May Nclex takers...come and join hands...

Newgraduate07 · May 1, 2008

Hang in there, the fact that you got SATA questions is a positive sign..since those are considered upper level questions. I will be praying for you and all of us. I test Tuesday May 7. Best of luck. Please update us.:typing

well guys, i m back, i went into the exams 30min earlier, started 15min earlier with all the confidence i could have, by the time i passed number 75, i tell you, anxiety set in, i took my only break @ number 85 cos my head was so heavy on me, i tell you the best experience is for the system to shut off @75 but mine did not.
i came back, continued till around 98 and i cant know @ what number maybe 100 or so it went blank, and i was like maybe an error cos i ready to go the way down but i was not praying for 265 anyway, and so i shut off, and i wasnt sure of myself if i got the last one wrong or right, all i know is i counted 16 weird SATA a lot of meds out of the blues and a little of evrything.
unfortunately, med is my weakest point and i ever say a way out till i wrote the test, infact some i just ticked anything, u can imagine when the 4 options are meds and u dont know what to pick cos you dont even know the meds, funny.
i was already in tears @number 90, cos this is my 2nd time.

Newgraduate07 · May 1, 2008

good luck may nclex takers!!
enobong - 05/01
me - 05/07
malenursesrock - 05/07
zara538 - 05/07
revere308 - 05/08
catfish1 - 05/12
letjackson987 - 05/12
boobool07 - 05/14
blueraiderbsn - 05/15
bunnyhunter - 05/28
la bellota - 05/29

it feels great to see so many taking it this month. i take it may the 7th as well. best of luck to all. (((hugs))).

Wendy2006 · May 1, 2008

Hang in there, the fact that you got SATA questions is a positive sign..since those are considered upper level questions. I will be praying for you and all of us. I test Tuesday May 7. Best of luck. Please update us.:typing

Please make sure you take a test on Wednesday, not Tuesday! I am just worried myself that I will come to Pearson on a wrong day.

Newgraduate07 · May 1, 2008

Hello fellow May test takers. im taking mine this Monday the 5th at 0800 via Westlake Village out here in Los Angeles. Im a first time test taker and have completed all my Kaplan studies. I don't think you ever truly feel ready to take this test but at this point i'd just like to get it over with and try my best.
my prayers are with all of you. good luck!

I am taking mine May 7th in Houston, Texas. This is my 3rd time. I wish I could have afford the Kaplan Qbank but I can't. So, I am heavily relying on the Saunder's book and CD only. Best of luck to you. :up:

Newgraduate07 · May 1, 2008

Please make sure you take a test on Wednesday, not Tuesday!

You are right I apologize. I actually fly out on Tuesday and test Wed. Thank You. Must be anxiety LOL. :lol2:

Wendy2006 · May 1, 2008

I am taking mine May 7th in Houston, Texas. This is my 3rd time. I wish I could have afford the Kaplan Qbank but I can't. So, I am heavily relying on the Saunder's book and CD only. Best of luck to you.

Saunders is a good book. I am sure you have enough information to pass. Just believe in yourself! Will God help we will pass!

Wendy2006 · May 1, 2008

You are right I apologize. I actually fly out on Tuesday and test Wed. Thank You. Must be anxiety LOL.

I am not trying to be a smart ass. Lol. Just worried about taking it on a wrong day. Do not want that happen to anyone. :bow:

MaleNursesRock · May 1, 2008

NEWGRAUDATE07

well thats 3 of us so far that are re-test takers for may 7th, my third time as well

Hopefully, its a good luck sign ..3rd time for 3 of us (or more)

..oh, and uyes that Saunders book is HUGE..i went over the whole thing TWICE now !...

I really am getting sick of studying nursing materail and doing questions...really....i am

..hell, i might as well just goto MED school...... at least theres no NCLEX to be a DR.

ha

JON

Infinitee07_RN · May 1, 2008

ok you guys..well we need to be more supportive and warm according to some people... :crying2: ..they're saying that april's thread was better..so let's show them what we're made of:nurse:

so can we all bring a little sunshine to this thread:weathersunsmall:..

GO MAY NCLEX TAKERS! WE CAN DO IT:up: :yeah:

Faeriewand, ASN, RN · May 1, 2008

Woot! 10 more days till I test! I scheduled mine for a Saturday afternoon to avoid traffic and hassle :) I just have a few chapters in psych to go in Saunders and then I'm all done

My friend just tested and said that there was what would you delegate to the CNA, lots of med/surg stuff and pt teaching.

