NCLEX Tip guaranteed to help!

Published

Quit freaking out.

I think the majority of people who don't pass happen because they won't calm themselves down. Take a deep breath and realize that you did pass nursing school. And if you put forth a good effort in studying that is all you can do.

A woman sitting in the waiting room with me began to literally shake and turn white. I had to talk her down, she had worked herself up so much she was going to stroke out.

I understand being nervous, but you have to be kidding me to freak out like this.

I have had discussions with quite a few people in my nursing program. I call it the CTFD discussion. (calm the ---- down) Had a first year freak out and start yelling in english, while on a medical trip in mexico, with the patients family who don't understand english there. Making them freak out. Freaking out didn't help the situation only made things worst.

What happens in an emergency situation at work? Freak out and run around like a chicken with your head cut off, or stop for a second, take a deep breath and do what you need to do?

Sorry about this rant, but people irritate me with their self destructive behavior.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm digging your CTFD! Nerves get the best of us. Give me someone bleeding out every oriface, I'm cool as a cucumber. Give me a test, that's another story...

I take it 7/31 and CTFD will be my mantra! ;)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg..

Hi Knarf,

CTFD - Very Good Advice. We had a few people in class like the woman you described - they shook and freaked out before every test. During our final exam last month, one classmate sobbed during the entire thing. I felt so bad for her, but the rest of us were also anxious and boy did it make it hard to concentrate listening to someone crying for 2 hours a few feet away.

I always ended up sitting next to people during our exams that shook their legs uncontrollably, causing the table to shake. Even if you're not nervous going into a test, someone elses nerves can really throw you off. Just curious - do they give you your own little cubby during the NCLEX so you don't have to see what's going on around you? Thanks, Sue

Up Vote Up Vote ×

LOL - CTFD! That's great... and although it's easier said than done, it's very true! After the test yesterday, I spent approximately 3-4 hours speaking to my family, my friends, and basically anyone who I could complain and worry about.. as well as constantly checking this discussion to find people who were worrying like me, and to prove that it is possible to fail in 75 (which is what I was sure I did).

Well, I'm still waiting for the results. Find out tomorrow or Tuesday. Maybe I didn't pass, but I'm hopeful. The odds are in my favor according to the hundreds of websites I searched through. And I'm no longer freaking out. Yes, I'm nervous, but not freaking out. At this point, what can I do? I did my best, I know all of you did your best. And if you haven't taken it yet, what will worrying do? It will just take away precious studying time, increase your anxiety, and really make it difficult to take those practice questions.

Go to a movie! I just saw Click yesterday and it was great! I went shopping with money I don't have - because I deserve it after studying so hard for this exam. Enjoy yourself, take a day off work if you work, hang out with the people who missed your company while you isolated yourself in your room to get some study time in. And get a lot of sleep - it's another 8 hours you don't have to stay awake to worry about your test results. That, in my opinion, is how you CTFD!

*Edit: Yes, you get your own cubby during the exam, and I got earplugs AND headphones to cut out the noise!*

Up Vote Up Vote ×

i have to agree 100%, before my test and during, i stopped a number of times to deep breath and talk my self into calming down! it takes longer, (it took me 2 1/2 hours to do 75 questions), but i was able to focus, and i passed. i learned that lesson a year ago, it was my nursing final for maternity, i was freaking out so bad i couldn't even read the questions. god must have been with me, because i was just about to turn the test in, when i realized i had marked the scan tron slip, all wrong. my answers from number 1 to 50, i had marked 50 to 1. (i had the damn slip backwards, and was so stressed, didn't even catch on!!!) i passed, but i learned my lesson....panic gets you no where.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology, Home Health, Psychiatry.

CTFD....yep, I need to tattoo that to my hand!!! :eek:

I take my nclex 7/25 and I am a mix between cool as a cucumber to stark raving mad!!! :angryfire (hey...just like nursing school!! :rolleyes: )

anyway...studying every chance I get now and praying for HELP!!!

Good Luck to everyone....we're almost there!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

LOL! I'll have to remember the CTFD quote :)

As for me, I'm genuinely nervous about the nclex, but not hyperventilating. I know I got through school so I can get through this, but what's MAKING me nervous is doing poorly on the Kaplan questions. I take Lippincott's and Saunders questions, and I think "I rock" :) Then I take a Kaplan quiz, and I'm an idiot.

I'll feel better once I know if I really have something to worry ABOUT! :D

Up Vote Up Vote ×

RNs2BRWe,

I also reviewed with Kaplan and Saunders (as well as NCSBN online), and felt that Kaplan was much more difficult than Saunders. If it were up to Saunders, NCLEX would be a breeze! I've decided (and this is my opinion, so take it however you want) that Saunders is a very good knowledge/content review, i.e. basic level questions... whereas Kaplan asks their questions on a higher, analysis-type level. That is what level NCLEX wants us to be on. Maybe that's why Kaplan says to get a 65% on their practice tests, and you're ready for NCLEX! I took the Kaplan review in person, took their readiness test and got a 70%. That was interpreted as a positive score, indicating my readiness to take NCLEX. Well, I haven't received my results yet (will find out tomorrow!), so I'm not sure how it went, but I did get 75 questions, and felt that it was at a moderately difficult level of questions. A friend of mine got a 69% on the Kaplan readiness test and has already passed the NCLEX in 75 questions, and on the other hand, another friend failed the Kaplan readiness test and still passed NCLEX in 75 questions. So don't ALWAYS go by the numbers and judge yourself that way... it could go either way! Just use those practice questions as a review for the real thing, and try your best!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks :) I'm pulling for you!

It's just making me crazy to score in the 60s (below 65) regularly on Kaplan and yet do so much better on the others. If the nclex is truly like kaplan, I have work to do! Did you find the questions, then, to be more like what Kaplan gives?

Good to see that while your friend failed the readiness test, she passed the nclex....I don't know what I got on readiness test yet, but I was at a 60 for the diagnostic. Not pretty.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

for the Kaplan diagnostic, I almost got borderline. However for some reason I did way worse on the readiness test. I probably thought I had to use ALL the Kaplan tips, and I took too much time thinking of what the tips were. However I took Kaplan before I entered my final semester of nursing school. Learned from that when I prepared to take the Hesi. I only used the tips I thought were the most useful for the questions. I passed the Hesi on the first try with a relatively high score. Been scoring around the 60's on the Kaplan question trainers, around 80 percents on Lippincot's Nclex RN made easy, and around the 80's to 90's on Saunders. Hope that's a good sign. I take the NCLEX this coming Saturday (July 1). Eeeeek. A part of me feels that I'm ready and wanted to get the exam done with. But another part of me feels I'm not ready.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion