Just passed 2nd time -Here's My Advice...

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Specializes in Telemetry.

Ok folks -- Took NCLEX 8/19 for the second time and passed. First time around I only used Saunders to study and failed at 203 questions (I ran out of time at 6 hours) Round two I passed at 75 questions in 2 hours and walked out pretty much knowing that I passed. So since I spent A LOT of time on this website seeking help while studying for the second time, here is my way of contributing back to the forum. So, here's what I recommend for everyone:

First of all, take Kaplan (and listen, I don't work for them - I'm just that stoked on it because Kaplan is the reason I passed nclex!) The Question Trainer Test 6,7 are closer to nclex than anything else you can buy - I got a 65% and 68%, respectively. Also, the Qbank sample test #3 is good for priority questions. Qbank was a little easier than my actual nclex exam, but a LOT of the same topics were on nclex, so its good for studying.

Make sure you know how to answer the following types of questions:

1. Prioritizing (think ABC's, but don't always go for airway, be careful!)

2. Delegating (RN does assessment -that includes first set of postop vitals people! Thats an assessment, don't give to the LPN-, teaching, IV meds, chemo; LPN takes stable patients with predictable outcomes; NA takes basic grooming and care....)

3. Infection control (Someone put a website on here that saved my life, here it is again: http://info.med.yale.edu/ynhh/infection/welcome.html If you know this you can answer any question they give you about this stuff - I got four. Example: "A nurse is caring for an infant with H. influenza pneumonia and there are no private rooms available, which patient would the nurse place the infant with?")

4. Floating ("The nurse is working on a med/surg floor. A nurse floats from the maternity unit, which patient do you assign to this nurse?" You assign stable patients with predictable outcomes to float nurses - like LPNs.)

5. Assessment stuff (For example, "The nurse is caring for a patient going to have a colonoscopy. What is the MOST important thing for the nurse to assess? a. respiratory b. fluid and electrolytes c. comfort level d. nutritional status -- Thats just an example of the type of question of course, but you get the idea.)

Bottom line guys -- you went to nursing school, you graduated, you KNOW the information! What you need to do at this point (if you graduated in the last five months or so) is learn how to answer the questions! I graduated May 2006 so its been about four months....when you do the practice questions, it really helps to jog your memory. I spent all my time the first time around studying information and was seriously thrown for a loop when I sat down for NCLEX and they were asking me "what is the MOST important....what would the nurse be MOST concerned about blah blah blah" This time around I answered about 2200 Kaplan questions (didn't study ANY content!), and I knew what NCLEX was looking for.

If anyone wants any more info, send me a email and I'll try to help. Keep your eyes on this forum especially - I spent so much time during study breaks reading the threads for moral support. This is a great network for information and help.

Good luck to everyone. If I can pass, I know you can too!

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Thank you SO much for your tips and words of advice. I will be taking my exam for the second time and have already enrolled myself in Kaplan's complete online review. I'm pretty excited about it. Haven't scheduled the exam yet but I'm thinking around mid- to end- of September.

Congratulations, by the way!!

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.

Congratulations on your success!!

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Specializes in MED/SURG, ONCOLOGY, PEDIATRICS, ER.

:balloons: Congratulations, RN! Thanks for your info..very good advice. :)

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Thank you so much! Seriously the one thing that I keep struggling with are the various precautions, so that website is golf for me! I too have been using Kaplan. My test is one week from today. I am glad to hear that Kaplan worked for you and I will use your kind advice. Thanks and congrats - you earned it!

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Specializes in Clinical exp in OB, psy, med-surg, peds.
Ok folks -- Took NCLEX 8/19 for the second time and passed. First time around I only used Saunders to study and failed at 203 questions (I ran out of time at 6 hours) Round two I passed at 75 questions in 2 hours and walked out pretty much knowing that I passed. So since I spent A LOT of time on this website seeking help while studying for the second time, here is my way of contributing back to the forum. So, here's what I recommend for everyone:

First of all, take Kaplan (and listen, I don't work for them - I'm just that stoked on it because Kaplan is the reason I passed nclex!) The Question Trainer Test 6,7 are closer to nclex than anything else you can buy - I got a 65% and 68%, respectively. Also, the Qbank sample test #3 is good for priority questions. Qbank was a little easier than my actual nclex exam, but a LOT of the same topics were on nclex, so its good for studying.

Make sure you know how to answer the following types of questions:

1. Prioritizing (think ABC's, but don't always go for airway, be careful!)

2. Delegating (RN does assessment -that includes first set of postop vitals people! Thats an assessment, don't give to the LPN-, teaching, IV meds, chemo; LPN takes stable patients with predictable outcomes; NA takes basic grooming and care....)

3. Infection control (Someone put a website on here that saved my life, here it is again: http://info.med.yale.edu/ynhh/infection/welcome.html If you know this you can answer any question they give you about this stuff - I got four. Example: "A nurse is caring for an infant with H. influenza pneumonia and there are no private rooms available, which patient would the nurse place the infant with?")

4. Floating ("The nurse is working on a med/surg floor. A nurse floats from the maternity unit, which patient do you assign to this nurse?" You assign stable patients with predictable outcomes to float nurses - like LPNs.)

5. Assessment stuff (For example, "The nurse is caring for a patient going to have a colonoscopy. What is the MOST important thing for the nurse to assess? a. respiratory b. fluid and electrolytes c. comfort level d. nutritional status -- Thats just an example of the type of question of course, but you get the idea.)

Bottom line guys -- you went to nursing school, you graduated, you KNOW the information! What you need to do at this point (if you graduated in the last five months or so) is learn how to answer the questions! I graduated May 2006 so its been about four months....when you do the practice questions, it really helps to jog your memory. I spent all my time the first time around studying information and was seriously thrown for a loop when I sat down for NCLEX and they were asking me "what is the MOST important....what would the nurse be MOST concerned about blah blah blah" This time around I answered about 2200 Kaplan questions (didn't study ANY content!), and I knew what NCLEX was looking for.

If anyone wants any more info, send me a email and I'll try to help. Keep your eyes on this forum especially - I spent so much time during study breaks reading the threads for moral support. This is a great network for information and help.

Good luck to everyone. If I can pass, I know you can too!

Congratulation, this was a job well done, god bless you.

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Thanks......I will be re-taking my exam soon

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Specializes in LTAC, Homehealth, Hospice Case Manager.

Congratulations!!! :balloons:

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Specializes in med/surg.

Well done to you. I agree with your comments - I've posted similar stuff to that before. One thing I'd add (& I do not work for Kaplan either) is that if at all possible try & attend their 5 (or 1 day if you really can't do 5) day live course. It's truly invaluable.

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Thank you for your advice. Im getting ready to retest (2nd) in two days. I basically have focused on the Kaplan question bank and the trainer. I have really spent a ton of time on them and have done well. Just went and did the practice qbank sample test #3. Got an 80%-not bad. So hopefully I will pull through and follow in your foot steps to sucess.

I went a couple weeks ago to the day of review for retakers with the company I did my review with. The fellow basically said my problem is not content-it's just answering the questions.

Congratulations!

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Good advice. Congratulations on passing!

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Congratulations and thank you for your thoughtful post. I will be retaking mine next month. It's very encouraging to read how people have overcome failing the first time, and that I'm not alone. Someone also posted in another thread that it took them 6 times before they passed.

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