I'm about to lose my MIND!!

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Hello Everyone!

I know I probably should have posted this in the NCLEX forum, but I really wanted to ask people who have already taken their boards. I graduated from LPN school this past june. My school has a really high pass rate (95-100%), but my class was an unusual one so you never really know. Several people in my class have already taken (and all passed) the NCLEX, but although I was a really good student, I can't help but to feel extremely nervous. I am CONVINCED I will fail and am almost considering rescheduling my date (which is THIS WEEKEND!:banghead:) just to avoid the embarassment and shame! :chair:

Here is my question: What can I do to prepare? Or better yet, what did YOU ALL do to prepare? I have been trying to commit myself to doing a certain number of NCLEX questions a day off of either my Mosby's CD (way too easy. . I feel like it's a waste of time) or my Saunders CD (MUCH harder!) but I rarely, if ever, even reach 100 questions. I know most of my lab values (aside from the obvious ones, not quite sure which to focus on. . . Urine Specific Gravity?:confused:) and have made drug cards that focus on common endings of certain drug classifications (i.e. Beta Blockers = 'OLOL). I bought a Kaplan book on strategies to use when taking the NCLEX and have read it cover to cover, but I truly dont know what else to do. As previously stated, I was a good student in school (mostly A's, a couple of B's) but my program was so fast paced, I feel as though I was only learning for the test and didn't retain much of the content. Even though the past 3 or 4 graduating classes from my school have ALL passed NCLEX on the first try, I feel as though, with my luck, I will be the one that doesn't.

Everyone that I have spoken to has all said the same thing, "You can't study for the NCLEX". I understand this, but I do think that there are definitely things that you can do to prepare and/or increase your likelihood of passing. Someone told me that you can only get 10% of the questions wrong and in my Kaplan practice test, I scored a 62!!!!!!!

So please, Im begging for you guys' responses and words of wisdom :bowingpur. What did you do that you think contributed to your passing score on the NCLEX? What do you think I am doing wrong or could be doing better?

Thanks In Advance

(Sorry so long!)

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Specializes in L & D, Med-Surge, Dialysis.

Relax and be calm. I think you're doing great on kaplan qbank with such score. But i will advise you go over your content and understand each disease process. NCLEX is not hard as said!! believe and have confident in your self!!! You can do it.:D

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Specializes in L & D, Med-Surge, Dialysis.

SCHEDULE STRATEGY

A. Spend 1/3 of your time reviewing content you don't understand

B. Spend 2/3 of your time answering test question

C. Used most comfortable NCLEX review book for content.

D. Begin with the area that is most difficult for you or area that are least familiar

E. Use a good nursing reference manual or internet to find information

F. Define the disease in terms of pathophysiological process and understand the disease process.

G. Identify the early and late symptoms of disease

H. Identify most important or life threatening complication associated with the disease.

I. Define the medical treatment.

J. Identify nursing intervention associate with early and late symptom of disease process

K. Identify what to teach patient and family to prevent in other to adapt to disease process.

L. list the area you need to review.

M. Answering question in a test mode will improve your test taking skills

N. Each time you answer question, check the number of question you answered correctly that will motivate you to read and study more next time.

O. Keep track of your score to see how you're improving in all area of your content.

P. If you answer less than 65% correctly, this is a WARNING SIGNAL!! Spend lots of time reviewing content and stop doing question on the weakest area

Q. If you answer 65-75% correctly your performance is improving and success is certain. Continue working with the content until your score is above 75%

R. Every wrong answer, identify why you answered it wrongly.

S. Practice 75- 85 question to known how you'll be prepared for NCLEX Exam and see how many you answered correctly

T. Do understand the question first, formulate your answer of hand and compare with the option given to see how close your answer!!

