First off I want to start off by saying thank you to everyone who has posted their story about the NCLEX on this blog. You all have inspired me tremendously throughout my journey.
To start off, I graduated on December 13, 2013, started studying for the NCLEX on January 2, 2014 and I took the exam on February 20, 2014. In nursing school, I was no where near to an A student....C's and B's were my comfortable place it seemed (although I made an A in Maternity and Leadership Development).
When I first started studying for the NCLEX, I was buying every possible resource until it got overwhelming. So I decided to study from a select few:
(1) HURST review - in class review, I was able to take it twice since I registered & graduated within the year. I believe this really helped with content. I waited to use my lectures until it was close to my NCLEX day so that it wouldn't expire on me. I reviewed the book/lectures twice some 3 times (like cardiac, respiratory, & renal), and I took all the Q reviews ....My scores ranged from 84-99 questions correct out of 125.
(2) NCSBN 3 week course - I believe this review is way TOO detailed for how the NCLEX is. A lot of the information I couldn't even retain because it went so in depth. The review questions and rationale helped me the most.
(3) NCLEX 3500 - This site is amazing !! The questions were harder than the NCLEX but the rationales helped and the questions helped you with critical thinking. Even if I skipped a day of studying I was doing at least a 40-75 question practice exam. Some of my classmates even said they saw almost the same questions on their NCLEX. Here's the website http://nursing.slcc.edu/nclexrn3500/mainMenu.do
(4) Saunders Ed. 6 - This book is great, very detailed so I only used it as a backup. I would review the HURST topics and use this book to clarify anything I didnt understand & for practice questions. The CD is great because you can choose from all types of questions.
(5) Lippincotts Prioritzation, Delegation, and Assignment - This book is a MUST HAVE for NCLEX. I got it for really cheap on amazon. I believe I completed all of the questions (& read rationales) ....minus the case studies.
(6)NCLEX RN app on iphone - used for questions on the go
(7) And I used 2 study guides that may or may not be floating around this blog. One of them helped tremendously. Helped with at least 10 NCLEX questions, which we all know by now, each one counts! I can send it to you just email me [email protected]
About my test: ...All together I got 105 questions, finished in about an hour and a half (in a really fast test taker so I had to slow myself down).
I had 3 picture questions, 2 put in orders, no med calc, about 15 SATA's. 2 pharm questions, (the rest of the meds were included in the question). The test was extremely hard even though I studied 4-8 hrs a day depending on the day (I can also send my study plan, email me). I walked out of there on the verge of tears. Later that night I got the good pop-up and cried endlessly! The next day my license number was up on the Georgia Board of Nursing and now I start work at Northside Hospital residency program on the Cardiac Progressive Unit next week!
I am extremely blessed and thankful. Praying and studying has been my life for the past month and a half and it has all paid off because now I can call myself Chante Sylvester, RN BSN.
If you all have ANY questions at all please don't hesitate to email me again at [email protected] ....Study hard and pray harder and I know you all will do GREAT!
