wellllll I passed!!! (so this is the feeling, huh :) ) (yes, pvt works....even if time runs out on you)
I am a retaker and I believe this helped me pass:
UNDERSTAND & KNOW those 8 categories NCLEX is testing you. I cant stress this enough. I wished I had done so from the beginning! It's SO important. Its not just core content, its also fundamentals. Read each category, seriously!
Before you test, MAKE SURE YOU KNOW & UNDERSTAND those things mentioned on the 8 categories. (we cant know everything, I know, but it would really help to cover as much as possible).
I found ATI to be so amazing GREAT for fundamentals. Trust me! you'll see what I mean when you get hit with some drag and drop procedure. It really helped me!
Hurst is super AWESOME for core content. NO JOKE! I used it and failed my first time, but its not because HURST wasn't great. It's just my weakness was in a different area. (for those in nursing school still, I'm telling you, you wont go wrong by signing up for their class or online review while still in school. that's how great I think their program/service whatever you want to refer to it as). I highly recommend them for core content, highly.
Kaplan alternative format is the book to HAVE for practice at SATA or HOT SPOT. I got comfortable with SATA after using this book. Read the book from cover to cover. answer all the questions. the book was truly HELPFUL.
I also googled Kaplan strategy/decision tree. I am telling you another awesome sources!!
PDA- yall heard it before and you will hear it from me. MUST MUST MUST MUST MUST MUST have this book. must!
davis question and answer....this is great. What I loved about this is one it comes with CD....after awhile you get tired of looking at all these books lol. I loved how it has the 8 categories you can select from. Also, you can choose what type of questions you would like to be tested on...teaching, assessment, analysis, implementation, etc. I really enjoyed it.
Saunders was good also. I about 80% of the book...yup...a lot.
I believe all of these prepared me for my exam. With strategies I say PDA, Kaplan,....actually all of them lol. I cant pick from all of these. I feel that when a product comes with great rationales, it makes such a HUGE difference. It helps you to start thinking more critically. I will say though, what broke through for me the most is Kaplan's strategy. The Kaplan alternative format book explains how to approach the book. I didn't use any other Kaplan product aside that book, cause its way to pricey for me so having this book really helped a lot.
I wish all of you the best and hope the above has been helpful!!
Any questions, leave a comment below.
Lastly, Thank you so very much Allnurses! I've come to this page way before I got into nursing school. AN has been a place to learn, get advice and word of wisdom, to lower anxiety, to read inspiring stories and mostly to be understood and to understand back because no one understands nurses (and all of the soon to be nurses) like another nurse (a soon to be nurses) does!!