U. Anticipate Test question will increase in difficulty when you get the first question right!!

V. Do not panic if someone finishes before you!!

W. Do not CRAM!!

X. Remember that you have learned a great amount of nursing knowledge and the exam is only designed to determine whether you're able to practice safely @ entry level

Y. Keep a positive attitude and Pray!!

Z. Wish you all best of LUCK

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Okay, so now that you've gotten some advice on studying, here's some for the actual test. When you have a question in front of you and the answer isn't immediately obvious, remember 5 things:

1. Nursing process

2. Maslow

3. ABCs

4. Patient before equipment

5. NCLEX world is NOT the real world

1. The nursing process has a definite order--Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation/Interventions, Evaluation. If a question asks what you would do FIRST, look at the answers and see which comes first in the ADPIE process.

2. Maslow's Heirarchy of needs--Physiological, Safety and Security, Love and Belonging, Self Esteem, Self Actualization. Address physiological needs first, then safety issues, etc. If all the available answers have to deal with physiological needs, see item 3. Pain is considered a psychosocial issue.

3. ABCs--Airway, Breathing, Circulation. These things come first, in that order. If your client isn't breathing, check for a patent airway before you start chest compressions.

4. Patient before equipment--if the IV pump is beeping and the client is having trouble breathing, help the client before looking at the pump. In reality, most of us would hit the 'Silence Alarms' button while reassuring the client, but this is NCLEX and not reality (see item 5).

5. The NCLEX world is a perfect world. In this world, you will have whatever you need--3 friendly aides to help you turn and reposition the client, clean briefs, extra linens, the right size trach ties...you get the idea. In the real world, you might call for help and nothing happens, so you deal with the situation yourself. In the NCLEX world, it the client is a 2 assist, that extra person magically appears to help you.

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Thank you ALL. Your comments have been extremely helpful and i will use everyones advice. My test is TOMORROW :banghead:!!! teeniebert, you sound EXACTLY like my kaplan book!! LOL!

Wish Me Luck!

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just relax relax relax on the day of your exam... ul be fine.:up:

and kaplan qbank is the only reviewer that really helps me passed. :up:

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Well Thank you all for your support. I took NCLEX this morning and FAILED. I haven't had the opportunity to see my quick results yet (48hrs) but i dont even plan on looking at them because i know i failed. I'm just going to wait for Pearsonvue to allow me to reregister and i will reschedule my test for 45 days from now. Hopefully this time i study the right way. The test was going so hooribly i almost got up and walked out on several occassions but just stuck through (since i did pay $404) hoping for it to stop at 85 questions, which it did.

Thank you all again for all of your support, advice and words of encouragement.

Wish me luck next time.

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Specializes in L & D, Med-Surge, Dialysis.
Well Thank you all for your support. I took NCLEX this morning and FAILED. I haven't had the opportunity to see my quick results yet (48hrs) but i dont even plan on looking at them because i know i failed. I'm just going to wait for Pearsonvue to allow me to reregister and i will reschedule my test for 45 days from now. Hopefully this time i study the right way. The test was going so hooribly i almost got up and walked out on several occassions but just stuck through (since i did pay $404) hoping for it to stop at 85 questions, which it did.

Thank you all again for all of your support, advice and words of encouragement.

Wish me luck next time.

Are you planning using kaplan? If you decided to use kaplan, pm/email me then i can give you a web site that has all the kaplan qbank. I cant give out the website on these thread.

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Can u send me the the website too? Thankyou!!

[email protected]

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

You don't know for sure...many people walk out of NCLEX thinking that they failed and were pleasently surprized. Please give it time, at least check your results with Pearson before you throw in the towel. I thought I failed as well, but didn't. The same can be for you.

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Okay. I find out my results tomorrow morning. (yes, I've decided to check!). KAYBDT6, If I did fail, I will definitely take you up on your offer. Thats VERY generous of you. Thamk you. I will keep you guys posted!

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OMG! I PASSSSEEEEDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE NO IDEA HOW BUT I DID!! THANK YOU ALL FOR THE SUPPORT! I HAVE BEEN DEPRESSED THIS WHOLE WEEKEND BUT IT IS SOOO WORTH IT FOR THE FEELING THAT I HAVE NOW!

I'M ON CLOUD NINE! :hpygrp::hpygrp:

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