Passed with 265 on 2nd attempt

First time out- 143 questions. Near passing on 6 parts and failing on 2.

I had the MaryAnn Hogan NCLEX REVIEW book from Pearson. What really helped me for the 2nd test was a 3 week subscription to the NCSBN.org review. Also I got a 2004-2005 Kaplan NCLEX Review Strategy book from the local public library.

My recommendations - only hang out with encouraging people. Even though i failed the first time, all my family, friends, and even random nurses I met were always encouraging despite flunking. The first time around i had a roommate, a nursing school classmate who would tell me every time i took a break from studying that i was going to fail and called me 'loser' when i got my failing results. really helped me when i moved out of that situation. Also, spend as much time studying rationales as you do studying and taking new tests. I think overall i must have looked at like 5,000 questions.

Finally, during the test- i used 2 wipe off boards and wrote out '1,2,3,4' and eliminated incorrect answers for all of my 265 questions. I was so glad to have brought several sandwiches, Diet Cokes, gummy bears, and cookies (I'm a big guy) which I finished over the 5 and 1/2 hour session.

Lastly, thanks to all the people who submit to this group. It really helped me get through- to keep everything in perspective and remember what it's all about. I guess now I've gotta find a job---as an RN.