She said just take the test and don't put it off. But she was smart and didn't tell anyone she was taking the test.

michaRN, RN · May 1, 2008

here some tips for reducing test anxiety

Fortunately, there are several things that can be done to make test anxiety more manageable:

Preparation - develop good study habits, spreading studying over several days; ask for additional help when needed; eat good foods, get adequate rest, and exercise to build energy; complete all assignments in a timely manner; make and take practice tests

Keep a positive attitude - develop reasonable expectations; do not allow your grades to become dependent on the outcome of one exam; avoid negative and irrational thoughts about catastrophic results; set up a system of rewards for dedicated studying and good test performance; encourage yourself

Relaxation techniques - deep breathing exercises, imagery and visualization, and muscle relaxation techniques can help to increase focus an concentration; don't arrive too early or get distracted by others preparing for the test; check to make sure you have everything you will need;

Learn good test-taking skills - do not panic if you can't remember something right away; answer questions you know well first, and then go back to other ones; read questions and directions carefully before you begin; outline essays before you begin to write; keep short-answers short; don't spend a lot of time reviewing answers

Additional coping Strategies

Be healthy: If you are physically and emotionally exhausted, your body and mind are less able to tolerate stress and anxiety. You can improve your resistance to anxiety by getting adequate rest, eating appropriately, and taking care of your physical health.

Be prepared: Practice... practice... practice... study... study... study. Sounds a bit repetitive, but nothing can help reduce anxiety like confidence. In fact, if you over-prepare a bit, your responses become more automatic, and your performance will be less affected by anxiety. Preparation for an exam may include improving your study and test-taking skills. Be on time and have all the "tools" you may need for an exam

Imagination is a powerful tool-it can help you be less anxious when reality hits!

Some of the most effective ways involve altering your physical responses like breathing and muscle tension.

Deep breathing: When anxious, we often take shallow breaths. We feel like we aren't getting enough air, and get more anxious. If you focus on breathing deeply and slowly, this cycle is interrupted and the body and mind begin to relax. To learn to breathe deeply, place your hand on your stomach and inhale in a way that makes your abdomen expand. As you exhale, your abdomen should move inward. Practice taking 10-15 slow deep breaths in a row, 2-3 times per day-training your body to breathe deeply and relax. Then, during a stressful situation, focus on taking 2-3 deep breaths, and your body will relax.

Progressive muscle relaxation: We also tense our muscles when anxious. Consciously relaxing your muscles will help your body and mind relax. Practice muscle relaxation during deep breathing by focusing on a particular muscle group (e.g., shoulders) and alternatively tensing and relaxing the muscle. Then, focus on releasing all of the tension in the muscle, repeating "relax" in your mind. Add muscle relaxation to deep breathing in a stressful situation.

Reduce distractions: Distractions are additional stimuli that increase arousal. Explore ways to reduce the distractions in your immediate environment, e.g. sit in a back corner of the room, take a sweater so you aren't distracted by being cold

Rituals: Rituals are repetitive behaviors that give us a sense of familiarity, help us focus, and reduce anxiety. The basketball player who bounces the ball three times before shooting a free-throw has a ritual. You may already have some rituals-getting a drink of water just before an exam or using a particular pencil or pen. Just a note of caution-make sure your rituals are not harmful or distracting to yourself or others (tapping your pencil 10 times before each question may annoy your classmates!).

Control the fear: The underlying source of test or performance anxiety is the fear of failure. Pay attention to what you are thinking and saying to yourself in anxious situations. This self-talk will likely reflect an expectation or fear of failure. You can begin to control this fear or change the expectation by changing your self-talk.

Positive self-talk: Purposefully filling your mind with positive statements about yourself and your abilities can offset or crowd-out the negative self-talk. Even if you don't believe the positives, say them anyway-"I'm ready…I can do this…Do it!" Determine the most important positive messages for yourself by writing down your 3-4 most common negative thoughts (e.g., "I can't do this"). Next, write down the opposite for each statement ("I can do this"). Repeat the positives to yourself daily for at least two weeks, and again just before and during the test or performance.

On-task self-talk: Counter distractions and help yourself focus on the task at hand by telling yourself what to do-talk yourself through the task step-by-step, and tell yourself you're succeeding! Thinking about past mistakes or future consequences is not helpful. Keep your mind focused on the present-one thing at a time!

Gaining perspective: Sometimes the negative thoughts people have in stressful situations focus on potentially drastic consequences of failure. In most cases, these drastic consequences are much more severe than the reality of the situation-this is called catastrophizing. Focusing on such catastrophic consequences increases anxiety and interferes with performance. It is important to recognize that one mistake does not equal failure and that one bad performance does not mean you're worthless. Take some time to evaluate the most likely consequences of your performance. If you find that you tend to catastrophize, develop some phrases that are more realistic and repeat these phrases to yourself prior to and during the exam or performance. An example might be "This is just one exam."

Hope this help if i have read this before my test i should have fight that anxiety... :banghead:

Wendy2006 · May 1, 2008

ok you guys..well we need to be more supportive and warm according to some people.....they're saying that april's thread was better..so let's show them what we're made of:nurse:
so can we all bring a little sunshine to this thread:weathersunsmall:..
GO MAY NCLEX TAKERS! WE CAN DO IT:up:

Being supportive and warm is a part of nursing job, I believe. If one cannot be supportive at a forum, how he (she) can be supportive at work? But I can understand that everyone is stress out right now and just doesn't want to help others. Even though April group did managed to help each other.