NCLEX HELP!!

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hi everyone,

i wanted some advice about the boards. i have taken the nclex 2 times so far, and each time i failed. i graduated in may 09 and it was encouraged upon us to take the boards within 3 months of graduation, so i did. i REALLY thought i was ready and i had 140 questions when my computer shut down. i failed =\. THEN, i thought maybe i should take kaplan and ONLY review with kaplan, because the first time around i used Lippincott, Saunders, Mosby, etc.. so i thought maybe i was using too many books and it was just confusing. but when i took kaplan recently, i thought OK i can do this. I only reviewed with kaplan and i took the boards last week and i failed with 265 questions. i'm not understanding why it's so difficult for me to pass. i took my time taking the test, i wasnt nervous the 2nd time around (the 1st time i was so nervous!, but the second time i truly trusted in God and put my faith in him and prayed) and i still didnt pass. i recently spoke to this girl who took the kaplan classes with me, and she has difficulty understanding english, and she said she passed with 75 questions. and how nclex is so straightforward, and its easy. but i really really really don't understand why i'm having such a difficult time. i dont want to be one of those people that repeatedly take the boards. i really want to start this new phase in my life. and it's like there's a huge brick wall that's placed in front of me because i cant, until i pass the boards. one of my friends told me it's probably because i study too much (and i do put in about 6 hrs a day to study - after taking couple of quizzes and reviewing it), she said out of all of us that passed, i'm the only one that studies way too much and i'm probably overwhelming or confusing myself. i dont know.

if anyone could offer me some kind of advice, i'd truly appreciate it. anything specific i should focus on? pharmacology i heard is on there, but it's so hard to study all the meds besides the common ones. when i took the test recently i had ALOT of infection control questions and signs and symptoms.. but it kept coming up with the same disease, just reworded differently.

HELP!

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Specializes in L & D, Med-Surge, Dialysis.

English has nothing to do with passing NCLEX. I've come across somebody like you on this forum emphasizing on people who can speaks english but they're one of the best student and smartest student in terms of academic. My advice for you......try as much as possible to understand each question and translate the question in language you think you understand best before selecting the best answer that can fit in. Don't mind my english but am one of the best!

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Specializes in Geriatric, post op.

Good luck to you on the NCLEX, You can do it :)

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Just don't be nervous that is the worst thing you could do to yourself. I passed the first time with 140 questions but I took the Kaplan class and it was very helpful. The key to passing the NCLEX is to practice many quesions and don't try to review materials just do quesions. I think you will pass the 3rd time just be confident and don't be nervous. Good luck and I know you could do it.

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Specializes in Geriatric, post op.

Kaplan was helpful, the questions were great. Based on the whole "application" level. I used saunders as well but the questions were mainly on "analysis" level. Questions, questions, and more questions is all you can do. Whew!

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Specializes in ob, med surg.

Refer to Maslow always! In each situation say to yourself "What is most important according to Maslow?" I passed first time, 75 questions. Maslow, Maslow, Maslow!

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i can relate to you. i didn't pass the nclex the first time and i studied a ton (using more than one book). so i took break and than i bought the questions and answers book from saunders. this book doesn't have comprehensive review just questions and answers. i did use the comprehensive review saunders book the first time, but i felt i needed more questions so i went out and got questions and answers book. i felt this really helped. i only did 100 questions a day and read every single question and rational even if i got it right. i did that for 2.5 months. i did over 5000 questions (only doing 100 day) that all i could do without feeling overwhelm. and sometime i would do 50 in the morning take a break and then come back and do 50 more.

i sign up to take my exam in may and passed. before i took the test i prayed and i wrote on my paper, "god's grace issufficient" and i truly believe in that statement. i know god has a plan for me and whenever it was he will provide. i felt that nursing was what god wanted me to do and when he felt it was my time to be a rn that he would make me a rn. i just had to continue working hard and continue believing that god would provide.

i spoke to my husband and friends about how i felt. it was sort of like talk therapy and they all gave me positive feedback. this helped a lot too because i got a lot of the negative thought out of my mind. i believe that this really helped because i didn't have negative thoughts going into the exam and i felt good about it.

don't give up and take a mini break. really enjoy christmas and new years with family and friends. try not to think about the nclex. i graduated in august of 2008 and pass the test in may of 2009. i took a break and regain my confidences and focus on god and the word. i pray every day and then i studied and pass the 2nd time. don't worry about how many times you have to take the test. take one test at a time because at the end of the day it doesn't matter if you pass the first, second or tenth time. what matters is that you passed and at the end of your name there is only to two letters rn. not how time you took the text. good luck!! you can do this!!!!

-ab, rn

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