My NCLEX experience and tips

Published

HI everyone. So I've been on this site so much looking for tips and helpful hints that would help me pass my NCLEX. It been a tough journey but I finally did it.. (I think, haha) Well according to the PVT trick-- I got the good pop up yesterday.

PVT TRICK DOES WORK RIGHT??? ;)

JUNE

I took the NCLEX the 1st time in June and failed with 265 questions. I was beyond devastated.... and all my friends passed it right away and I was really doubting my abilities as a nurse. When I went to take it the 1st time, I was BEYONDDDD nervous.. my nerves definitely got the best of me. I took Kaplan and liked it.. definitely did a lot of questions but just skimmed over the rationales.

OCTOBER

I know, it was a while since I took it the 1st time, but I kept moving it back because I didn't want to fail again. I was so scared. This time I took Kaplan again online and did hurst online. I LOVED HURST. I knew my material, but I was weak in some areas and HURST fills in the blanks. They put the info in such an easy way to understand and you remember it!!! I can't say enough good things about it.

I was still nervous sitting down to take it, but I felt more confident. I honestly thought it was gonna shut off soon... and it went all the way to 265 again. Tried the trick.. and it WORKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TIPS-- RELAX, RELAX, RELAX.

Nerves REALLY do get in the way of concentrating and answering the questions. RELAX, be CONFIDENT and know you can do this.

If the test keeps going and going.... ITS OKAY!!!!! This means you are still in this and you only need to focus and get a few more right. I know its so stressful and frustrating but just know you are so close and don't give up!!!!

HURST for content review 100%.

KAPLAN for questions/HURST had some good ones too.

PDA for delegation

KAPLAN strategy book is good at breaking down the question and what they are REALLY asking you

RATIONALES RATIONALES!!!!! This probably made the biggest difference for me.. READ THE RATIONALES (the ones you got right too!!!) and know WHY you got that one wrong. If you don't understand.. look it up right then. I had a notebook and wrote down ALL the rationales and went over it every day.

Review your content and have a good understanding of it.

INFECTION CONTROL PRECAUTIONS. So important.

Practice Practice PRIORITY questions and what you would do FIRST

SAFETY. How are you gonna keep your patient safe?

PRAY and HAVE FAITH!!!!!! I literally took like 7 breaks while testing and prayed SOOO much. When I felt frustrated and scared... I said a prayer and tried to regroup and relax.

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!!! :) :) :)

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

CONGRATULATIONS to you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Congratulations ^_^

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Dialysis.

Hurst is too expensive at this point in my life, and my exam is in 4 weeks...i've done 1200 Qs so far (Kaplan Trainers and the Qbank), been reading the rationales, looking up stuff I don;t understand (including watching the content review vids from Kaplan), I have an entire wall filled with lab values and common meds and their classifications...i even found quick study guides for each bodily system from Hurst (thx to Quizlet)...so I guess what I'm asking is..who has passed the NCLEX this yr with just using Kaplan? I have ADD I should add, so sitting down to read an entire review book is extremely agonizing for me! This is my first time taking this test...so far all of my classmates who've taken it, have all passed! I'm nervous and scared, but I dont wanna waste any more time...am I even on the right track anymore? PS one of my classmates only studied for 4 days, didn't finish all of the kaplan trainers, read some saunders, and PASSED! HELP!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

It sounds like you nailed the test..

So i haven't talked to any one yet about NCLEX, i just want to get my semesters done first.

Is it timed? can you take all the time you want?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Sorry, posted same thing twice. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

@PrettyLady87

As long as you are consistently studying, looking up what you don't know or wish to understand better then you should be alright. Expanding and building your knowledge and understanding of rationales will only help you for the NCLEX. I personally never used Kaplan, so I can't answer that question for you. My class used ATI, and Davis's NCLEX review, along with a 1 week mandatory review at the end of our schooling. I took 2 months off to review content, practice questions, and become extremely familiar with delegation, prioritization, Maslows/ABCs, the Nursing Process, and calming/focusing techniques. I just took my NCLEX-PN today, and I walked in feeling nervous/sick and walked out feeling good/confident. :) Wishing you good luck.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

jamelewu

Yes, it is timed.

5 hours for NCLEX-PN and 6 hours for NCLEX-RN

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wow!! Congratulations! :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Dialysis.

Thx for your insight and congrats on ur success!! :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in internal medicine, telemetry, medsurg.

Congrats

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Room.

My biggest NCLEX tip:

Practice the questions, even if you feel like are lacking in content. It's all about mastering HOW to take the exam what are basic NCLEX principles. Like safety first, and remember NCLEX-land always is the perfect version of nursing. There is always *plenty of time* *adequate staffing* etc. So it is important to not base your answer on experience from clinicals aka the real-world.

I did use the Kaplan questions and found them slightly harder than the real NCLEX, although maybe I had done enough questions that they weren't as hard.

Any more questions: just ask!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion