I graduated Nursing School in December of 2007. I had a job waiting for me back at home and moved the day of graduation. I began working in early January as a Graduate Nurse in an ICU that I had worked in as a tech for nearly 6 years before nursing school. Everyone knew me and seemed excited that I was finally back as an GN. February comes and orientation is going well. I sign up for the nclex on my birthday, which should have been my first sign things were not going to go so well. I had been studying using a friends password on a popular class/prep course website and had been doing fairly well (60-70%). All of my classmates had passed theirs by this point, most with 75 questions and one with 110. I go in, sit down, take a deep breath, and start the test. Man the questions were a lot harder than I had anticipated!! By question 70, my heart was beating out of my throat, I thought I was going to throw up or pass out. A math question next. A gtt calculation..."how the heck do I do these"... Completely forgot how. Now I thought I was going to really pass out. After I answered 75, I hit next. 76 came up. Oh was I really shaking at this point. Questions kept coming and coming. I didn't wan't a break!! I wanted to get out of there. By mid 200's I was looking for the quit button. At 233, it finally shut off and I raced to my (new) car holding back the tears. I had failed. I knew it. Everyone says, "oh, you passed. Everyone thinks they failed." I knew I had failed and I went into a depressed and I mean depressed mode. I had to tell everyone. I started therapy, began taking an antidepressant, and found out that apparently I had had an anxiety attack during the test. Medications were given to me for that too.
Fast forward 45 days and I had talked myself into taking the test again. Everyone at work was rooting for me and I had been taking more and more of those practice tests doing better and better. This time I had to travel to take the test and went up the night before. I had a good dinner, tried to relax, found the test site the night before, and really felt ready this time. That morning I got up, took a shower and popped in my anti anxiety medications. Off I went. Felt great during the test. 75 questions and it shut off. I passed... well thought I had anyway. I was so excited. I called all of my co-workers and classmates. I went out that night and celebrated with friends. Two days later I found out that I had failed!! Failed at 75 questions?? I couldn't believe it. I couldn't even remember any of my questions. Were they hard? Easy? Not one could I remember.
So back in to depressed mode I went. Luckily this time I was medicated. My family was supportive. I quit my job... too embarrassed to go back and face everyone. And thought this was a sign that nursing maybe wasn't for me.
WHAT WORKED FOR ME!! Third time was a charm for me as I passed with 75 questions. I took a Kaplan course and felt that it really helped me pass. I had been so caught up on learning facts and content based questions like in school and not on how to take this crazy test. I took deep breaths. No medications this time to put me in a daze. And I took my time. I read every question and answer and made sure I knew what they were looking for. I used the board and marker and made slashes for each answer choice. Then instead of looking for the right answer, I got rid of the wrong ones. I remembered Maslow...and ABC's... and Most of the time, I only had one answer left!! When the computer shut off, deep down I knew that I had passed this time. It just felt right.
So to everyone who are re-peat test takers, I felt your pain. I pushed through, and although now I am in the process of looking for a new job, I am excited about a new start in life. My dad told me last night... "This will probably be the last time in a long time, that you will not have to work. Retirement is still a long time away." And he was right. I hate that my life has been on hold for six months, but you know what... I bet I learned more in those few months studying harder and harder, answering thousands of questions, than I probably did in nursing school.
So Good Luck Repeaters and new test takers. You can and will do it!!
WOW... what an encouragment. I have been out of nursing 7 years... liscence lapsed... have to take boards again... took them the first time 3 weeks ago and failed... getting my confidence back again and taking again sometime around Christmas. It's good to hear from the survivors who haven't given up!!! Congrads on your success!!!!!
