nclex doubts and worries

Nursing Students NCLEX

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Hello,

I'm about to take my NCLEX next friday (Feb 03). This will be my 2nd time taking the exam. I failed the first time using just Saunders 5th edition. I know deep down I failed because I took the exam and my review lightly. This time, it took me 4 months and I took Kaplan. All my friends and almost all the success stories I've read in this forum took Kaplan and passed. I did all I can this time. Gave up almost 3 months of nonstop everyday review. I took the online review by Kaplan, answered 100% of my Qbanks. Wrote down every rationale from every qbanks/qtrainer that i didn't know right or wrong and reviewed them every other day.

Diagnostic - with no review whatsoever 53%

QT1 - 60%

QT2 - 57%

QT3 - 50%

QT4 - 53%

QT5 - 60%

Qbank 100% complete - 58%

Sample test 1: 54%

Sample test 2: 48%

Sample test 3: 83%

**I swear sample test 1 and 2 mostly resembles NCLEX in my opinion. Maybe QT6 and 7 too, I'll find out.

Readiness test - 54% (I hurried through it because it was required to be finished by the last day of review. Shouldn't have though :(

I'm about to take my QT6 after writing this then QT 7 on Tuesday, then just taper down with my review on Wednesday and take a whole day break Thursday then showdown on Friday.

I've been feeling good and ready till I read a few recent posts from people who took Kaplan and failed. It brought me back to earth. What if I fail again? Everything is riding on me passing and finally getting a job and move on with my life. I'm sure all of us share the same background story. Truth be told, I'm scared to see that CC page again when doing the PVT. I have a phobia of that incident. I wish I didn't read the stories of people that failed with Kaplan..

My reason for writing this is for advice and guidance. What should I do? I know that if I have this mentality, I will surely succumb to failure next week. I know also that there's no way you can fully prepare for this exam. For those that have passed with Kaplan, what did you do when you were just hours away from taking that exam. Did you feel ready? confident? did the decision tree worked for you? Did the qbanks and qtrainers prepare you? is it easier or harder than the nclex?

Also is it wise for me to plan on taking about 2 hours for the first 75 questions? I don't do well in such long periods of concentrations. If i go past 75, i need frequent breaks to keep on going.

Please any opinions or advice, I will be truly grateful for. I can not afford to fail again. I want to move on with my life. With God's help I know he'll guide me. But what can I do to avoid these feelings of doubt in myself.

me too I just got a job in the or I start on the 13th i am so scarred

Wow good job! that means were doing something right? right? I did take it easy today, but now I want to read the rationales from QT4-7 and then my pharma notes that I did and also read half of the study guide found on this site. I'll head in early to the test center early tomorrow. It's a 45 min drive. I can just review there. Nothing big, just lab values and hopefully pass that exam at 75 questions.

Right now, I feel almost TOO relaxed, like I should worry more lol. But I know I did my part, God will do the rest. I'll let you guys know the results tomorrow. For now I'm going to review a bit.

Good luck rodmarkq! i know you will do great! thats good you are relaxed!... i'm to the point of wanting it to just be over with! i'll be praying for you! can't wait to hear from you and see that you got 75 questions!

@littlemocoity thank you so much for the flash cards... those are the areas that i need some help with especially. thats awesome you are going to be in the OR too! you will def see improvement after you do some review and see the ways you can look at the question and figure out what they are asking. keep us upated on your scores :)

i'm not looking forward to the 265 questions tomorrow for QT 7. i'm reviewing the rationales for QT 6 tonight.

Also I have been doing the hurst review its awesome!

i got this from another post can who did it but it made a lot of sence

rn

- invasive procedure = i am rn educated

- initial/comprehensive/baseline (assessments)

- assess (frequent/ongoing =unstable patients)

- managing and leading client care environment

ex. clients who are in severe and refusing meds (needs more assessment)

- review

- nsg process/ nsg judgement use (apie= assessment,planning, implementation,evaluation)

- encourage

- develop

- use of iv meds (ex. plasma, blood products-- these and iv are done by rn only)

- consult/counsel/suggest & update

- admission .. new & post op

- teach

- educate

- discharge & admission preparation

lpn/lvn-

-certain invasive task =i-sound star cross ++

- im adm

- sq adm.

- oral meds adm

- urinary catheterization

- nitroglycerin

- dreassing of wound (changing & irrigating) very commonly seen q.

- suctioning

- tube feeding

- auscultate/listen

- routine/standard

- check(s)

- reinforce/remind

- observe

- set up (basic equipment)

- specimen collection & data colletion

+

-blood glucose readings

-monitor

-review/teach-- usually standard practices (hand washing/hygiene) or med administration (ie. eye drops) -- rn mostly teaches/educated and lpns reinforce

+

cast & toe amputation are stable clients and need on going assessment and pain mgt./la charity book(don’t know too..just dont deprive with it.. just follow the book

data collection such as listening to lung sounds & checking for peripheral edema_part of lpn scope of practice: /lacharity book

** don't assign lvn/lpn to do a task an nurse assistant can complete**

nursing assistant/uap- unlicense assistive personnel

- non invasive procedure/basic care =sparrtacus groam +++

-skin care (ex. bed rest with a skin tear and hematoma from a fall 2 days ago, apply and care for a client’s rectal pouch )

