I had been using allnurses.com since my graduation from nursing school in April 2018. I wanted to share my story of how I failed my first NCLEX attempt and passed my second try as encouragement for those who may have failed NCLEX before.
My first time around I used Kaplan and completed all the question trainers and NCLEX sample tests. I scored a 62 on the readiness exam which correlated to a 91% probability of passing. I had studied for about 7 weeks and felt confident going into the exam. I got 206 questions, lots of SATA and found out the next day that I had failed. Words cannot even describe how defeated and devastated I felt.
I gave myself a few days to let it sink in and grieve and then I knew I needed to pick myself up and continue working hard. I purchased UWorld and started taking questions every day. This time around I knew I needed to change the way I studied. When I had used Kaplan, I was more focused on practicing questions and completing quizzes than I was on actually remediating the questions. Don't get me wrong, I went through my Kaplan quizzes to review what I had missed, but I did not give the rationales enough attention and did not give myself the time to truly grasp all the concepts I was missing. Second time with UWorld, I remediated EVERY SINGLE QUESTION, whether I got it right or wrong. I bought a large notebook and wrote down every single rationale. Another tip I learned this time around was knowing the type of studier you are. I am not the type who can sit down for 7 or 8 hours doing questions. I burn out after a maximum of 4 hours. So when I felt I couldn't do any more questions, I would stop for the day. I encourage those of you to look at studying this way. The first time around I told myself "give yourself 7 weeks to study and you'll be ready". The second time around I had the mentality of "I need to finish the entire UWorld question bank before I can take my test". And I think this is important because I ended up pushing my second NCLEX test back to allow myself more time with the rationales and questions. It's not about how long you've studied, but about how well you've studied.
Took my second NCLEX attempt on August 11th 2018 and I found out this morning that I passed. Second time around I got 75 questions, 22 SATA, no math. My personal opinion is that UWorld is an absolute blessing. The questions are challenging but that rationales are unmatched. I learned so much from the rationales, I recommend to every single nursing student out there preparing for their exam.
One last thing that helped me through this extremely challenging summer of studying was this prayer I was given by a tutor. I said it before every study session, before every quiz, before my second NCLEX attempt. Whether you are religious or not, this prayer always helped to ease my nerves and give me a small peace of mind. It's the prayer of St. Joseph of Cupertino, the patron saint of students and test takers
O Humble St. Joseph of Cupertino, singularly favored by God in overcoming the difficulties of study and the worries of examinations, implore the Holy Spirit to enlighten my mind and strengthen my memory in the search of His truth and wisdom. Help me especially in the decisive moments of this examination, protecting me from that forgetfulness and disturbing anxiety which often affect me. May I succeed in offering God my finest work and may I grow in knowledge, understand, humility, and charity. May everything I attempt to learn in life be offered in faithful service to God, from who flows that wisdom which leads to eternal life. Amen.
Nursing and working in healthcare is going to be no walk in the park. Overcoming the obstacle of not passing the NCLEX and having to bust your butt to study will only make you a better nurse. I feel that I am better prepared for whatever nursing obstacles may be thrown at me because I had to pick myself up and continue to work hard to achieve this goal. Something to keep in mind. Good luck to all students and future nurses preparing for this exam!
How did you get your ATT so quickly?? I am really freaking out because I need to take my nclex when the 45 days is up.
I signed up for another attempt two days after I got my results. They say to wait 10 business days after registering to get your ATT. On the 10th business day I still hadn't gotten my ATT so I called the board of nursing and told them I didn't have my ATT and they were able to send it to me within 24 hours.
I feel like sometimes when I study I'm like can I do this? how do you keep your spirits up? sometimes im like okay i can totally do this and then sometimes Im like this is so hard am i smart enough to be a nurse and I start to doubt myself. Its hard when you see your friends passing and you're not. It's heart wrenching.
Believe me, I understand this completely. All of my friends had passed the NCLEX and I was the only one who hadn't. It was hard seeing people in my graduation class who barely slipped by in nursing school pass and I (a strong A-B student) had not. Believe me, I felt very hopeless for a while. But then I looked at it like, I am either going to do this or I'm not. And I had one shot left in order to keep my job. So I busted my butt every day to study as best as I could. If you give it all you got, then there's no shame in knowing you tried your best. The absolute worst case scenario I could think of was that I would simply find another job (nurses are needed EVERYWHERE) and I would take the test again. I read lots of stories on here of people who took the NCLEX 4 or 5 times and turned out to be amazing nurses. You just have to put in the effort and hold yourself accountable. There were good days and bad days with studying. Some days I was hardly getting any questions right and it would shake my focus and just lead to me feeling hopeless. If that happens, give yourself a break. Look at notecards or review notes. I started every study session with a prayer and a positive attitude. You have to bet on yourself, this IS something you can do. Believing in yourself will get you there!
