Happy New Year to all of you dear fellow AllNUrses friends and readers! God is really good and awesome!!! :) Finally, after 2 failed attempts on NCLEX-RN, I can proudly say I'm an RN now.I just got back from Philippines yesterday to attend my brother's wedding where I stayed for 3 weeks when my husband handed me the envelope that contains my California BON license.Even though I'm tired from my trip,all of it was gone and replaced with happiness and praises to God! Truly, I'm grateful to God Almighty,Lord Jesus Christ and Mama Mary for all the blessings!!!
My journey to NCLEX-RN exam was not easy. I took my first attempt on August 2010, reviewed with Kaplan branch in Honolulu for a month while working as a caregiver and online for 2 months.Unfortunately, I did not pass after 265 questions and 6 hours of answering it.Most of the results say almost passing and above average for my Pharmacology.My 2nd attempt was last Feb.28,2012.I reviewed with Hurst online only for 3 weeks before my test because I was using my Kaplan review materials when by chance I remember I came across an ad on the internet for reviewers online and many said they passed with Hurst Review on their first try.I thought I would make it the second time but maybe I was not prepared and destined to be an RN yet because 4 days before the exam I had a flu.I'm still not feeling well when I took the exam on Feb.28 but was hoping I can make it.If only I had a choice I could have re -sheduled my exam but my husband booked already our flight one month earlier to Florida on Feb.29 to have a vacation with his parents.The computer shut down after 76 questions.I only knew the result on April 2 when we came back from our vacation with my in-laws that I did not pass.One week after that I applied again to California BON to re-take the exam.After 2 months, I was worried because I don't receive any approval from the board not like my first application that it took only a month to have my Eligibility Notice to take the exam. Last week of June I e-mailed the BON requesting if they received my application because I dont' receive anything from them but they never replied. On July, since we were going again to my husband parents in Florida to attend his nephew's wedding I did not have the time to follow-up my application.Only when I came back on last week of July that I e- mailed them,called them but the line is always busy,the last resort was to make a letter and faxed it to them.After 3 days they e-mailed me saying they sent my Eligibility notice last week of April.I went to our near USPS to ask for my mail but they said they never received anything for me.After all what happened, finally on August 2, I received my eligibility thru email to take the exam. Thank God!
The whole month of September was not good for me because I was sick. A simple UTI that became worse and had to go back to the doctor 4 times in 3 weeks. My doctor has to change my antibiotics every week because its not working.The last one had to go to emergency department because of severe pain.And the worse part was the last week when I had an allergy with the antibiotic my doctor had given me. I did not know it was the one causing my chills, fever and joint pains not until after 3 days I noticed I have the symptoms everytime after I take the Septra/Bactrim. I stop taking it and thankfully, Lord help and healed me!
I took the NCLEX-RN on Nov.29,20012 at 8am here in Honolulu,Hawaii with full of hopes even though I'm soo nervous at the time of my exam.I prayed all the time during my exam that Lord Jesus and Mama Mary will guide me to choose the right answer to the questions I'm taking because most of the questions are select all that apply and priority/who do you see first.The computer shut down after the 75 questions and I finished at 10:30am. I know it took me 2 1/2 hours to take the exam but I was not in a hurry to answer it and I asked an early break before the scheduled break because I'm having a headache after the 50 questions. I cried after the exam because most the topics that I reviewed especially Cardio and Respiratory/ medicines if I can remember was not in my exam.I tried the PVT trick when I got home after 4 hours of contemplating whether to do it or not.I got the good pop up but was not sure if its true but I told my husband that there is a chance that I might pass the exam.
For 10 days I was hoping and waiting for the good news that I can get in the mail because California BON is not included in the Quick Results service but was dissapointed. Even though the agony of waiting is hard,I still keep myself busy preparing for my trip to my homeland to be at my brother's wedding.
On December 11,2012 one day after I arrived in Manila my husband called me to inform that I have a mail from California Board of Nursing. I told him to open it for me even though I'm not confident of the result. To my surprised, he said I passed! Both of us was so happy and he said it was the best birthday gift I received because my birthday is December 20!
To everyone who are still on this battle, don't lose hope! I failed twice on NCLEX and the greatest enemy I have before is fear of not passing.Thanks to my husband for believing in me and supporting me attend the novena to Mama Mary every Wednesday for 7 weeks in our Parish Church and every Sunday mass at 6 am even though he works 7 days a week! To all of you here in AllNurses, Mahalo (Thank you) very much for all your posts that gives encouragement and inspirations to us who never make it the first time! I am really grateful to find this site that boost my confidence in times when I feel soo down in my review :) Many thanks also to my family and friends for all the prayers and support they have given me.But, most of all to God Almighty for all the blessings He gave me!:)
My review materials are:
1. Hurst Review online- I paid $300 for 3 months online review- I can say it really helped me especially the core content because I graduated neon years ago (1997) from Philippines.
2.NCSBN/LearningExtensions review for 3 weeks- $ 50 - this really helped me with the practice questions and in my opinion it's like the same in NCLEX-RN exam.
3.PDA by Linda Lacharity- this is a must especially for foreign graduates like me who never had the chance to know delegation assignments in our college years.
4.Review materials posted here in AllNurses especially the 35 page review. I remember some Spiderman and Mrs.Wee questions in my exam
Lastly,prayers and any thing that will make you happy when you are under stress in your review.For me, I play my favorite music by my favorite artist whenever I feel down or stress.I'm sorry if this post is soo long...Thanks to all who are reading this! God bless you all!
