Old nurse trying to get my license again and need a few answers

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I was a nurse 18 years ago. I worked NICU mostly. I also worked at the eye hospital in Miami. (best job I ever had) I have home educated my children for the last 18 years. My oldest is 21 and married now and I am hoping to get back into nursing. For financial reasons from the past, I couldn't keep up with my license. But now, I am going to retake State Boards to get it back. I could go the route of endorsement. But was hoping to do it this way just because it is quicker. In the stone age of 1980, I used Mosby's and passed just fine. I'm not even sure there was a Saunders back then. So I purchased the 2009 Mosby's because I thought it being copyrighted from 2009, it might be more current than Saunders which I believe is 2007. (wish I had read this message board first). :sstrs: Anyhoo, I have been using the CD that came with this book and have been doing ok. My answers are no where in the ballpark of where I want them to be. Unlike many of you, I do have a base knowledge of drugs but mostly with children, not with adults. So that is the part that I consistently have to review and know. Plus, I have to refresh my memory on adult disease processes. Where it comes to neonates and L&D, I usually get the questions correct. I get all those stupid psychology questions right that nobody ever does in the real world. I wish so much these folks that write these tests would recognize that it is the nurse's aids that sit and chat with the patients, not the nurses and yes I'm going to call them patients because that is what they are. :rolleyes:

Here are my questions:

1. Is it still the policy of the NCLEX that if you do not know the answer to a question, you can skip it and you will not be counted off for that question. IOW, if there are 200 questions and you only answer 195 of those questions, the five that you didn't answer will not be marked as incorrect since it is obvious you skipped past them? Also do I understand most of you correctly that there are 70 questions on this test?

2. Is the NCLEX computerized like these CD questions?

3. Does anyone know if Mosby's 2009 addition has improved from the past? I can see that many of you did not like it but I need to know if that was this edition.

4. Does Saunders do the same thing where it asks you sample questions? How does this compare?

5. I saw on the NCLEX web site a download sample of questions. Has anyone looked at that and downloaded it? If so, did it help?

I noted one other thing about Mosby's and I am wondering if anyone else noted this and that is answers that are incorrect. For example, the question is:

To promote comfort caused by back pain during labor, the nurse teaches the client to avoid the

1. Supine position

2. Sitting position

3. Side-lying position

4. Sims' position

I selected #1 and it marked it wrong. It said that the correct answer was #2. On their rationale area for #2 it said this, "Low back pain is aggravated when the mother is in the supine position because of increased pressure from the fetus." I read that and thought, "What!!??" :anbd:

Any help you can give me would be most appreciated!!

Thank you,

Vera

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
i was a nurse 18 years ago. i worked nicu mostly. i also worked at the eye hospital in miami. (best job i ever had) i have home educated my children for the last 18 years. my oldest is 21 and married now and i am hoping to get back into nursing. for financial reasons from the past, i couldn't keep up with my license. but now, i am going to retake state boards to get it back. i could go the route of endorsement. but was hoping to do it this way just because it is quicker. in the stone age of 1980, i used mosby's and passed just fine. i'm not even sure there was a saunders back then. so i purchased the 2009 mosby's because i thought it being copyrighted from 2009, it might be more current than saunders which i believe is 2007. (wish i had read this message board first). :sstrs: anyhoo, i have been using the cd that came with this book and have been doing ok. my answers are no where in the ballpark of where i want them to be. unlike many of you, i do have a base knowledge of drugs but mostly with children, not with adults. so that is the part that i consistently have to review and know. plus, i have to refresh my memory on adult disease processes. where it comes to neonates and l&d, i usually get the questions correct. i get all those stupid psychology questions right that nobody ever does in the real world. i wish so much these folks that write these tests would recognize that it is the nurse's aids that sit and chat with the patients, not the nurses and yes i'm going to call them patients because that is what they are. :rolleyes:

here are my questions:

1. is it still the policy of the nclex that if you do not know the answer to a question, you can skip it and you will not be counted off for that question. iow, if there are 200 questions and you only answer 195 of those questions, the five that you didn't answer will not be marked as incorrect since it is obvious you skipped past them? also do i understand most of you correctly that there are 70 questions on this test? the nclex will not allow you to skip any questions. you must answer question to move on to the next

2. is the nclex computerized like these cd questions? completely computerised

3. does anyone know if mosby's 2009 addition has improved from the past? i can see that many of you did not like it but i need to know if that was this edition.

