rules of thumb. I used them and they worked. So don't worry too much studing is a good review and like has been said--your first year or two will be where you learn more then you ever thought.....Good luck!!!

Tina, RN · Mar 18, 2011

Awww, maybe you're just feeling a little anxious about finishing school and actually jumping into your new career? It's nerve wracking, for sure. Don't freak out, you've made it this far!

If I were you, I wouldn't postpone the NCLEX. Sign up for a review class, or get some review books. Do tons of practice questions. If you don't know an answer, or get one wrong, research for the answer in your textbooks. YOU CAN DO IT!

Best wishes to you!

Bezoars · Mar 18, 2011

If it makes you feel better, I gave 100% in school and got A's. I cared so much about what I was learning that I made sure I knew the in's and out's of all the body processes......

But then I got out into the "real world" and quickly found out that I don't know much. It was definitely like a starting block but real nursing was a whole new ballgame. The learning curve is HUGE. So.... with a couple weeks to go, just make sure you know what you need to pass the NCLEX and then give it your all when you're out on the floor. The best nurses I know barely passed nursing school.

stefanyjoy · Mar 18, 2011

You shouldn't feel bad about yourself just because you have a natural ability for learning and don't stress as hard as everyone else.

Your post says "I do get stressed once in a while and study material to death but for the most part, im a pretty good test taker and i manage to pass." -- So you a naturally intelligent, you DO study, but just have kind of a type B personality among a bunch of type A-ness. I think that makes you excellent, not lazy!! I wish I could relax more and enjoy the ride a bit like you. I think you'll make a great nurse that will handle stress better than others.

noahsmama · Mar 18, 2011

A good way to get a sense of how you'll do on NCLEX is to take a practice exam in one of the study guides, and see what percent of the answers you get right. If you get 60% right or more, you're in pretty good shape. If you get less than 60%, don't freak out, just start doing as many practice questions as you can stand to do every day (you should do this anyway, even if your score is > 60%). I increased my score on practice exams from about 55% when I started studying, to about 70-75% before I took the NCLEX, and I passed in 75 questions.

Good luck!

Orange Tree · Mar 18, 2011

It's a lot easier to pull it all together when you have real patients to relate it too. Every day, I "sort of" remember "something" I heard in school. I end up reading about "old-new" things all the time ...because now I want to help my patients get better- or at least not kill them.

I'm also a good test taker, and I never took notes in class or even read the assigned chapters (until the morning of the test). I bought an NCLEX review book thinking that I had a lot to make up for.....but sadly, I only opened it once or twice and didn't get very far. I don't think I'm lazy, though.....I just need to be amazingly stressed out to accomplish anything. Nursing is perfect for me for that reason.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Mar 18, 2011

Please don't delay in taking the nclex. It is recommended to take the nclex 30 days post graduation because the information is still fresh. It worked for me to say the least.

We were just shows studies that shows different brackets of time that people waited to take it. Under 30 days had a very high pass rate and the longer and longer after 30 days the pass rate dropped dramatically.

So to the OP, I would not wait. If you don't pass you can retake it. Best to give it a shot and at least try while everything is fresh in your head.