Just a little warning to you guys now, this will be a long post about my NCLEX RN day and preparation.
The day before the exam I just relaxed. I didn't think about content, no Q&A, no reading. I just watched TV, played some PS3 games, watch movies, ate some good food and other normal day activities.
The day of the exam i drove to the testing center turned on the radio and just tried to relax. Got to the testing center 30 minutes early so I decided to recall some normal values and the infection control. I go inside the testing center, signed in, did the palm vein scan and finally got seated in front of the computer. Started doing the tutorial questions and then the 1st question came. After question number 65 the computer asked me to take a break so I did. Went to the bathroom and did everything I could to relax. I told myself, "Relax, and apply all of Kaplan's decision tree." I was getting worried cause I had only gotten 3 or 4 SATA but I had a lot of prioritization and delegation. I went back to the computer and closed the question counter and timer cause looking at them just gave me anxiety. Did a couple of more questions and checked to see on what number I was on and it showed I was on number 85. I closed it again, took a deep breath looked down and saw my California drivers license. I focused on the two letters on the word califoRNia. I told myself one day you'll be getting a card something like this with an RN after your name. From then on I took it slow and I was bombarded with prioritization, delegation a couple of SATA, 1 calculation, and 1 drag and drop. The computer then went blank. I wasnt expecting it to do that. I teared up a bit, feeling relief, and part of me knew I passed. I walked out of the testing center, called my mom, who is also an RN, and explained to her what I experienced. My anxiety was literally overwhelming so I turned up the radio to full blast and sang all the way home.
Once I arrived home I laid on my bed and logged into pearsonvue and saw that my exam has been successfully delivered. I contemplated for a second if I should do the PVT or not, but I did anyway. Just as I was about to click that "NEXT" button, I just told myself, "Whatever happens, you did your best." I clicked "Next" and BOOOM! The good pop up. "Our records indicate that..." I felt so relieved after that. After 48 hours I purchased the Quick results and saw the word "Pass" on the screen. It made me so happy! It was perfect timing too since it's nurse's week and mothers day is just this weekend.
How I prepared for the exam:
Saunders comprehensive review 5th edition(yellow book)- I read this book cover to cover. I have to admit the content is pretty overwhelming but I saw myself coming back to this book every time I was stuck on content. I probably did a thousand of the questions in the CD it came with but I wouldnt compare them to the actual NCLEX. percentage after each chapter is around 80-90 percent.
Kaplan; strategies, practice, and review book- It's a great book, i have to admit, but the chapters didn't cover what I wanted them to cover. So I had to purchase the kaplan online course. My score on the assessment test on the CD was 57 i believe.
Hurst online review - Now this is one amazing review. They have simplified everything down and the videos are really easy to understand and i thought the lectures weren't dull at all. Hurst focuses solely on content! but I would have loved to had some practice questions. Though they did have 4 sets of question reviewers in the end.
PDA by LaCharity -This book is a must have for NCLEX takers! Specially for foreign grads. They had a good way of explaining the rationales though I have to admit their questions are a bit harder than some of the nclex questions.
Kaplan; Classroom Anywhere -The teacher is incredible, and focused solely on question and answers, and questions were all above the passing line. I believe it was this that really helped me tackle the NCLEX RN exam. It was all about prioritization, delegation and management. Rationale's explains these answer choices are wrong and why this answer choice was correct.
I completed all question trainers
Q1-59 Q2-51 Q3-49(yeah i was rushing) Q4&5-58 Q6-60 Q7-58
Diagnostic exam-57
Readiness-65(this gave me hope)
Qbanks are 100 percent complete with a average of 58%
I read the RN course book that was given with the course
Watched the online content where i was weak at.
I made sure I read all of the rationale for each question I missed and had right
For those wondering How long I studied
I graduated march 2012 from the Philippines came back home to California on May, Applied for CGFNS CES and processed all my papers and waited 5 months for my credentials. For these 5 months I read the Saunders and PDA book. then I applied to sit for the NCLEX RN from in AK BRN and received my ATT on the last week of November. Purchased Saunders and did that for 3 months then Kaplan online review and did that for 2 months. On January 2013 I studied 7 times a week for 6-8 hours.
My words to future NCLEX takers
Just review at a pace where you feel comfortable with. Content is very important! I mean very! So if you don't know what the normal potassium level is or what the S/S of hyperthyroidism and how does FVE relate to CF and RF then please, and i mean please read content. Aside from that I suggest focus on answering Q and A questions! read each rationale and if you don't know what the topic is about, then RESEARCH!!
"Good things come to those who wait, but the Greatest are achieved by those who work for it."
Fern. RN, BSN
