my nclex-pn experience.

[chunsa]

i hope this may help some of you future test takers. here is my experience.

i took the nclex at 1130 on 11/3/11.

my school used ATI throughout the duration of the 13 months. you had to pass every ATI including a 90% or better on the comprehensive predictor to pass.

I did well in nursing school (lots of studying) & got a 91% on my comprehensive predictor. i studied 4 hours per day for 21 straight days, used exam cram & lippencott as study tools and was pretty confident going into the nclex. i took about 50 pages of additional notes while i was studying. i did a system a day and had really great study sessions. i was a great note taker in school and referred to a lot of my notes from lectures as well.

i can honestly say that the nclex blindsided me. i did not expect the exam to be so difficult. there were meds i never heard of, situations that completely dumbfounded me and select all that apply questions that really stumped me. some of the choices made absolutely no sense. if i have no idea what the disease/medicine is, how do i chose an answer?!

there were lab values which were inconsistent to what i was taught. for instance, i was taught that K was 3.5-5.0. however, the exam cram sheet (made my pearson vue) has the K values being 3.5-5.5. i had 2 questions with K values (5.2) and i could have answered either way. i answered differently on both questions just to cover myself somehow.

the exam cram cd is nothing like the nclex. there are situations that aren't even covered in the exam cram or the lippencott review book that i used. i was scoring in the "excellent" range on the exam cram cd comprehensive tests.

my second question was a math question. it pertained to weighing soiled diapers for I/O's in grams and then converting to mL. seriously? question 2. i had a total brain fart and was hoping for iv flow rate, drip factor, ANYTHING but that question. i had more questions on children dosages. in fact, after that question, i had 9 more dos cal problems that was all children dosages. converting pounds to kg and then solving for the dose.

i got 183 questions and was for sure that i failed. i started to tear up at question 120 and then took my break and had a mini-meltdown in the bathroom. i went back to take my exam and was tortured for an additional 63 questions. i was just praying for the test to end because i was sure that i had failed and i just wanted it to be OVER.

i cried all the way home. i stopped by 3 places with wifi to check and see if my score was delivered. it felt like forever for "delivery successful" to appear on the pearsonvue site.

i got the good pop up (hooray!) and also confirmed on the department of health site in florida that i passed my nclex. to those in florida, you can log onto the doh site (http://ww2.doh.state.fl.us/ONLINETESTNET/default.aspx) and chose "exam results", type in your DOB and last 4 digits of your social, and it will show you if you passed your nclex or not. my license # should be posted on monday.

the nclex was not a breeze for me. it was not easy but very difficult. don't get me wrong...there were questions where i knew the right answer but for the majority, i had no idea what the heck was going on! i was a good student in school, i studied, i took great notes and i felt very prepared for the nclex. it was not what i expected at all and i am so excited to have passed. i am very blessed and super excited to begin this new chapter in my life and then bridge to an RN program.

study as much as you can. absorb as much information as you can. don't freak out if you get a high number of questions. it doesn't mean you failed. have faith and GOOD LUCK to all the nclex takers out there!!

[trachkids]

I had a very similar experience as yours, I think we all do...I was valedictorian of my class, my lowest grade was a 97% in Peds. We used ATI also all through school & my score on the PN Predictor was a 99% probability of passing 1st time. I used Kaplan strategy book, Exam Cram, NCSBN 3wk course, a book of practice questions from an NCLEX prep course we had come into school the last month, NCLEX4000RN. I knew every lab value I could get my hands on (made flash cards). I stayed away from my books/notes though, too much info. I was told to just answer questions until I was blue in the face & I did that.

Nothing I did in preparation for this test prepared me at all! I suppose it all helped somehow, but sitting there, I felt like THE BIGGEST IDIOT! I had, maybe 5 questions that I was pretty sure I answered correctly out of 85! I'm so sorry you had to keep going, I cannot imagine! My computer popped up the 2hr optional break screen & I looked up at the counter...81! I figured that I would keep answering & if I got to 86, I would take my break then! I cannot explain how thrilled I was to see that blue screen pop up! I KNEW I FAILED! I knew that I was just that stupid & had it shut down out of shear disbelief at how rediculously ignorant I was! I had a 2hr ride home crying most of the time & angry at myself, the test, the creators of the test, etc... Did the PVT trick, got the good pop up, & simply bawled like a baby!

I had contemplated going on to get my RN, but after sitting for that, I'm pretty sure I don't want to do that now! I cannot imagine doing that again!!!

[mommyof2Tees]

chunsa -

Thank you for sharing your experience and...:ancong!:

[chunsa]

thank you! :anpom:

my license was posted today! can't believe florida posts on saturdays!

[caliotter3]

:ancong!:

[chunsa]

thanks!! going in for an interview tomorrow!! :monkeydance:

[dsiron]

thank you! :anpom:

my license was posted today! can't believe florida posts on saturdays!

I have the good pop up! But im so anxious and dying to know if i passed. i live in california and they are taking forever to post results i took it on nov 3. And result should be posted on the BRN website early tuesday. My friends and professors said i shouldnt give up if my result is not posted on tuesday coz according to them they are "probably" busy...pray for me and to those who need it.

[cylmara]

hi everyone! i had a very similar experience as yours, but a fail, i just got the result from floridahealth.com, and i got a bad pop up also. i'm not that sad, i just want get prepped for the next time...