Passed NCLEX RN first time!

Published

Hello everyone!

Just wanted to give you all some insight on my NCLEX experience. I graduated nursing school mid May and by the time I received my ATT it was already July! I was a nervous wreck from the time I graduated til I got my ATT because I just wanted to get the NCLEX over with and feel like I actually graduated! Anyway, when I did get my ATT i scheduled my exam for July 24th. A week into studying, I decided I wanted to push the date ahead because the anxiety was getting to me, so I rescheduled for July 22nd. A few days later, I once again had a change of heart and decided to reschedule yet again, and this time for July 19th. I really just wanted to get it over with! Between the time that I graduated nursing school and got my ATT I was sporadically studying, nothing to serious. About two weeks after I graduated my studying came to a halt and I decided I will not study until I got my ATT. This made me feel terrible but I know myself, and I know that I study best under pressure so that is what I did. The day I got my ATT I decided that my best bet was to buy the Kaplan online course and base my studying off of that. I had Saunders, PDA, exam cram, Kaplan Meds, and a few other books. Honestly, I probably looked over those two or three times throughout my studying. I finished most of the Kaplan course in about a week and a half. The content videos dragged lol, so I didn't fully watch them but what I did was watch the videos that I felt I was weaker in. I didn't do all the question trainers, but I for sure did QT6 and 7 because those are the higher level questions. I completed about a little more than 60% of the QBank. The day before the NCLEX I tried my best not to study, but I ended up doing a few quizzes on the QBank and reviewed the study guide on here. The morning of my NCLEX, I couldn't help but do one more practice quiz as well as review my labs. My father brought me to the testing site and it was time. I could almost feel my heart pounding out of my chest, but I kept saying to myself it is in God's hands and even if I do fail, it isn't the end of the world. But I tried to keep the positive thoughts including I am ready for this and I didn't get through nursing school for no reason lol. To be honest my heart kept pounding until I sat in my seat and began the exam. One thing I was praying for the entire time was for my test to cut off at 75 questions! When question 75 came along and I pressed next, there was question 76. It almost broke my heart lol but I kept on going. After question 76, I clicked next and the computer shut off, about 40 minutes after beginning the exam (I was always a quick test taker lol). I couldn't believe it was over! I had about 15 SATA's, about 5 drag and drops, and lots of PDA type questions. I walked out of the testing site feeling okay, not horrible, not great, just okay. As soon as I walked out of the building I logged into PearsonVUE and the status said Delivery Successful. I was debating whether or not I wanted to do the PVT and I ended up doing it because the suspense would have killed me! I got the good pop up and I let a huge sigh of relief. A few minutes later I started doubting the PVT, similar to the way many of us have lol I couldn't wait for the quick results to be available, and they were available exactly 48 hours after the end of my exam, and sure enough I did pass. This whole NCLEX journey has had its ups and downs for me. If there's any advice I would like to give to you all, it would be to get your strategies down. The NCLEX is almost all based on test taking skills, and Kaplan did a wonderful job at teaching me the necessary skills I needed. Content is a very low percentage of the actual NCLEX, which is why the best way to study is by doing practice questions because it gets you into the habit of thinking the NCLEX way, and again Kaplan will make you think like the NCLEX! Good luck to all of you that will be taking the NCLEX and congrats to all those that have passed! Oh, and I will be glad to answer any questions that any of you may have that will help put you at ease :)

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Specializes in ICU/CCU.

Awesome. Congrats nurse!!!! We use ATI at my school but I love to read the Kaplan book. it's a good book .

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Thank you! We used ATI at my school as well, but honestly none of us took it as serious as we should have lol but now that I look back, it was definitely a good resource to have! The Kaplan book is great! Absolutely loved it!

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Congrats:nurse: Thanks for the insight!!!! At my school we have to pass ATI end of course exams in order to move to the next course, was NCLEX similar to ATI at all?

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Thank you! There were definitely similarities in the way the NCLEX was worded compared to ATI. The most important thing I can tell you is just keep practicing your questions more than anything. It's important to learn how to answer, because you need to be able to distinguish real world answers and NCLEX world answers lol. Overtime, with practice, you learn to do it and it becomes second hand without you even knowing! Good luck!

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Thank you for the info. I have been studying for ages, and am reluctant to take the jump. I am just finishing up my reviews, and off I am to take the exam.

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Good luck! Hope it goes well (or went well if you already took it lol)!

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Congratulations:)

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