I'm asking this question because my step-daughter has taken, and now failed, the NCLEX in California twice. She's beside herself and can't understand why this is happening. She graduated at the top of her class in the Philippines, passed the Philippine board on the first try and spent months studying for the test in California. She was even scoring around 70-75% on the Pearson practice exams she's been taking for weeks now...and still.
Anyway, I just had to ask if she'd be better off taking the test in another state (like my state of Illinois) if the test was, in fact, that much harder. The blow to her confidence and the cost for retaking the exam over and over again is getting to be a bit much for her.
Specializes in burn unit, ER, ICU-CCU, Education, LTC.
The NCSBN even has developed a model nurse practice act. They came up with the criminal background check and the random drug testing standards. How can that not be influencing legislation when they even write it?
Good day mam! you mentioned about the requirement on nclex in illinois that you needed to be in practice within the last 5 years prior to taking the nclex. Somehow, i got the answer in your post but I just wanna clarify on that coz im planning to take nclex (illinois). Im a nurse here in Philippines. What do they mean on you have to be practicing nursing within 5 years in applying for nclex in illinois? Would that mean that you have to have 5 years experience already before taking it?
Your reply will be highly appreciated, thank you so much, take care!
Sorry, but I have to disagree with the premise that the nclex is too hard. Please!!! Perhaps some of the "more mature" or at least experienced RN's can relate...when I took the NCLEX 16 years ago, it had not yet become computerized. I believe we were the last year that literally "wrote" the test. It took two days, was in 4 separate sections and over 500 questions.
Fortunately, I passed on the first try-I was either lucky enough or prepared enough.
I think the new NCLEX is NOT hard enough! The thought of passing an exam with 75 questions for a profession that puts people's lives in your hands MAKES ME SHUDDER!
Would you like to be a patient in ICU that had a nurse that after 2 to 4 years of school was tested on only 75 questions? Perhaps that nurse took this test more than once or twice...it's scary!
Ok, some people do not test well...HOWEVER this is a profession where you will be tested ON A DAILY BASIS! You simply can not Panic!! It is one thing to freak out over a test and another to freak out when you walk up to the bedside of your patient and find that person unresponsive, not breathing, in cardiac arrest or bleeding out.
If you can not immediately think on your feet and keep your head-then maybe this is NOT the profession for you. This is not accounting, people! Lives are at stake!
I also agree that they are turning out too many new nurses...I don't know why but nursing has suddenly become the "in" profession...and yes, THERE IS NO NURSING SHORTAGE ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I first began practice, there were many openings available and you could choose your career path...if you did not like one place then you could walk out of the door and have a new job that afternoon. Not anymore. I know nurses that have many years experience, great resumes, great reviews and can not find a job.
I live in South Florida and I have one friend that has been actively searching and interviewing for 6 months. She has 10 years of experience-ICU and Tele-and an excellent record...her department was downsized in a merger with another hospital-that is why she is currently unemployed...It is SCARY!! Now, add many UNQUALIFIED (but cheaper) nurses to the mix and it is a potiential disaster.
Before all of you nursing students and new grads get bent out of shape---I do not mean that ALL new grads are not qualified...BUT it does take time, effort and experience to make a competant nurse and even the most well seasoned nurses make mistakes. We are all still learning on this job...the day we stop learning is the day we need to get out of nursing!!!!!
sws
AMEN SWS RN I been saying the same thing. Hate to say it but most of these new nurses today are just in it for the money, especially a lot of these foreign nurses, I see they are more concerned about finding the right book or take the right course to pass instead of actually worrying about knowing the content. People lives are at stake here, I see many of them copying from their friends, they help each other out and I feel the same thing happens in the work place, they help out each other which is why you tend to see certain groups of people there more than others. Another thing NCLEX figured out it could make $$$$ by allowing people to keep retaking the test, at $200 a pop someone is making money, I heard before you were only allowed to take it 3 times, now you can take it up to 10 times , some more as long as you have the $$$.
I feel sad for the nurses who been doing this work for many years all to be push aside by certain groups to make room for the people they know.
Here are some suggestions for review materials and study plan that may help you.
I was required to take the NCLEX-RN for the first time at age 59 because I had been out of practice in Illinois for over 5 years. I had taken the Illinois state boards at McCormick Place in 1974 that was a two day long test and not NCLEX. I had never heard of the NCLEX until I found out I was required to take it.
I purchased a set of CDs from the Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professionals. It is a review course that the faculty give to their graduating students. The CDs are on 18 discs. I created an index for it as I went along. I stopped the CDs when I needed to review from my texts or from the Saunders, Kaplan, and Stein review texts with practice exam CDs to practice the test taking on my computer.
The nearest test center for me was in Wisconsin and about 90 miles away. So we rented a room at a hotel with a water park. The water slides were fun and helped me relax the night before the exam which was scheduled for 8 AM.
