My NCLEX Journey

*XYZ* · Mar 25, 2008

44 views & no help? C'mon guys... please?

gwafuh_rn, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2008

for me,in my case,i get motivated if im thinking of my godmother.she took the nclex 5 times.i think that was 13 years ago.now she is a successful hemodialysis nurse.im also thinking of my gf because she is in the phils.i said to myself,if i become an rn,i will now have the chance to earn money and go back to the phils and see her.corny but true.hehehe.i failed the nclex twice and now im waiting for suzannes reply.

*XYZ* · Mar 25, 2008

^aww Good Luck to you!

lvlytxn · Mar 26, 2008

I graduated 8 years ago, took the NCLEX once and failed. I went into hiding for such a long time, got married, had kids, and worked odd jobs, none that were remotely satisfying.

Then, last June '07, I decided to start studying again. I started with the Saunders book and it took me a whole 3-4 months to read every single page. I read the Priority, Delegation and Assignment book too. I also did NCSBN 5 wk course and struggled through Kaplan. I did all of these one at a time as to not confuse myself. Live review centers were not an option for me because I currently live in Japan with my military husband. But I do plan to take a skills refresher course once I pass the NCLEX and back stateside.

It took a while for me to get the approval from CA board since it had been so long since I graduated. But in the mean time, I just kept trudging along. I didn't study every day. It was hard to study when I didn't even know when I was testing.

I finally got my ATT on Feb. 4. I'm testing on April 2. I will be taking the 31st and 1st off from studying and taking my family to Tokyo Disneyland. They've been real troopers through this whole ordeal, and we all deserve some time to relax and have fun.

I'm not sure if this really helped or answered your question. Just know that there are many of us going through this at the same time. Every body has their own way of getting motivated and mine was setting a test date and holding myself accountable for studying at least 100 Q's a day. That takes about a whole hour and a half for me. I do them after I take my girls to school in the morning. As soon as I'm done with that, I have the rest of the day to do as I please. And then, IF I want to or feel like it, I will study more later in the day by re-reading Saunders or listening to Kaplan review content. I do not make myself prisoner to this test. So study but also take time for yourself and enjoy other things.

I hope I pass. But if I don't, I will try again and again until I do pass. I'm not putting this on hold for much longer and neither should you.

MamaGyrl · Mar 26, 2008

Well I am currently in LPN school and I just have 4 more classes to go and I will be done in May. I also sometimes lose track and do not study as much as I did. My motivation is my 2 children who are 5 and 3 and just the fact that I have promised myself that I will complete school and pass the NCLEX. I have had the dream of becoming a nurse for a long time and I am the only one who can do it for me and no one else. So really my motivation is ME! I wake up reminding myself that I can do it and that I am accomplishing the goal I have set for myself. So I guess my advice to you is to just DO IT! Oh also I am also following Suzanne's plan and I am currently on my 1st step, so you might want to follow that and maybe it will help you get back in the swing of things. At the top of the discussion board her plan is the 1st sticky labeled "2008 version of Suzanne's First Tip." Good luck to you and definately let us know how it goes.

sg2629 · Mar 26, 2008

and this is where you all come in. i did have a couple questions.:
-how do you all stay motivated?
-are there any refresher classes in southern california or through the web that have been proving helpful for students who have either failed or have been out of school for 2 years?

i'd get an att so you have a test date. this should keep you motivated and allow for you to make a timeline to cover the material. as for a refresher/review class. i personally didn't take one but tested right after graduation. i found almost all the nclex review books (saunders, lippincott, kaplan) helpful, in one form or another, just doing question after question (1000s by time i was done). i also liked the ati dvd's. i found their accompanying books a little too textbook like and an overload of info for a review; but given the time lag they may prove helpful to you. personally, i found the ati nclex review material on ebay rather cheap compared to buying it from their site.

i wish you success, just keep repeating those two little letters after your name...rn! you can do this. good luck.

*XYZ* · Mar 26, 2008

I sincerely thank you all for your helpful & honest responses. And I read every word of every post. I have come to the realization, that maybe I really do have that motivation in me to succeed. I mean, I did write this incredibly long post right? Anyhoo, Good Luck to you all. May we all pass & pass with flying colors

*XYZ* · Mar 27, 2008

Anyone else have any input?

Sweet T · Mar 28, 2008

I understand how it feels to lose someone you love. My brother ho is one year younger than me Was tragically killed a week after Thanksgiving. I took Nclex in Jan because I had a job waiting on me and I wanted to be able to contribute to the household.. I told myself I was ready but i had only answered maybe 500 questions if that and I did not do it everyday. I just could not focus. When I failed I was sad ,but I knew I did not give it my all, plus I panicked when the computer did not turn off around 150. I took all 265 and failed. :cry:

This is what has helped motivate me: :twocents:1. knowing God created me to excel and not fail. 2. children who think it is the most wonderful thing to have a mom that helps people. 3. Having a husband that has stood beside me the whole way. 4. Last but not least knowing my brother believed in me and knowing the smile onhis face when he would brag to his friend that I was going to be a nurse. When I need that extra boost I picture that smile on his face. We had planned to party when I passed. I still want that party with my other brother and my 2 sisters and knowing he will be there in spirit telling me that I did it and he knew I would make it.

Losing someone you have love and that has always been a part of your life is very hard and it can drain you. Just thikn about how your dad would hae reacted once you passed and let that motivate you!!!:nuke: I will retest April 2 I know I will pass this time around

A+malenurse · Mar 28, 2008

i have learned so much from this forum and thankful i read them. I have only tried the NCLEX once and failed. but now i know i am not alone. Just like others, i told a few friends that i passed but i still think it was justified in the case of those friends since all they want is to laugh at me and perhaps gossip if they know i failed. This is my own life and i don't care what ppl think of me. I however wish i have a friend out of state where i can just go and concentrate on my study w/o dealing with the distractions i have here. Is anyone ready to invite me over for a serious studies 24/7?, being a single male and jobless(well, i have a job, my current job is studying to pass the NCLEX-RN), i just need to load up this rn books and go somewhere far from Tennesse.

On a more serious level, i believe we need to be be more determined, and plan more ahead, i was watching CNN 3 days ago and heard a man from Cuba saying he tried 27x times trying to cross (THE WATERS) the border to join his wife and kids in Miami, Florida and had failed, but you know what he said?, he said he will try 27 more times to cross. So i thought to myself, if this man plans to try 27 more times, then he may not have the pressure to give up on his 28th trial, maybe we need to plan for many more BUT of course knowing that for each attempt, we are well prepared to pass. Good luck to you all and me and God bless us all.

*XYZ* · Apr 17, 2008

Your post had me teary-eyed, Sweet T. You are right. God did create me to succeed. And one of the greatest motivation for me to pass is knowing my Dad would be so proud to see me at that point. Thank You for your input I am definitely going to bump this to the top because that story is truly inspiring.