My thoughts on the NCLEX RN

235 Posts

i took my exam on june 18th, at 12 pm. i had 83 - 84 questions. i have been studying for a year! i am a foreign nursing graduate. i graduated from the philippines in 2008 and came to the united states in july. after and coming to the united states i took the kaplan 3 months course for international nurses in the philippines. i did not really concentrate that much because i was leaving my son and husband behind to start our future in america. but i just listened to the classes and read and answered as much questions as i could (this was exactly more than a year ago)

then i came to america. i was really sad and confused and almost depressed. i left my family and the pressure was so strong on me to pass this test so my son and husband can join me. you see i am an american citizen but went to nursing school in the philippines. according to my family i had to prove that i could do my boards and pass it so that they can come here. i came from an unknown nursing school in one of the provinces in the philippines. its totally not even a good school and when i was in nursing school i have always focused on doing more reasing more because i would be taking the great NCLEX RN.

anyway when i came to america i had to get a job. this was very good for me. i worked as a nursing assistant in a medical acute care unit. it helped me see the real stuff...g tubes, suctioning, ventilators, trachs...stuff that i read and learned about in preparing for the nclex. i think the reason why some foreing nursing graduates dont pass the nclex at first is because they dont see the real thing and just reading about it makes it hard top stick in the mind. i also saw the different precautions in where i worked which helped me alot too.

so i have been working for about 11 months now and it took so long for my school transcripts and documents to go thru cgfns and all the state required for me to take the nclex. but since january 2009 i balanced work and studying and homesickness and depression from being away from my family.

since i had my kaplan book, the blue course book...i read that one. from cover to cover. i learned it by heart i made notes on everything and i would study everyday as much as i could. on my days off i would not go out i just read my kaplan course book. i also used the saunders CD. for maternity i felf that kaplan did not give as much...so i did all the questions on maternity on saunders, pre, intra and post partum, that was enough for me. i also did all the questions on endocrine system, cardio and a bit on others. i also bought the nclex q bank which i recommend to everyone. they were much harder than the actual nclex exam. and the kaplan question trained my mind to think alot...so by the time i was doing the real nclex, my mind was ready! also do the question trainers...since i took so many months in preparing the exam...i did the kaplan questions trainer over and over again....

my best advices are to focus...and really want to pass this exam. and pray. all i had was faith! people around me encouraged me but i felt in their tone of voices that they doubted i could pass the exam so i just prayed and prayed.

i had 83 or 84 questions....5 SATAs (easier than the ones kaplan gives) 5 - 6 meds ( i recommed the mosby pharmacology book with illustrations!) 2 ekg illustrations, 1 med calculation (mcg and mg) couple of infection control, and at question 60, the prioritization questions flooded.

i have come a long way and i believe anyone who puts their heart into being a nurse can make it...if you really want it, you can get it...:redbeathe

WWWWOOOOHHHOOOOO! I AM A FREAKING REGISTERED NURSE IN MASSACHUSETTS! :nurse: :nurse: :nurse: