In need of advice

springchick1, ADN, RN · May 21, 2015

HURST review. It is a content based review course. I know people LOVE Kaplan and it works for people but I firmly believe that you MUST know the content. If you don't know the content, nothing will help you.

You need to take a SERIOUS look at what you've been studying and how you've been studying. Failing 5 times clearly shows there is something wrong. It bothers me that people are allowed to take this test over and over without having to do some sort of remediation.

SierraBravo · May 21, 2015

Wow. I really want to be supportive here, but in the same breath I'm going to be very candid with you. Of course you can find stories of people who failed the NCLEX an inordinate number of times and finally passed, but that is the exception, not the rule.

Here's me being supportive - STOP doing whatever you have been doing to prepare for the NCLEX for the past 5 times because it clearly isn't working. You need to change your strategy. I know it doesn't feel like it now, but this exam is very fundamental. It is there to ensure that a day 1 nurse with no experience can practice safely at the bedside. With that being said, the absolute best way to prepare for the exam and be successful at it is to do NCLEX style questions. And do as many as you can tolerate per day. Read every rationale, even the questions that you got right. This is called active learning.

Here's me being realistic - if you have been failing the exam because you haven't been preparing properly then that's one thing. But if you change your strategy, do as many questions as you possibly can before taking the exam again (i.e. at the very minimum 1000 questions, if not 2000) and still fail, then you're probably just spinning your wheels and might be better off doing some soul searching about what your future plans are. The other thing is that the farther out you take the exam from the time that you graduated, the odds of you being successful on the NCLEX diminish (I'm sure I read a study on that somewhere but can't find the article).

The other thing to consider is that if you do pass the NCLEX and get an interview somewhere, you are going to have to explain why it's been several years since you graduated and are now looking for a job. In other words, you are going to have to address the fact that you failed the NCLEX 5 times.

SierraBravo · May 21, 2015

HURST review. It is a content based review course. I know people LOVE Kaplan and it works for people but I firmly believe that you MUST know the content. If you don't know the content, nothing will help you.
You need to take a SERIOUS look at what you've been studying and how you've been studying. Failing 5 times clearly shows there is something wrong. It bothers me that people are allowed to take this test over and over without having to do some sort of remediation.

I agree that people should not be allowed to keep taking the exam until they pass, there should be a limit on the number of times that someone can take it.

However, I couldn't disagree more about what you said re: knowing content. The NCLEX does not solely test your content knowledge. It tests your ability to assimilate knowledge and critically think. Those people that spend the majority of their time preparing for it by studying content are typically the ones that fail. Each person that is authorized to take the NCLEX should have learned what they need in terms of content in nursing school, thus studying content at this stage of the game is not a wise idea (unless you have specific knowledge deficits re: specific topics). For example, you're not going to see questions like, "what is the definition of pre-eclampsia?". You're probably going to see a question that asks you what interventions you would employ for a patient encountering that type of situation. Yes, you need to know what the condition is (which you should have learned in nursing school), but more importantly, you need to be able to assimilate that knowledge with your ability to critically think and prioritize interventions.

springchick1, ADN, RN · May 21, 2015

The other thing to consider is that if you do pass the NCLEX and get an interview somewhere, you are going to have to explain why it's been several years since you graduated and are now looking for a job. In other words, you are going to have to address the fact that you failed the NCLEX 5 times.

This. It's been two years since you graduated. Employers WILL ask questions. We ask question if there's been a gap in employment. And not talking years, I'm talking if they haven't worked for a few months.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · May 21, 2015

The NCLEX does not solely test your content knowledge. It tests your ability to assimilate knowledge and critically think. Those people that spend the majority of their time preparing for it by studying content are typically the ones that fail. Each person that is authorized to take the NCLEX should have learned what they need in terms of content in nursing school, thus studying content at this stage of the game is not a wise idea (unless you have specific knowledge deficits re: specific topics). For example, you're not going to see questions like, "what is the definition of pre-eclampsia?". You're probably going to see a question that asks you what interventions you would employ for a patient encountering that type of situation. Yes, you need to know what the condition is (which you should have learned in nursing school), but more importantly, you need to be able to assimilate that knowledge with your ability to critically think and prioritize interventions.

