Just took the NCLEX-RN on 8/5/13

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Hello,

I took the NCLEX-RN less than 24 hours ago and it was definitely a wild ride. The exam wasn't extremely difficult as many led me to believe, nor was it super easy. However, I felt strange leaving the testing site because the big bang never came as everyone scared me into believing.

Let me give you my background: I got laid off from the auto industry in 2010, then began an accelerated 12-month BSN program last May 2012. I cried, screamed, and kicked myself during this time because I thought that I had taken on more than what I could handle. I'm glad I didn't give up. I graduated with a 3.6 G.P.A. and honors this past April 2013. However, I was discouraged by my subpar test-taking abilities. I've never failed a nursing exam, but I did not feel that testing has been my strong suit until I started preparing for the NCLEX. You really have to change your way of thinking in order to be successful at such a test.

So, I started preparing for the exam on 6/12/13 and did close to 2,700 questions leading up until last Thursday, 8/1/13, when my brain decided that it had had enough. I spent the days leading up to my weekend shadowing a nurse in my prospective specialty and siphoning some of her positive spirit to use for my test. My shadowing experience gave me a little extra motivation to do well yesterday (I've been doing the PVT like a maniac and I still can't believe that I'm getting the "good pop up").

Nevertheless, here's a brief overview of what I did to prepare for the NCLEX-RN. As I mentioned earlier, I've never been a stellar test-taker but I wasn't going to let that discourage me. I asked for advice from any person I saw wearing ceil or navy blue (i.e. common colors that most of the nurses in my region wear). I reviewed all content areas for the exam and paid special attention to my weak areas such as OB, pediatrics, mental health, and cardiac (umm...pretty much everything :/...) Surprisingly, as I was writing for the exam I encountered many questions from those areas. I passed with about 85 questions (I turned the timer and question number off at the beginning and only glanced after the 2-hour mark when I approached my first break and later when I was nearing 75). I left the center at around the 2:50 mark and that is all that's all she wrote. Here are some of the resources that I used to study:

a. Kaplan Live Class (4-day course) w/ Q bank (did all 1300 Q bank Q's and repeated some incorrect items), did all 4 Sample tests, Question Trainers 1-6 [my brain was fried by the time I reached QT7), and Alternative Format 25-item test [nearly 2000 various Kaplan questions in total]

b. Saunders Comprehensive 5th edition by Silvestri (Yellow version) & disc. I did about 300 questions total from this book and the disc combined

c. PDA by Lacharity (reviewed a few SATA [select all that apply] questions and case studies for practice) when Kaplan wasn't suffice

d. Nursing Made Insanely Easy (obsolete edition) by Rayfield/Manning :roflmao: that helped tremendously throughout my 12-month BSN program and during my NCLEX-RN prep.

e. Pharmacology Made Insanely Easy (most recent edition) by Rayfield/Manning

f. NCLEX RN Course Book by Kaplan (free Kindle download that came with Kap course)

g. The Basics by Kaplan (free Kindle download that came with Kap course)

h. ATI Comprehensive NCLEX-RN Review (I used the paperback version, but I see that it may be available online if you search very hard)

i. Personalized study group 2-3 hours, one day out of the week (This helped as we could talk through certain practice problems and bounce ideas and memorization devices for important rationales)

j. Prep document (35 pages) posted on allnurses.com from a user who passed (I don't know who the user is or what link I accessed the doc from, but there are a few floating around if you peruse the site)

As you see, I used whatever I could get my hands on. It may seem as if I did a lot (or, too much:unsure:), but I had to do what was necessary to PASS. I know myself better than anyone, so I didn't let anyone persuade me into moving my test date up just because they had already taken theirs. In fact, I moved my date approximately 4-5 times before settling on 8/5 (1 day before my birthday and 2 years after I received acceptance into my BSN program). I made sure not to burn myself out by watching new shows on Netflix, going to the movies and/or dinner with friends, laughing until I cried in order to keep from shedding tears of fear, and going to the gym at random hours of the day and night while preparing for the "dreaded" NCLEX. Don't mind me...it wasn't too bad. As long as you are willing to put forth the effort during studying, you will succeed as well. If I can do it, anyone can do it. This is one of the best birthday gifts ever! I can't believe that I have achieved such a feat and I am honored to be considered amongst some of the most caring, yet hardworking people in the world. Be confident, faithful, and optimistic in your journey. We are all in this together!

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Congrats on passing!!!!!! All your hard work paid off. Thanks for this post as well. I have to retake my nclex at the end of the month and I am a lil nervous but I am putting all the necessary work in. I'm in the same boat as far as not being a stellar test taker but this go round I refuse to let that excuse deter me from passing. Posts like yours gives me encouragement.

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Fabulous, Gina!

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@alchemist405 I believe that you are equipped with everything you need to pass the exam. If you can get through nursing school, then you can conquer this exam as well. Please, don't ever be discouraged. Staying calm helped me during the exam. I have had the worst bouts of test-taking anxiety, however, I managed to get this under control in preparation of test day. I paced my breathing and took my time on each questions. While other people who were taking the NCLEX were leaving within 60 minutes, I had only reached #55. I worried about my personal mission. I hope this helps and I have faith in you!

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@Havin' A Party! Thanks!!! I feel great (for now). I can't wait until Thursday when the BON posts the updated license numbers from Monday. The average wait is approximately 72 hours where I'm located.

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So, I paid for the Pearson Quick Results...PASS!!! PVT worked for me! My license will be posted on BON tomorrow.

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no fair! I took mine Monday too and I cant see my results yet :[

I have been stalking the Pearson site every 15 minutes since 7am

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@ ohyesitslizz Bummer! I checked within 48 hours of completing the exam (which was around 1100 on 8/5/13). Perhaps this is why you can't see your option to view your Quick Results? I would try again after a time when you know for certain that you were at home after the exam. Keep us posted!!!! :woot:

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Congrats!! Were the sata harder than the ones on kaplan or Saunders

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I thought Kaplan had harder SATAs

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@ NW_studentnurse Thanks! The NCLEX SATA are pretty straightforward. At least, they were in my opinion. I read somewhere to treat each option as a true or false based on what the question is asking you, so I breezed right through them and didn't have more than maybe 10 out of the 85 questions on my exam. I think I benefited from doing the Kaplan SATA and the Saunders SATA in the actual book and the CD-ROM. The Kaplan SATA and LaCharity were definitely the more difficult of all types that I had seen during my study. However, you'll learn how to select answers based on inclusion or exclusion given the data provided in the question with the more practice that you get answering this question type.

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@ 48 hrs For sure! Sometimes I would stare at the screen for 5 minutes before selecting choices from Kaplan's SATA because they were just that complex. Luckily, it helped when it mattered most!

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