4. does saunders do the same thing where it asks you sample questions? how does this compare?

5. i saw on the nclex web site a download sample of questions. has anyone looked at that and downloaded it? if so, did it help?

i noted one other thing about mosby's and i am wondering if anyone else noted this and that is answers that are incorrect. for example, the question is:

to promote comfort caused by back pain during labor, the nurse teaches the client to avoid the

1. supine position

2. sitting position

3. side-lying position

4. sims' position

i selected #1 and it marked it wrong. it said that the correct answer was #2. on their rationale area for #2 it said this, "low back pain is aggravated when the mother is in the supine position because of increased pressure from the fetus." i read that and thought, "what!!??" :anbd:

any help you can give me would be most appreciated!!

thank you,

vera

i can't answer on mosby but did use it the first time i took the exam and failed. i found saunders just before i sat it for 3rd and final time and much preferred it. we all have our own preferences on how to study but i would suggest you consider saunders book and suzanne's plan

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The NCLEX exam for the RN can have anywhere from 75 to 265 questions. One is given questions by the computer based on how they answered the previous questions. There is no such thing that you can skip a question and not have it count against you.

Each person that tests will get 50% correct and 50% incorrrect. It is the level of the question where the majority of your correct answers are at that will determine if one passes or does not pass.

I only like the Saunder's book, and it would be the 4th edition as their latest edition. It does the best job with the raationales. Heads above the rest in my opinion.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

I don't know thre requirements for the State of FL, however, many states will allow a license to be reinstated (without retaking NCLEX) upon the completion of a BON approved review course. With an 18-year absence from nursing, I would imagine that most employers will want you to have completed a review course before interviewing or hiring you. By re-taking and passing NCLEX, you may have your license, but I don't think that will open many employment doors for you. I think your time and money may be better spent on a review course.

Best of luck to you.

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My license had been inactive for 20 years. To get it back I had 3 options. These included taking the exam, endorsement and the 3rd I can't remember. I chose endorsement. It can be a long process but studying for the exam can be as well. Check with your BON for all your options. I got my license back 5 years ago and never regretted the process I chose. Whatever you choose, that license is going to feel good back in your hands. Hope this helps.

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I am assuming that you are the Suzanne who has helped so many. If so, I thank you for responding to me. Because I can prove there are errors in this book, I am going to take it back and get Saunders. Hesi has also been recommended to me, but for what I need, I don't think it will help. What is your opinion on Hesi?

Each person that tests will get 50% correct and 50% incorrrect. It is the level of the question where the majority of your correct answers are at that will determine if one passes or does not pass.

Now, once again, we have these confusing answers to simple questions. So typical of nursing. :) What in the world does it mean that you will get 50% correct and 50% incorrect? Are you saying that hands down 100% will get 50% correct and 50% incorrect? Are you saying that if I answer questions right in only one area, that I will surely fail and that my 50% right needs to cover a lot of territory? I am all ears on this one. When I take this Mosby's review, I get more like 60% right and it does even out in most areas. Thank you so much!!

Vera

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You need to read the explanation of the testing strategy that is usually provided in the front of current review books. They go into detail explaining how the computer adaptive testing works and how a passing/nonpassing decision is made. You might find it easier on you if you choose only one review source. We usually recommend Suzanne's plan, explained in stickies at the top of this forum. She has people confine their study to the Saunders review book, partly to avoid confusion. Good luck.

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It is a computerized exam, it selects questions for you from a pool of 2500 based on how you answered the previous question. They will progressively get harder, then depending on how you respond, may get easier again.

Everyone that takes the exam is going to get 50% correct as well as 50% incorrect. This is just how the exam is designed. Your passing will be 100% dependent on the level of the majority of the questions that you are getting correct. And it does focus on weak areas.