-positioning-- special positioning-- requires initial education by rn -- assistant will assist not teach

-ambulation/ assisting with adl (ambulation of fractured hip only rn& pt) ( patienst with chestube ambulating the hall-lpn/lvn)

-recording & monitoring of v/s (bp,pulse, oxygen sat,)

-range of motion &exercise

-transport of client

-assist (assisting for prep for sitz bath)

-collection of

-urine &

-stool

-groam (groaming & hygiene measure, bathing & checking water temp)

+

weighting

intake & output

feeding

+

- remind/reinforce: usually reminds pt. to do something rather than how to do it (skills previously taught by other health care professional or precaution measures)***

- they can detach suction and remove a foley but not connect or insert

- gather (equipment)

+

- measurement of ankle and bracial blood pressure for ankle brachial index calculation.(calculated already)

( calculation on the ankle-brachian index is responsibility of rn)

-experienced nsg assistant should have been taught how to..

monitor apical pulse, however, the rn should observe to be sure that s/he mastered this skills.

---la charity book---

new rn

-education and hospital orientation includes.. safe administration of iv meds.

-stable patients

some key points:

patients that require teaching about drugs or need procedures done are not rn priority.

physician

-informed consent

-medical diagnosis

-prescriptions

-order procedures

avoid these assignments for new/float/lvn/lpn/traveling

-new onset/sudden/acute

-new admission

-transfer

-newly diagnosed

-discharge

-require education/teaching (beyond basic skills -- tend to be complex and specific to patients on that particular unit)

- unstable (ie. high risk of sudden respiratory failure, or requires frequent assessments and changes in therapy(like electrolyte imbalances)

give:

- chronic

- routine meds/procedures

- stable

all healthcare workers

- responsible for knowing about and implementing standard precautions + airborne/droplet/contact --> therefore all can teach about it or prepare a room for it

thanks for that! i actually saw that on another thread :) i haven't tried hurst- but i've heard good things. good luck!

Hey guys, I took the exam today at 2 pm. Stopped at 84 with ALOT of SATA's (I was like why this many??) probably like 15-20. I had 3 exhibits, 1 put in order, NO calculations! Lots of meds like 10. I only knew 3 of the medications...(note: I studied ALOT of meds). I approached the two hour mandatory break around #82, but I was like I can still handle it. Clicked next, got hit with a SATA and then next again and a somewhat easy question...then it went BLUE SCREEN. :( My heart sunk, I was thinking I failed it bad. I felt I was guessing my way out. NCLEX is a step harder than Kaplan. But I felt ready with the type of questions. Like the flow of it is nearly like Kaplan but harder. Alas I drove home very weak. Like I felt so mentally fatigued...

But I thought to myself, if I failed, that meant I did better last time because last time I had 135 questions and failed. This time was 84. Then I realized I had no calculation questions!! which means I didn't approach that low level question. Buuut I thought about the last question and it seemed simple enough. Not too easy but not difficult. I checked it and I was correct but why did it stop then? Shouldn't it give more questions? It couldn't have decided if I pass or fail with that question.

You can see the throught process I had. Got home, didn't even got out of the car..picked up my ipod and I was within range of my home wifi. Did the PVT trick...and I got the GOOD POP UP!

I got teary eyed and just said thank you God. I did it 10 more times and its still the Good pop up. I know its not official but I know the PVT is truth. Last time i did it, it went straight to CC page and failed. Thank you allnurses! this site have been a great help!

oh god that must of been such a scary feeling!! but im so glad that you got the good pop up! thanks for all the info and pointers about the test! makes me nervous you thought it was harder than kaplan tho :uhoh3: and all the SATA scare me!! thats smart about your thought process with the level of questions you got! CONGRATS again!!! :)

Thank you! I will pray for you to pass on your exam, next week right? I know you'll pass, we have almost similar Kaplan qbank/qtrainer scores. (you did better lol). Uhm yeah in my opinion NCLEX is harder, but not so much. Idk hard to explain. Like the question is kinda like how Kaplan does it but the choices makes it hard. In Kaplan, you know somewhat right away which one is the right answer after you've eliminated a few. On the exam, it's a bit more difficult than that. Just a bit though. Especially the priority questions which was ALOT lol.

For SATA's...I had quite a few. But If you break it down like how Kaplan does it (true/false) it shouldn't be no problem. It seemed simple enough. Unlike the SATA's on the alternate type quiz in Kaplan.

Anyways goodluck. Don't cram. Rest tomorrow. Just read your rationales and read the nclex review sheet on this site. Trust me, NCLEX will throw questions from every angle. Like I think only 1/4 of the stuff I studied was on it...Work on the strategies.

Goodluck!!!!

thanks for the support and encouragement :) that makes sense about the questions and their level of difficulty. thanks! i'll just have to take my time and try to apply the stategies. i take it monday so i'll probably just review rationales tomorrow & sunday morning and take the evening off to watch the superbowl! i test monday @ 2pm eastern time! THANKS again!!!

HI everyone! I just wanna ask which Kaplan course did you take, the Qbank for 299 or Classroom Anywhere for 499? Need help please. I failed my Nclex twice already and I'm trying my luck this time. Thank you!

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