This.

springchick1, ADN, RN · May 21, 2015

I agree that people should not be allowed to keep taking the exam until they pass, there should be a limit on the number of times that someone can take it.
However, I couldn't disagree more about what you said re: knowing content. The NCLEX does not solely test your content knowledge. It tests your ability to assimilate knowledge and critically think. Those people that spend the majority of their time preparing for it by studying content are typically the ones that fail. [\QUOTE]
I completely agree that the NCLEX doesn't just test content knowledge. But, I think you do need a base knowledge. And for someone who has been out of school for two years and failed 5 times, CLEARLY needs a review of information.
For what it's worth, everyone I graduated with who studied content all passed boards their first try. So I wouldn't be so quick to say that the ones who study content are the ones who typically fail. There is no proof in that.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · May 21, 2015

To add:

The issue may not necessarily the source of the review, but how one approaches the NCLEX itself: understanding the four concepts of becoming a competent, entry-level nurse:

1. Safe, effective care;

2.Health promotion;

3.Physiological Integrity;

4.Psychosocial integrity

Will determine WHAT the question is asking you; the question may be Respiratory related-but is it a Health Promotion or a Safety, or a Physiological or a Psychosocial one? Would you know the difference and choose the BEST answer?

Once one understands the concepts of NCLEX, they can do so successfully.

Don't look at content; you know most of the material because you passed nursing school; begin to do questions related to each concept; review all questions and rationales; ANY rationale you struggle with, THEN review content. Lather, rinse, repeat.

When practicing the questions, prepare the questions like a mock NCLEX exam, review the minimum and then work up to the maximum for endurance purposes.

After looking at your report, focus on the weakness and review questions and rationales; make mock NCLEX tests and start with the minimum and gradually until the maximum; you have to have an endurance in answering application questions.

After each "exam", make sure you are reviewing the rationales; any rationales you are not clear on THEN look up for content.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · May 21, 2015

For what it's worth, everyone I graduated with who studied content all passed boards their first try. So I wouldn't be so quick to say that the ones who study content are the ones who typically fail. There is no proof in that.

True as far as it goes. A certain amount of factual knowledge is irreplaceable, and, more to the point, essential. However, it is true that people who memorize data points but have no clue on the big picture are like the folks who see all the dots that Seurat every painted but don't recognize the picnic.

https://allnurses.com/nclex-discussion-forum/failed-nclex-more-966933.html

I just don't know what I am doing wrong.. I've studied all kinds of stuff I've used Kaplan,

RN

mastery app!! I just don't know what to do or what to study.. I'm starting to feel defeated..

She asked what she could possible do different..and this is the answer: she needed to stop focusing on memorization and start focusing on meanings, rationales, understanding the WHY of every fact she knew.

NCLEX (and nursing) expects you'll have some level of baseline fact knowledge, of course, but is much more concerned that you know how to think about using them when you have them.

Do you need to get more information? Why?

Do you understand what's important in a scenario or question, and what's not? Why?

Do you know what's expected? Why?

Do you know the effect of a drug? Why do we care?

Do you know what a lab value means? Why do we care?

So many more whys...

Why, why, why... it's the basis of everything we do, it's the foundation of critical thinking in three little letters. It's not something you have to do just to pass NCLEX, it's something every nurse has to do every day of a professional life.

I am not sure review courses or most books will tell you that. If you do use study books, make good and damn sure they tell you why the wrong distractors are wrong, not just why the right answer is right. But that will not be enough either, unless you see the why and how of all those answers.

And I agree... five times? The universe may be trying to tell you something. In Canada if you fail three times you have to take remedial work.

SierraBravo · May 21, 2015

I completely agree that the NCLEX doesn't just test content knowledge. But, I think you do need a base knowledge. And for someone who has been out of school for two years and failed 5 times, CLEARLY needs a review of information.

That's a good point. The OP could definitely benefit from a refresher course.

joycenica · May 21, 2015

For me go for HURST REVIEW to freshen up you mind..i believe that you cannot answer the questions correctly if you dont know the pathology etc.. then apply it to the questions... just dont overthink.. read the rationales.. you dont have to memorize everything just the keywords.. just be calm... always say to your self "YES I CAN"

Beauteeiz · May 22, 2015

Hey everyone I just created this account after finding out 5 minutes ago I failed my NCLEX RN for the fifth time now.
I graduated nursing school in May of 2013. I have a 15 month old daughter and for the past two years I've been trying to study and pass this test. This most recent exam I went all the way to 265 questions.
I'm looking for advice on creating a realistic study plan. What are my best options? I've used Kaplan review. Since being out of school for 2 years I fear I don't know how to properly study. I'm also very ready to give up completely.
Thanks for all the feedback. I would love if someone could help lift me up, make me not feel like a complete failure.

pearson reviews and rationale I passed w/75 questions