NCLEX-RN Preparation for New Graduates & Repeat Test Takers

[EDRockstar]

As an educator, knowing that a nursing school graduate has been unable to pass the NCLEX-RN exam, be it ADN or BSN, I would have a two-fold question...

1. What is the pass rate of the school that the student attended, particularly with the specific graduating class?

2. Why, after 1 or more attempts at passing the NCLEX, has the student not returned to the school to obtain additional assistance?

First, if the pass rate of the majority of the nursing student's class was high, we should move immediately to the second question. If the pass rate for the graduating class was low, then the school & faculty needs to be reaching out to the students to provide remediation in whatever form is necessary to see the students successful. This is keeping in mind that only the students who achieved graduation status, meaning successfully completed all of their nursing courses, are able to receive an ATT leading to a successful or unsuccessful attempt at the NCLEX. If the school has teaching staff adequate to remediate the students, then by all means, faculty should lead these courses. If, however, faculty is not prepared adequately or has little to no experience teaching an NCLEX preparation course, then the school should pay for the students to take an NCLEX preparation course. In my experience, most schools of nursing utilize Kaplan, ATI, Hurst and other programs throughout the entire nursing school experience, allowing the students to have adequate time to prepare for the type of critical thinking questions that will be presented on the NCLEX-RN exam.

With regards to the second question, my favorite quote is: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting a different result." I have been assisting students to prepare for the NCLEX-RN exam for many years, and it never ceases to amaze me that students forget about their biggest assets. The faculty at every school of nursing is there to assist all students to be successful nurses. This does not mean that every instructor has a great attitude or hasn't been burned by one or more students and is therefore jaded, but it does mean that every successful nursing school graduate has, at their disposal, the opportunity to glean knowledge and test taking tips from their classroom and clinical instructors. In addition, at least where I teach, if a student is unsuccessful at the NCLEX, we want them to come back in for remediation, for a couple of reasons. 1. Any student that does not pass on the first try is negatively reflected on the school's NCLEX pass rate. No school wants their pass rate lowered... trust me. 2. Educators truly want to see their students be successful. We want to help you achieve a passing score to allow you to obtain your license, gain confidence, and begin working out in the field of healthcare.

Now, just as recommended on the NCLEX-RN exam, do not read into the information provided above, if you have not passed the NCLEX-RN one or more times. Instead, focus on the following: If you are still dedicated to becoming a nurse, I would start by contacting the director of nursing at the school you graduated from. Have a heartfelt conversation with them about your progress, failures, goals and plan for the future. In the states where I am licensed, if you have been longer than 2 years from graduation without passing the NCLEX-RN, you are required to show proof of remediation. Also, if it has been longer than 5 years from graduation without passing the NCLEX-RN, course work and potentially completion of an entire new nursing program is required. This is why it is so important to stay in contact with your school of nursing.

In addition, you need to look at the content of what you are studying and the way you are studying the material. It may not be working for you. You may need to look into alternate and more creative ways of learning the material to help you retain it.

I DO NOT BELIEVE THERE IS SUCH A THING AS A BAD TEST TAKER, and I have been preparing nursing students for this exam for many years.

There are three types of students: I believe that there are those who put too much pressure on themselves, both in studying and in the actual exam. By practicing NCLEX style questions in a quiet, near test like environment, on a daily basis, you can overcome the pressure, fear and anxiety of taking this test. I will concede that there are a select few who have anxiety at such a level that requires medication, but this is the exception - not the rule. The second group of students, do not know how to appropriately break down a question, allowing them to successfully choose the correct answer. These students need to practice as many NCLEX style questions as humanly possible, every single day. There are many options of test question banks to choose from that will assist with questions and rationales, which should also be thoroughly reviewed. The third group of students does not have an adequate knowledge base to take the NCLEX, and therefore must review content significantly prior to starting test questions. There are no bad test takers, only those unprepared to take the test.

I hope this helps you prepare for the initial NCLEX-RN exam or preparation for your repeat exam. Fair winds and following seas!

[lucie06]

Thank you for taking the time to clarify. My situation is a little bit the same as everyone else. I graduated in 2012 with a BSN, my school didn't provide us with reviews throughout the program until the end of graduation that's when we were introduced to ATI. I try the twice was unsuccessful both time. During that 4 years I lost my mom dealing with breast cancer, the following year my dad die with colon cancer, following a divorce. So I was left with two beautiful kids and trying to move on. I wasnt able to get the quality time I was looking for in order to really study. Now I feel like I'm ready, I went a registered with the state, yesterday I got a letter saying that I'm not eligible due to the time elapsed. Can take remedia courses? Or do I need to go back to school again?

Thank you so very much for your advice