It is going to be giving you questions from many different areas, anything is game to be on the exam.

I only use Saunder's as I prefer their rationales over all of the others. I originally designed by program for international nurses that did not have English as their primary language and they all passed the first time.

I would focus on reviewing the information and not on exam specifics at this time that you cannot change.

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I don't know thre requirements for the State of FL, however, many states will allow a license to be reinstated (without retaking NCLEX) upon the completion of a BON approved review course. With an 18-year absence from nursing, I would imagine that most employers will want you to have completed a review course before interviewing or hiring you. By re-taking and passing NCLEX, you may have your license, but I don't think that will open many employment doors for you. I think your time and money may be better spent on a review course.

Best of luck to you.

Actually this is not the case any longer. if a license has been inactive for more than 8 years and the nurse has not worked in any other state in the field of nursing or another country, then every state that I know is requiring the NCLEX exam to be written again now.

It would be what is called a refresher program, and this requires an active license in that state. It cannot be completed if one does not hold a current RN license in that state.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
Actually this is not the case any longer. if a license has been inactive for more than 8 years and the nurse has not worked in any other state in the field of nursing or another country, then every state that I know is requiring the NCLEX exam to be written again now.

It would be what is called a refresher program, and this requires an active license in that state. It cannot be completed if one does not hold a current RN license in that state.

Suzanne,

I respectfully disagree. I completed a BON approved refresher course in NE last year, after 10 years of inactivity. My classmates had been out of practice for as long as 20 years. NE requires continuing practice of 500 hours every 5 years, so some of these nurses had been without licenses for at least 15 years. We were required to complete the coursework and lab portion of the course, then the school submitted our transcripts to the BON, which granted temporary practice permits for the purpose of the refresher course only. When the clinical portion was successfully completed, we were awarded our licenses without having to retake NCLEX.

I realize that requirements vary by state, but I can assure you that retaking NCLEX after 8 years of inactivity is not universal.

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You are one of the lucky ones, it is actually more like what I have been posting for the majority of them now. Every other state that I am aware of also requires that one possess a current and active license before they can take a refresher course.

It may have something to do with the shortage of nurses in your state.

I have nurses from all over the country that I help pass the NCLEX again since they were out of practice for so many years and their BON is requiring that they sit for the exam again. This is happening in almost every state.

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On my Florida application, I could choose to either take the exam or do an endorsement to reinstate my license. Miami Dade Community College (MDC) is the one offering it in my community. The medical campus is downtown, which is about 45 min. from my house and more at rush hour. That right there was a huge discouragement for me because the odds of my showing up on time would be very sketchy. I would probably have to take the Metrorail and walk the rest of the way, which could be a long walk if the place is where I think it is. MDC also offers another course that I believe gives someone wanting to work for Baptist Hospital the ability to work for them. Both courses start with the letter "r" and I'm drawing a blank on the other one. One was called a Refresher but that the other sounded equal to the possibility of being the course. Miami Dade's CEU area, which is the one overseeing this, has no idea which course that they offer is the one required by the Florida Board. That bothered me.

There was one other option. There is an online course at http://www.ndna.org. The cost is $850 plus about $50 for the books if you can find them on Amazon.com used. Now comes the bad news. In order for them to complete the process, I must have been able to find a preceptor in a hospital type setting with the blessing of the administration in writing. This would last for 160 days. Nobody that I know of was willing to do this. So that made that avenue another dead end. This course at MDC will be offered this summer. I really wanted to see if I could get this done sooner.

I did see the explanation of the CAT in Saunders. With my documentation on the problems with Mosby's, I did take it back and Barnes and Nobles graciously exchanged it for me. I would really like to take one of these CAT tests to see how well I would do. I took the assessment test once I got home. In some areas, I made way above a 75%. In others, I didn't do so well. I especially struggle with older people because it wasn't my expertise. And shockingly, I struggle sometimes with how we did things 18 years ago to how they do things today.

I will sign up with you today. Thank you!

Vera

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