NCLEX and Prayers...or is God my NCLEX study Buddy?

[CareteamRN70]

i recently passed my nclex exam. took 209 questions. i appreciated all the comments of congratulations and was intrigued by those who attributed my passing of the exam to god. i wasn't upset by it, just intrigued.

some background on me:

i do not belong to any organized system of belief or any particular church.

i have always considered myself an agnostic...not an atheist (atheist deny any concept of a higher power) because i have always believed in something greater then myself in the universe, but have not felt comfortable enough to definitively name it "god".

i consider myself a student of all beliefs where i continually weigh their beliefs and ethics against how i actually live and how they are actually practiced by those who subscribe to said beliefs (a disappointment many times).

and finally i have always seen my relationship to "god" as that espoused by jake blues..."me and the lord, we got an understanding." i generally leave "god" alone and assume he does the same for me.

now, this is not to say i don't speak to him at all. on the days of the birth of my three children i do remember a hastily muttered "please god, let my children be healthy" ...or when i was in boot camp in my marine days "please god give me the strength to survive this" or even in nursing school..."if there is god he will let this test be open book"

these weren't the most flowery or lengthy prayers, and the last said probably in jest, but i cannot deny..i was in fact talking to god. at times i believe god is the funniest straight man you could wish for to help you set up a good muttered under the breath joke.

this brings us to 1 day before my nclex exam. i didn't talk to god, i didn't joke with god or bargain passing with regular church attendance. i prayed. simple, short, to the point. "please god, help me pass this test."

i have never believed in the santa claus god...pray for goodies and if you are good you'll get them, nor do i believe god gives out help as an advertising ploy to gain converts. i had no belief that god would make sure i got easy questions, would "magically" place correct answers in my head, or that he would smite the human grader of my test with boils lest he give me a passing mark.

if just praying to god was all i needed to pass the nclex why did i go to school for two years? if it was that easy i would have slept in class more and saved myself $100 in nclex study material. how could i ever have confidence in my own abilities if god gets to take the full credit for my becoming a nurse?

i was reminded of the old saying "he helps those who help themselves". so i believe i should give god his due.

did he make the test easy? no.

did he magically place answers in my mind? no.

did he smite anyone with boils? well, sure hope not.

what my simple prayer to god, muttered from the heart, was removed my fear. i figured i had studied all i could and if it was meant to be it was meant to be. in terms devout people can understand..if it was in god's plan for me to become an rn it would happen...if it wasn't, then he had some other plan for me.

this concept gave me the strength and determination needed to actually enter the testing building. god wasn't going to take the nclex for me, but he allowed myself the tools i need to attempt the test.

so, does this mean i will be joining a particular religion? going to church more often? turning the other cheek more often?....no, as i said before "me and the lord have an understanding".

what all of this does mean, is that i do believe in the power of prayer regardless of who you direct that prayer too. i believe it empowers you to heights and strengths you may have forgotten or never knew. i do now believe god may not give you what you "want", but he will give you exactly what you "need" (cue rolling stones music) if you only ask.

so i am taking the time now to say to god, thank you. if he had not removed my fear i would not have passed the nclex no matter how much knowledge i had or how well i could critically think.

please feel free to use this post to offer up your own thoughts on prayer and the nclex, offer up your own thanks regardless of who those thanks are directed (be respectful of others, i fall into that group just by being agnostic), or just your own experience.

in closing i offer up a prayer for all nclex takers, hastily, muttered under the breath through cigarette parted lips:

god, give them the courage and strength they need.

semper fi,

big j (rn)

[crystelle]

Great entry!

I don't believe that some devine intervention will make you pass a test just because you wished it so bad. It takes some, if not alot of hard work and persistence in your part. Sure I prayed , but I prayed that He will give me the strength and courage to continue on and face the battle. It was me who took the test after all, not God. But I am sure He was there next to me and all the way.

[dumb]

nice one!