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!) 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?) 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?
My advice is to stay as calm as possible. A person can't think straight when they are stressed out. If you can remain calm while taking the test, you will be able to figure out the questions that you don't know and get the questions that you do know correct. Deep breathe, get a good night's sleep and eat a light breakfast before going in. Use affirmative talk, "I can do this", "I can do this". Best wishes.
repeat this over and over and over until you really believe it. "i cannot relearn nursing school. i already did the work. it's in there. i know what i know."
don't study the day before your test. at all. you know NCLEX doesn't test your knowledge of facts. so don't mess up your brain with them. and don't try to learn now what you didn't learn in nursing school. this might sound strange, but if there are any subjects that really throw you off--forget about them and accept the fact you just don't know _____. because you can't learn it now. the stuff you know and the stuff you sort of know---reinforce those things. remember, the test is based on ivory-tower nursing. you have all the supplies and help you need. the biggest thing NCLEX wants to test is that you can keep your patient SAFE. you might not know the answer to the question, but you can probably tell which is the safest thing to do. also, i think we were told "tell the doctor" was NEVER the answer (even though it is in real life). and i am sure you don't need to be told that you can throw out any answer that has "always" or "never" in the answer.
do they still make NCLEX for dummies? as a dummy, i found it to be very helpful for me and they passed me! i think i even turned out to be a pretty good nurse.
make sure you have a fairly high protein breakfast on test day.
you can't relearn nursing school, so don't try. it's in that head of yours, what they taught you. forget about the stuff you absolutely don't know. you know this stuff. you can only learn how to take the test. i remember being told we had to make sure we knew the vaccine schedules for babies. i decided, screw it, that if i was asked anything about it, i was just going to get that question wrong because i just couldn't memorize it.
yes, it many ways NCLEX is as big as you--and we all--think it is. of course. and i know--easy for me to say when it is behind me. but at the end of the day, it is still one lousy test. one dumb old test. a test that doesn't even indicate how good a nurse you will be. it indicates that you can figure out what a bunch of academics are looking for.
allow yourself to really spend some time imagining failing the test. you failed. ok. then what? you are sad, embarrassed, mortified, angry. probably more. then what? what will really happen if you fail? go there in your mind. don't dwell on how you will feel if you fail. you will feel like sh1t. but what will happen? what will you do? in the end, when you get past the feelings....what happens? don't answer in this forum. really think about it. then you might have to take the test again and you will pass and get a job as a nurse and it will all be a memory. like facing any fear, once you really face it, it becomes less scary. once you spend a little time on this, go back to studying--a little. i'll bet you will be able to relax. and i hope i get to be one of the first people to congratulate you when you post your "i did it" message on here.
Like everyone has said, I think we all felt like we were not ready to take the NCLEX and that we were going to fail. But you have to keep a positive attitude about it. You CAN do it. I mostly studied using the Mosby flashcards, because I was told from the class ahead of me that those were worded most like the NCLEX questions they got. I also was required by my school to do the Hurst review. I didn't feel like Hurst prepared me at all. In fact, a lot of stuff they told us was backwards.
As for them saying you can only miss 10% of the questions - I'm not sure about that. I was under the impression that you're basically golden if you can get 60% or more correct.
Good luck! You'll do great. Just take a deep breath and try to relax as much as possible. You passed all your classes, so you know your stuff! So tell yourself you CAN do it instead of telling yourself you can't.
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.
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
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 100% sure you have failed? If you only took it today I would say wait for your official results. Good luck
Are you 100% sure you have failed? If you only took it today I would say wait for your official results. Good luck
Pretty sure. I did soooo horribly that there is NO WAY in hades that i passed :throcomp:!!! I just feel like crawling under a rock right now. . . :chair:
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Pretty sure. I did soooo horribly that there is NO WAY in hades that i passed :throcomp:!!! I just feel like crawling under a rock right now. . . :chair:
Until you get your results I would wait as many feel they fail the exam and pass
I just took my Nclex-PN last thursday and I felt the same way, I ended with 85 questions also and i thought theres no way that i passed and I did pass. Although the test is over you still need to remain confident. I would suggest using the Pearson Vue trick because it worked for me, remember though dont get your hopes up but dont be so hard on yourself. Wait until your status says delivery successful and then try it. You probably did fine. Now that its done relax :tbsk: Good luck to you, and im sure you did great!:hgu:
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.
I have a feeling that you passed ! Stop being so hard on yourself. :heartbeat
Thank you guys for your kind words of encouragement, and the confidence that you have in me. . . The same confidence i can't even seem to muster up for myself! I get my quick results tomorrrow morning, (yes I have decided to check them after all!) ans I have been doing the PearsonVue Trick for what seems like every hous since I got home yesterday. It says "Delivery Successful" and I'm getting a pop up message thats saying something along the lines of "You have previously registered for this exam. Please contact your BON for further assistance. No registrations can be made at this time." . . . Is that a good sign? I have also heard that if you have a blue screen at the end of the exam, then you passed but if your screen was grey, then you failed. . . My screen was grey.
I know that these are probably all nothing but NCLEX myths but I cant help but allow myself to buy into them, due to my anxiety level. And the PV trick at this point is the only thing that has given me even a glimmer of hope this past weekend.
Part of me feels as though I dont even want to have a glimmer of hope just because, if the worst happens, it will be all the more devastating. But at the same thing, having even the smallest amount of hope is the only thing keeping me from jumping off a NYC rooftop! (kidding, kidding).
No but seriously, wish me luck! I'll post my results on here tomorrow. . . good or bad.
I haven't ever heard anything about the blue/grey screen thing, but I'm sure that's just a myth. I took the RN exam, and mine was grey at the end and I passed. I've got my fingers crossed for you, but I'm sure you passed! Try to relax and get some rest tonight - take a hot bath or do whatever helps you relax the most so you don't psych yourself out so much. Can't wait to see you post in the morning that you passed!
) just to avoid the embarassment and shame! :chair:
) 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.
DreBoz
18 Posts
You will do fine, good luck!