I used my own math shortcuts that I learned while actually caring for patients for over 25 years and was very good at those practice questions. It also helped that I could visualize the patient care situations presented in the test questions because I had experienced them in most cases. I memorized the lab values although I learned that the norms vary from lab to lab.
The Kaplan NCLEX-RN medications you need to know for the test was helpful. I made flash cards for myself.
This old lady passed the test in 75 questions the first time. I then took a hands on ACLS certification course and passed. I am still unemployed. I learned from reading comments on allnurses.com that there is no nursing shortage at the present time.
Now I find that I must take a refresher course in Wisconsin if I want to renew my license there. Last time I checked, there are no refresher courses offered in Wisconsin. I have spent quite a bit so far for not having a job.
And I only had to take the NCLEX once. Somebody has sure figured out more ways to exploit nurses without actually improving patient safety or working conditions. KEEP TURNING OUT THOSE NEW GRADS and bring us some foreign nurses. Dream up ways to discipline and make nurses believe they are at fault for their lack of success. Run experienced nurses out of the profession that have been lifting for seven or more years because they will probably have spinal stenosis. Got to save that worker's comp pool for the bankers so they can lose it.
There are many more young spines out there to hire.
Rank and file nurses need their own organization in order to advocate for themselves and their patients. APNs, nurse educators, and administrators have done a good job of looking out for their own job security, for doctors, and for insurance, but not for patients and nurses. Nurse to patient ratios and lifting devices would probably save dollars overall when you consider the constant flow of new nurses that is required. But when the student nurses or taxpayers are spending the money for educational expenses, why should hospitals or insurers care? Why should our nurse leaders care. They don't.
Unless you have a job, nurse unions don't care. How many nurses are there that have been pushed out of nursing? We know how many are licensed. Does anybody have an idea how much wasted education and experience is out there? How many RNs are on Social Security Disability rather than making the decent salaries they were promised when they made a huge investment in time and money to become RNs? Has anybody even bothered to study that?
This is major discrimination of women in a primarily woman's profession. Millions of women have been exploited so that everybody else can make a profit in healthcare. Even nurse educators and nurse entrepeneurs have participated in this horrible injustice.
AMEN NURSE GLORIA, I been saying the same thing. Hate to say it but most of these new nurses today are just in it for the money, especially a lot of these foreign nurses, I see they are more concerned about finding the right book or take the right course to pass the NCLEX instead of actually worrying about knowing the content.
People lives are at stake here, I see many of them copying from their friends, they help each other out and I feel the same thing happens at the work place, they help out each other which is why you tend to see certain groups of people there more than others.
Another thing NCLEX figured out it could make $$$$ by allowing people to keep retaking the test, at $200 a pop someone is making money, I heard before you were only allowed to take it 3 times, now you can take it up to 10 times , some more as long as you have the $$$. I think the reason why they much rather also have new nurses because they will pay them less than a more experienced/more years of practice nurse.
I feel sad for the nurses who been doing this work for many years all to be push aside by certain groups to make room for the people they know which is favoritism.
Here are some suggestions for review materials and study plan that may help you.
I was required to take the NCLEX-RN for the first time at age 59 because I had been out of practice in Illinois for over 5 years. I had taken the Illinois state boards at McCormick Place in 1974 that was a two day long test and not NCLEX. I had never heard of the NCLEX until I found out I was required to take it.
I purchased a set of CDs from the Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professionals. It is a review course that the faculty give to their graduating students. The CDs are on 18 discs. I created an index for it as I went along. I stopped the CDs when I needed to review from my texts or from the Saunders, Kaplan, and Stein review texts with practice exam CDs to practice the test taking on my computer.
The nearest test center for me was in Wisconsin and about 90 miles away. So we rented a room at a hotel with a water park. The water slides were fun and helped me relax the night before the exam which was scheduled for 8 AM.
I used my own math shortcuts that I learned while actually caring for patients for over 25 years and was very good at those practice questions. It also helped that I could visualize the patient care situations presented in the test questions because I had experienced them in most cases. I memorized the lab values although I learned that the norms vary from lab to lab.
The Kaplan NCLEX-RN medications you need to know for the test was helpful. I made flash cards for myself.
This old lady passed the test in 75 questions the first time. I then took a hands on ACLS certification course and passed. I am still unemployed. I learned from reading comments on allnurses.com that there is no nursing shortage at the present time.
Now I find that I must take a refresher course in Wisconsin if I want to renew my license there. Last time I checked, there are no refresher courses offered in Wisconsin. I have spent quite a bit so far for not having a job.
And I only had to take the NCLEX once. Somebody has sure figured out more ways to exploit nurses without actually improving patient safety or working conditions. KEEP TURNING OUT THOSE NEW GRADS and bring us some foreign nurses. Dream up ways to discipline and make nurses believe they are at fault for their lack of success. Run experienced nurses out of the profession that have been lifting for seven or more years because they will probably have spinal stenosis. Got to save that worker's comp pool for the bankers so they can lose it.