I graduated Nursing School in December of 2007. I had a job waiting for me back at home and moved the day of graduation. I began working in early January as a Graduate Nurse in an ICU that I had worked in as a tech for nearly 6 years before nursing school. Everyone knew me and seemed excited that I was finally back as an GN. February comes and orientation is going well. I sign up for the nclex on my birthday, which should have been my first sign things were not going to go so well. I had been studying using a friends password on a popular class/prep course website and had been doing fairly well (60-70%). All of my classmates had passed theirs by this point, most with 75 questions and one with 110. I go in, sit down, take a deep breath, and start the test. Man the questions were a lot harder than I had anticipated!! By question 70, my heart was beating out of my throat, I thought I was going to throw up or pass out. A math question next. A gtt calculation..."how the heck do I do these"... Completely forgot how. Now I thought I was going to really pass out. After I answered 75, I hit next. 76 came up. Oh was I really shaking at this point. Questions kept coming and coming. I didn't wan't a break!! I wanted to get out of there. By mid 200's I was looking for the quit button. At 233, it finally shut off and I raced to my (new) car holding back the tears. I had failed. I knew it. Everyone says, "oh, you passed. Everyone thinks they failed." I knew I had failed and I went into a depressed and I mean depressed mode. I had to tell everyone. I started therapy, began taking an antidepressant, and found out that apparently I had had an anxiety attack during the test. Medications were given to me for that too.
Fast forward 45 days and I had talked myself into taking the test again. Everyone at work was rooting for me and I had been taking more and more of those practice tests doing better and better. This time I had to travel to take the test and went up the night before. I had a good dinner, tried to relax, found the test site the night before, and really felt ready this time. That morning I got up, took a shower and popped in my anti anxiety medications. Off I went. Felt great during the test. 75 questions and it shut off. I passed... well thought I had anyway. I was so excited. I called all of my co-workers and classmates. I went out that night and celebrated with friends. Two days later I found out that I had failed!! Failed at 75 questions?? I couldn't believe it. I couldn't even remember any of my questions. Were they hard? Easy? Not one could I remember.
So back in to depressed mode I went. Luckily this time I was medicated. My family was supportive. I quit my job... too embarrassed to go back and face everyone. And thought this was a sign that nursing maybe wasn't for me.
WHAT WORKED FOR ME!! Third time was a charm for me as I passed with 75 questions. I took a Kaplan course and felt that it really helped me pass. I had been so caught up on learning facts and content based questions like in school and not on how to take this crazy test. I took deep breaths. No medications this time to put me in a daze. And I took my time. I read every question and answer and made sure I knew what they were looking for. I used the board and marker and made slashes for each answer choice. Then instead of looking for the right answer, I got rid of the wrong ones. I remembered Maslow...and ABC's... and Most of the time, I only had one answer left!! When the computer shut off, deep down I knew that I had passed this time. It just felt right.
So to everyone who are re-peat test takers, I felt your pain. I pushed through, and although now I am in the process of looking for a new job, I am excited about a new start in life. My dad told me last night... "This will probably be the last time in a long time, that you will not have to work. Retirement is still a long time away." And he was right. I hate that my life has been on hold for six months, but you know what... I bet I learned more in those few months studying harder and harder, answering thousands of questions, than I probably did in nursing school.
So Good Luck Repeaters and new test takers. You can and will do it!!
I too am in your previous situation and I ended up signing up for the Kaplan online review course and I feel that it has tremendously helped me in how to take yes this crazy test! I am taking the NCLEX next tuesday.
When I failed on August the 20th, I didn't realize it, but I went through the stages of grief. At first, it was like, "oh, I'll take it again; it's okay, a learning experience"... then I got mad at the money I had spent and mad at MYSELF (we are our own worst critics!) then I fell into a depression.
Now that I realize what I did, I am, four weeks later, starting to study slowly. I am going to be doing Suzanne's plan this time and I am not taking the test for 3 or 4 months. One thing I had against me is that I was an RN from 1996-2002 and allowed my liscence to lapse because I got breast ca and then spent a few years nursing my dying parents. I think it is a benefit to be fresh out of nursing school, and I had to quit beating myself up for not passing.
Just to let everybody know. I passed the NCLEX I took last Wed. at 75 questions. Thanks much for the prayers and for this great site. More power & my prayers to those who are on their way to victory!
wow very inspirational! Keep it up! Dont let your inner self destroy you.I didnt make it tha first try! Hopefully I can get it the second time around thru God's will and Suzzane's plan.Go go go! To the highest level!
thecasurvivor
29 Posts
WOW... what an encouragment. I have been out of nursing 7 years... liscence lapsed... have to take boards again... took them the first time 3 weeks ago and failed... getting my confidence back again and taking again sometime around Christmas. It's good to hear from the survivors who haven't given up!!! Congrads on your success!!!!!