LVN-RNhopeful

Good luck!! If you want to take it earlier, keep checking Pearson Vue to see if there have been cancellations. I originally scheduled mine for July 1, then June 24, then June 18 and finally June 14. I had no problem getting my ATT, but now the problem is I can't get my results because my school JUST mailed our transcripts to the BRN YESTERDAY!!! (and my ATT was issued June 4). GGRRRR!!!! It's great that CA will issue your ATT without having your transcripts so you can test ASAP, however, it does you absolutely no good to have to wait FOREVER if your school takes FOREVER to send in your transcripts. I figure I'll have to wait at least another 2 weeks before I know my results. Good Luck!!!

I used to live in Camarillo and "commute" to Ventura to Community Memorial Hospital (I worked tele there). I worked nights, so I had to sit in traffic on the my way home in the morning. I only had to go as far as Camarillo and it usually took me about 30 minutes. I had my son at Los Robles, so that's the extent of my experience with that hospital - overall it was good. I worked in a Medical practice that's next to Los Robles, so I definitely concur with the previous poster's description of clientele you can expect in Thousand Oaks. Overall, Ventura County is a great place, and while I love San Diego, I do miss Camarillo. Good luck!!

Ugh!! I took it on 6/14, and it looks like I'll be waiting at least another 2-3 weeks to find out for sure if I passed. I called the BRN today and they said that once they receive our transcripts it still takes about another 2 weeks to process them....*****? GRRRR. At least there are no more furlough days (last week was the last one) and they will be open every Friday from now on - maybe that will help speed things up a little. It's really kind of infuriating and frustrating - especially for people who have jobs waiting for them and employers will not accept an Interim Permit. I guess I will continue to impatiently wait. I will add, however, that I do have some peace of mind that I did pass thanks to the PVT...lol

Grrrr...I'm so frustrated!! I took the NCLEX 6/14/10 and I called my school yesterday to see if our transcripts have even been mailed to the BRN yet, and I was told no b/c they had to wait for the degrees to post before they could mail them, so they will be mailed sometime next week. So, it's great in CA that you can get your ATT quickly if your nursing school sends a roster of students graduating to the BRN, but it does absolutely no good to take the test as soon as you can if you can't find out your results because your school hasn't even sent your transcripts. So, now I will wait and pull out my hair for another week or two...lol. But, I did get the good pop-up, so I feel pretty confident that I passed, but the waiting game sucks!! Why the hell doesn't CA participate in the quick results??!!! :angthts::angthts::angthts:

On the Q bank questions my average was 65%, and on all the question trainers I was between 63% and 67%, and on the Readiness exam I got a 73%. I got a 66% and 67% on Question trainer 6 and 7, and per Kaplan, they advise you should aim for a 60%, so I thought that was pretty good. I don't know - the NCLEX questions were from out in left field, but I felt better prepared having done all the Kaplan questions. Initially my confidence took a huge hit when I was scoring in the 60's, but I realized that all of the questions were well above the minimum level of competency, and I realized it would be difficult for anyone to achieve really high scores. Good luck!!

I worked at Planned Parenthood as an MA when I was working on my first BS. It was not at all how people characterize PP, and I LOVED working there. Best of luck to you!!!

To the OP, I completely agree with all that you have said. I found the QBank questions to be way more challenging and at times the rationales were quite contradictory. However, that being said, now that I've taken the NCLEX, I'm glad that I made the choice to take Kaplan. As far as content - either you know it or you don't. I think doing practice questions is a GREAT way to jog your memory about information that you may have filed away - and even if you don't know specific content, if you understand the pathophysiology of diseases, and you know the desired/side/adverse affects of major drug classes, you can use the tools that Kaplan teaches to get to the right answer. There is sooooooo much content that it's impossible for someone to retain every bit of that information. When I started the NCLEX, the questions were worded so similar/confusing as the Kaplan questions, and I was relieved that it wasn't the first time I was seeing questions like that. I think our instructor was pretty great, too, so that probably helped some. Overall, I think it's a really useful program and I'm glad that I took it. Now I'm just anxiously awaiting my results - it's AGONIZING!!! LOL. Good luck in your studies and on your exam.

How long did it take for your license to show up on the CA BON?? The waiting is killing me!! LOL. I did get the good pop up, but still - I need to see my name show up on the license verification before I can relax...lol. Why's CA so freaking slow!!! It's the 21st century for crying out loud.

I took Kaplan's Review Course, and I'm really glad I did. I felt really well prepared for the types of questions asked. I don't know that I would have felt as confident had I done it all on my own. Good luck!

OMG - I'm so relieved to hear that I'm not the only one who had a buch of SATA - I didn't think to count how many, but it seriously felt like every other question. And honestly, I never do well on SATA. I was done in 75 questions and my last one was SATA...ugh!! I hate waiting. I did the PVT and it wouldn't let me register, so I'm hoping that's a good sign. I wish CA participated in quick results. The wait is excrutiating. Good luck to everyone!

I graduated with a BS in an another field 12 years ago, and I was pinned yesterday and will be graduating with my ADN tomorrow. I don't remember much about my BS graduation, but I don't think I will ever forget my pinning ceremony. All of my heart and soul has gone into the last 15 months, and I can't say that about my first go round in college. Only my immediate family attended, and they loved every minute of it - even my small children. And even though I already have a BS, and an associates degree may seem like a step backwards, it's really important to me that I walk for graduation tomorrow to support my friends and classmates who've accompanied me on this adventure.

Pinning June 1! Woo Hoo!! So glad to be done!

When I first started my program, the dress code for lecture days was professional dress, which included no jeans and no flip flops. However, people were too loosely interpreting the dress code, so starting last semester we are only allowed to wear scrubs. That includes clinical, lab and lecture days - only our school uniforms are permitted. I don't mind - that way I don't have to think about what to wear to school everyday :-)

Congratulations everyone! My pinning is June 1. Hearing that people are already graduating and being pinned makes June 1 seems sooooo far away - especially since I still have 5 more days of clinical and an ATI exam. But I know June 1 will be here soon enough :)

It seems a little odd to me to not have an RN, whether it's a friend, family member or faculty pin you. Our class can choose anyone to pin us, the only stipulation is that he or she must be an RN.