There are many more young spines out there to hire.
Rank and file nurses need their own organization in order to advocate for themselves and their patients. APNs, nurse educators, and administrators have done a good job of looking out for their own job security, for doctors, and for insurance, but not for patients and nurses. Nurse to patient ratios and lifting devices would probably save dollars overall when you consider the constant flow of new nurses that is required. But when the student nurses or taxpayers are spending the money for educational expenses, why should hospitals or insurers care? Why should our nurse leaders care. They don't.
Unless you have a job, nurse unions don't care. How many nurses are there that have been pushed out of nursing? We know how many are licensed. Does anybody have an idea how much wasted education and experience is out there? How many RNs are on Social Security Disability rather than making the decent salaries they were promised when they made a huge investment in time and money to become RNs? Has anybody even bothered to study that?
This is major discrimination of women in a primarily woman's profession. Millions of women have been exploited so that everybody else can make a profit in healthcare. Even nurse educators and nurse entrepeneurs have participated in this horrible injustice.
I had forgotten to mention too the US had some deal with the Philippines where they were offering many many Filipino nurses visas to come here to work, Why I don't know but I think they stopped that a few years ago but as stated before, many of them are working and I feel tend to hire their own. I mean the ones who have MSN etc the ones who are in HR etc.
There are four waves of Filipino nurse immigration to the US but I'm just going to talk about the third one and hopefully they won't be a 4th wave because we got plenty of nurses here already looking for jobs.
20% of all the registered nurses in California are Filipinos, a considerably large percentage since Filipinos number only 2.3 million (officially 1.2 million) out of a state population of 38 million.
The surge began in early 2002, or probably earlier. Philippine parents and students noticed that suddenly, nurses were leaving for the biggest land of prosperity for this former colony of America. The chance to immigrate via a US greencard, away from the terrible economic misery of the Philippines that awaited the majority of nurses beckoned to all. The United States was suddenly set square in the target sights of every parent as the dream destination for their children. Almost everyone had heard of someone (a neighbor, a friend) who used to be a lowly RN working in some local hospital but was now in the USA with a fat signing bonus, a brand new house and one or two cars. Local Sunday papers began to fill with advertisements from recruiters coming to hire PH RNs with mouth watering benefits: free airfare, relocation bonus and free housing. From a mere 7,000 or so candidates passing each RN licensure exam, the numbers rose to awesome levels, reaching a high of more 90,000 examinees at the height of the nursing bandwagon frenzy. It is hard to believe that overnight, tens of thousands of PH students had become advocates of the caring profession. Suddenly, every Filipino high school graduate wanted to become a nurse, whether by choice or by parental pressure. The Me Too scramble had begun.
They have allowed Filipino nurses and other professionals to immigrate to the US. It also allowed Filipino nurses to come to the US on tourist visas without prearranged employment and to then adjust their status in the US.
During this period, the number of nursing schools in the Philippines soared from 17 in 1940 to 170 in 1990 to more than 429 at the present time. Many of these nursing schools were diploma mills exploiting the desire of many Filipinos to enter the nursing profession.
Unfortunately, as a result of the only 15-20% of the Filipino nurses who immigrated to the US after 1965 could pass the state nursing board exams. This led to the establishment in 1977 of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) to help prevent the exploitation of graduates of foreign nursing schools who come to the United States to work as nurses but who can't pass the nursing board exams here.
Many Filipino nurses who entered the US on H-1work visas after passing the CGFNS tests benefited from the passage of the Nursing Relief Act of 1989 which provided for their adjustment to permanent resident status if they had H-1 non-immigrant status as registered nurses and had been employed in that capacity for at least 3 years.
But the "sunsetting" of this law in 1995 effectively decreased Filipino nurse immigration to the United States.The passage of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1998 (IIRIIRA) further discouraged nurse immigration to the US
Most recruiting agencies had closed down, hospitals abandoning their petitioned nurses still in the PH due to the economic Recession and more US grown RNs entering the workforce. Very few companies were willing to hire a nurse from the PH when the whole process would take 5 to 6 years. A new graduate from the US would be preferable. American nursing schools were catching up with the demand now and pouring more nurses into the system. US students too knew about this "nursing shortage" in their own backyard and had seen the influx of so many Philippine RNs into the healthcare system.
The Demand is now over for PH RNs. There is no nursing shortage, at least in the US that needs any more PH immigrant nurses. The time might come that nursing will cease to be classified by the State Department as Schedule A category for visa issuance.
A positive result of this oversupply though, is that healthcare could conceivably improve as there are more RNs among the population. Medical school enrollment might also increase as jobless RNs decide to proceed to take up Medicine instead.
Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN
3,181 Posts
Nurse Gloria,
Did you check out the ANA - their officers make up to half million dollars a year.
I didn't realize how much power the NCSBN has, scary.