Passing NCLEX after poor education

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Hi everyone,

This forum helped me through many days of anxiety. Thank you all for your posts! I figured I would share my story in hope that I can pay it forward.

I ended up taking my bridge program at a HORRIBLE nursing school. Aside from one lovely and intelligent instructor, no one else taught us anything. It was pretty much a study hall with tests. Everyday I felt anger and frustration knowing that I was paying a lot of money and basically getting nothing in return. I was even more devastated when I saw the NCLEX passing rate for this school... 50%. Yeah, I was so excited to have gotten in that I had not even looked at their passing rate prior to enrolling.

I put in a lot of hard work on my own to graduate. After graduation is when all the anxiety about passing the NCLEX kicked in. I wondered how in the world I was going to pass it without learning much in school. Paying for a study coorifice was a must for me. After much research, I chose to go with Kaplan. I started Kaplan at the end of May. I followed the program down to a T. I took the Diagnostic Test followed by QTrainers 1, 2, 3. Then I read and watched all the content as well as took notes on only the things I didn't know since I did not want to overwhelm myself even more. Of coorifice, I did the content one section at a time and set deadlines for myself so that I had something to stick to. After the content, I did QTrainers 5,6,7 and then the Readiness Test. All that was followed by completing the QBank. I also did about half of Lacharity along the way to mix things up.

I did not study anything the day before the test. Instead, I went to get a massage and spent the day with a friend so my mind was occupied. I took the test last Thursday. I got at least 15-20 SATA, 4 meds (a couple I had never heard or seen), 2 drag and drop, 1 basic dosage calculation, 1 exhibit, no EKG (thank goodness!), and the rest where multiple choice. As I was going along the test, I felt like I didn't know any of the answers and it was freaking me out! All I could do was take one question at a time and apply Maslow's and ABC's where I could. When it shut off at 75 I knew I had failed. There was just no way I passed. I started to cry.

After I got home I did the PVT and saw the "good" pop up! I thought for sure it was wrong. I spent the rest of the day and the next checking Pearson and BON for results but nothing showed up until Saturday morning when I was able to view my quick results. I passed!

Keep your chin up and study hard. When you are sitting for your NCLEX focus only on what is in front of you and not the questions you left behind. Have faith in yourself! You can do this!

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Congrats, your story helped to relieve some anxiety. I take mines this coming Wednesday.

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Thank you and good luck!

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Congratulations. Thanks for sharing your story. It DOES ease the anxiety for MANY individuals who unfortunately had less than adequate instructors and had to teach themselves.

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Specializes in CMSRN.

Congratulations!! You had a lot of hurdles to overcome but you are an inspiration to all those getting ready for the NCLEX.

I have a friend who had a similar experience. She went to a school and didn't realize they were having MAJOR issues with their passing rates. She said she basically had to prepare on her own and felt that it made her study all the more harder.

Again, congrats!

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Congrats!!! your story has truly inspired me. I take my NCLEX next week and I haven't started studying yet. I feel like there is so much information that my school has not taught me. The good thing is that they did include Kaplan in our coorifice. As of today Im diving in head first with Kaplan. Thanks so much!! If you have any other suggestions please feel free to share it.

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Thank you for this post. The school i attended was a new RN program. My class was the second graduating class. It took a couple of my friends 3 times to pass this NCLEX and this is actually my third time. I am a horrible test taker and I have such bad anxiety. I am doing Kaplan. I'm working on the content videos currently and i have QT 7 left to do. I feel like my qbank and qt scores are all over the place some being in the 60's some in the 50's and one at like 48%, i'm so nervous to test AGAIN!

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Congratulations! I feel I am in the same boat. The university I attend just started their nursing program a few years ago and our first class of seniors only passed at a 50% rate. This really makes me nervous and I am really hoping to pass on my first try! I still have two years of nursing school left and I sure hope our program begins to improve!

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Thank you all for your positive comments. Much appreciated it. Despite the bumps along the way remember to keep your eye on your goals and you will achieve them!

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Specializes in PD,Nxstage,hemo.

Congrats!!!!

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good luck

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Great story, and congrats!!!!!

Sounds like my situation... school was kind of a joke besides a few "okay" professors. I've basically had to teach myself most of what i know. Used Kaplan, Saunders, and a few other resources doing as many questions as humanly possible. I'm sitting for NCLEX next Tuesday! Fingers crossed ;-)

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