Is Kaplan helpful?

Nursing Students NCLEX

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hi all! my nursing school is offering an optional Kaplan Review package after graduation for 2 weeks. the review package includes assess/diagnostic tests, lectures, and qbank. i'm wondering -- did you do kaplan at your school? was it helpful in your nclex review?

they never sent me the email information. The issue with the book and online was that payment was received the week before christmas. they blamed UPS for us not getting our books in time. We communted from Orlando, FL to Daytona Beach which is atleast 1hr/day. We stayed in Daytona to avoid the commute and never got our books until we went back. They sent an email with the class schedule but no instruction on the Q bank. I never (and neither did the 4 girls with me) knew nothing about the Q bank and online portion until going to the first class!

The qbank instructions and all other relevant information are on their website. If you received an email from them, you should have also received en email with log in info to their website which has all other additional relevant information regarding qbank/online portion content. Even on the regular Kaplan nursing website, they have all that info which anybody can access.

http://www.kaplannursing.com/Nursing_Domestic/NCLEX-RN/View-Kaplan-Programs/NS_nclex_overview.html?cid=578

Maybe you had a bad experience with Kaplan but i find it odd that they were that incompetent in getting you guys set up.

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l am a foreign nurse. Sat for nclex 2nd of sept. 2008 and failed. Nobody told me about Kaplan. l met a girl the recommend Kaplan. Took Nclex again on the 13th of Jan. 2009 and passed at 75 questions. Kaplan is cool. l highly recommend it. l saw similar questions in the q-trainer on nclex. Kaplan saved my life.

good luck

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Kaplan is odd. Some people love it, some hate it. Bottom line: use whatever you find comfortable that will help you to pass. Plenty of options out there.

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i have read both kaplan and saunders books and have answered exams from their respective CDs.. and i find kaplan's tests questions harder than saunders'.. and i am more comfortable with saunders and i haven't taken nclex but most of my friends took kaplan's review classes and they all passed.. i think it really depends on your study habits..

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Specializes in ED, OB.

I am not sure if it was due to the holidays and things slipping through the cracks which is the reason I didn't get the books or online information in time. The only thing they emailed was the class schedule and the tracking for the books. Our class was scheduled to start on Jan 5th in Daytona. Our books (there were 5 of us) arrived at our homes in Orlando on the 5th & 6th. We didn't get them in time and didn't have the online info sent to us until we started the class. They told us the instructor would have spare books for us to use. She didn't and told us to "look on with a neighbor". The most disturbing to me was the fact that the instructor that was teaching the class had only passed her nclex in November (2008!). She also didn't give any breaks. We pretty much had to ask "break please"!! Then she said, okay 5 min break. The class was M-Th 9-5. I know for me my brain needs a break and in nursing school we got one every hour. I guess I had higher expectations for Kaplan and the instructors I expected to have experience with the US Board of Nursing. I am not being prejudice but if someone practiced in another country their entire life and came to a new one I would hope they would be more familiar with the standards of care here. Kaplan taught her how to answer the questions but not the difference between Modern medicine and Socialized medicine. I dont think it was fair to the students since most of us take these classes to build confidence in such a challenging test.

I have however (since I failed my nclex) am going to give them another try. They said that the instructor teaching this class is one of their best.

I called today to ask them about a new book that was just published in February. The book is not the same that they issue for the class course. The book comes with a CD. Also, there is another book that has all of the medications you need to know for nclex. Just go to barnes and nobles or borders and search Kaplan NCLEX.

Maybe it was just a bad experience. I don't feel that it was just me being critical. I know that more than half the class was refunded their money because the entire class made written and verbal complaints about the same issues. I need to learn the strategy for this test and this time they are not charging me to take the class again.

We will see.....

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I've talked to people who took the Kaplan. So far, they all have positive things to say about the review course and they all passed the NCLEX.

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Im hoping and praying that kaplan will work for me.. =D

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I used everything that was available to me from kaplan, I watched every online content video, did all the qbank questions, all the review of questions, the diagnostic exam, the readiness test, all the qbank questions. I scored abobe 65% on the Question Trainers. I took nclex today and I know in my heart without a doubt that I failed. I could not apply the decision tree to any of the questions. So basically I wasted my money. I feel like I would have better prepared or the same if I had just used my Saunders book. Really, don't waste your money. Saunders book and CD are better because they explain rationales better.

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I was wondering the same thing I graduate in May. I was looking at the Kaplan website the other night and I know when you spend money for nursing most of the time its worth it but I don't know if I can afford 300+ for NClex plus 400+ for Kaplan I'm saving money as we speak. My school has a good review after graduation and ppl say its good but I'm also looking at Suzanne's study plan, I know I have a few months to go but I have to have my ducks in a row so I want become too stressed.

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I used everything that was available to me from kaplan, I watched every online content video, did all the qbank questions, all the review of questions, the diagnostic exam, the readiness test, all the qbank questions. I scored abobe 65% on the Question Trainers. I took nclex today and I know in my heart without a doubt that I failed. I could not apply the decision tree to any of the questions. So basically I wasted my money. I feel like I would have better prepared or the same if I had just used my Saunders book. Really, don't waste your money. Saunders book and CD are better because they explain rationales better.

No sense in worrying about it till you find out for sure. I thought i failed as well, but passed. Again, seen mixed results with Kaplan. Some love it, some hate it. I had similar thoughts regarding Kaplan. Decision tree is very helpful but its only really applicable to less than 20% of the questions. But every question counts so i'll take it. Supplement it with Saunders and you have a great study tool. Worst case scenario, you can get your money back from Kaplan and go with Saunders the next time around. No one walks out of NCLEX thinking they passed.

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I heard Kaplan is very good. The people that I know who took Kaplan all passed their NCLEX.

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No sense in worrying about it till you find out for sure. I thought i failed as well, but passed. Again, seen mixed results with Kaplan. Some love it, some hate it. I had similar thoughts regarding Kaplan. Decision tree is very helpful but its only really applicable to less than 20% of the questions. But every question counts so i'll take it. Supplement it with Saunders and you have a great study tool. Worst case scenario, you can get your money back from Kaplan and go with Saunders the next time around. No one walks out of NCLEX thinking they passed.

Well, I wish I could stop worrying, but if I don't pass, I lose my job on Friday. I gave up my job that I had for 9 years and I was able to get by, now without a job and losing my health insurance, I am in a lot of trouble, I will probaly lose my house, I can't buy groceries and I have two kids, and I am on medication that now I will not be able to afford because of no insurance. It is not just me affected by my failing, it is my children's well being that I have jeopardized and for absolutely nothing. I wish I would have never accepted the internship and kept my job and then I wouldn't have felt rushed to take my exam. I made a mistake and now everyone is going to suffer from my stupid mistakes. I really don't know what I am going to do.

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