I am guessing you are not in california huh?? I reapplied to the board right away 2 days after I took my exam and paid for my exam right away. I still haven't gotten my ATT and it has been a month. I called the BRN and they said i have to wait for them to process my application. I am so scared it is not going to be processed in time. I am really praying for a miracle.
Wow you are inspiring me. Yes I totally understand what you mean. People in my class that were slackers passed the nclex in 75 questions and I had to work hard in nursing school to study. Im just like "why me?" At the end of the day I can keep thinking about the past and dwell on it or I can say to myself, "Look this happened and it sucks but now I need to re strategize and move forward because dwelling on the past is not going to help the situation. I pray to God multiple times a day to give me the strength, confidence, encouragement to get me through these study days. I have never felt so alone in my life before because all of my friends have passed. They are so supportative and encouraging but they are not in my shoes so they do not really know what I am going through. It sucks because not only do I have to study and pass this exam but I am also waiting for them to process my application so I can schedule my test date before my job starts. It is so stressful and I literally cannot sleep at night because of the builtup stress and anxiety. It is so awful but I know that I can do this. When I went into the nclex first time around I was freaking out. I definitely let my emotions take control and when I passed 75 questions I was so over it and just done.
Wow you are inspiring me. Yes I totally understand what you mean. People in my class that were slackers passed the nclex in 75 questions and I had to work hard in nursing school to study. Im just like "why me?" At the end of the day I can keep thinking about the past and dwell on it or I can say to myself, "Look this happened and it sucks but now I need to re strategize and move forward because dwelling on the past is not going to help the situation. I pray to God multiple times a day to give me the strength, confidence, encouragement to get me through these study days. I have never felt so alone in my life before because all of my friends have passed. They are so supportative and encouraging but they are not in my shoes so they do not really know what I am going through. It sucks because not only do I have to study and pass this exam but I am also waiting for them to process my application so I can schedule my test date before my job starts. It is so stressful and I literally cannot sleep at night because of the builtup stress and anxiety. It is so awful but I know that I can do this. When I went into the nclex first time around I was freaking out. I definitely let my emotions take control and when I passed 75 questions I was so over it and just done.
I'm from Ohio, I would try calling again, and don't be afraid to yell at them! That's what I did, told them I needed to schedule my NCLEX for a job lined up, and if you've waited a month you most definitely deserve that ATT! But yes, everything you are saying is EXACTLY how I felt, I promise you are not alone! I know what it feels like to feel like you have no one who can relate to you and no one who understands what's it like to be in your shoes. Just know that you aren't alone. Us nurses are a team, there are many, many others out there who are and have been in our shoes. When I went into my second exam I was ready, I was confident, and I wanted to crush it. You gotta keep that positive attitude throughout. Even at times when you feel doubtful just tell yourself you are capable, because you are. Tell yourself you're going to get 265 questions and be ready for all of them. A mistake I made the first time was giving up after I got to the 76th question. Second time I had a plan, told myself I would take a break at the 100th question, 175th question, and 250th question. Prepare yourself for 265 and don't let up. Praying is key, so happy to hear you are doing so, and I will pray for you too! I know this is hard, I've been there, many have been there, and you are 100% capable of pulling this off. I will say a prayer that your ATT comes asap! Also, idk if you have contacted your job to explain the circumstances, but I'm sure they would understand. Lots of hospitals have start dates multiple times a year. My start date got pushed back 6 weeks cause I couldn't schedule my exam in time for my original start date.
Yes I will definitely give them a call again. Its just frustrating because all the times I have called them they have been so rude to me and theyre just like well you have to wait your turn. I even made a complaint to the Department of Consumer affairs (DCA). I read on some posts how people from CA had to make a complaint and the BRN is under the DCA so they have to look into the complaints they receive but idk if they look into it before the 45 days is up. Yes I also let my hospital know the situation and they are so understanding. The next start date is in Decemeber and I really dont want to wait until then. That is like worst case scenario if I do not get to test in time. Thank you so much for all of your encouraging words. It has been so tough but hearing stories like yours inspire me and I really want to be in your shoes soon. I am going to message you privately and give you my email if thats okay. It's nice to talk to someone who had gone through what I have gone through. It just sucks because where I live is kinda a small town where everyone knows everyone and people are going to talk about me i just know it and I'm already so embarrassed.
I agree determination is key, never give up on what you fought so hard for, you have these keyboard thugs trying to knock you and tell you if u failed nursing ain't for you. No one knows your struggle until they walk in your shoes. Keep pushing I'm rooting for you!!!
I tried sending you a private message but it saids that you have too many messages in your inbox and that you cannot accept anymore messages. Could I please have a personal email just in case I have some more questions? Thank you!
arc0816
8 Posts
I signed up for another attempt two days after I got my results. They say to wait 10 business days after registering to get your ATT. On the 10th business day I still hadn't gotten my ATT so I called the board of nursing and told them I didn't have my ATT and they were able to send it to me within 24 hours.