Firstly, I would like to start by saying THANK YOU for this website. It has truly helped me.
Secondly, this is NOT for the ones who want to know studying material. This is for the bruised egos that find it hard to get back up after failing MULTIPLE times.
I'm from NYC and I graduated nursing school 8 years ago. On 10/31/2020 for my 3rd attempt I FINALLY PASSED.
In my experience, it took me years to realize that the HARDEST part was not having to study again for the NCLEX, but the years it took to recover and then build up my self esteem after failing. After I failed twice (both times within the same year of graduating) my confidence was SHOT. The first time I took the exam I went all the way to 160 questions and then by the second time, I failed at 75 questions. I fully gave up. I told myself that nursing wasn't for me and I went on with life. The first 4-5 years I avoided the pain as much as I could. I watched all of my classmates pass, move on with their careers and so many of them now work as NP's. I avoided the subject at all costs any time anyone ever asked me about it because...to simplify it... I could not deal. I was emotionally/mentally in a space that couldn't see my own worth/value, that I took jobs (in health care) that was a learning experience, but honestly didn't challenge me. All because I thought (at that time) that was all I needed to feed my ego. Woooo was I wrong! What you try hard to suppress will always come back up, and it honestly takes much more work to push down the pain than to actually deal with it.
Over the years I have literally paid for the NCLEX (I think like 4x) studied for a week max, felt the sting, then the rise of doom and failure only to end up either cancelling or no-showing every exam. Further bringing down my confidence and crushing my vision of worthiness.
Fast forward to 2 years ago, I began working as a PCT/PCA in an ER. It got to a point (internally) that no matter how many times I heard "you're amazing at your job", it just wouldn't fill my (ego) cup anymore.
The REAL work began in March 2020. It began with shifting my MINDSET. I wasn't even thinking about retaking the NCLEX again until May 2020 when a coworker convinced me to sign up (because the exam is/was supposedly "easier" due to COVID) I had to FIRST deal with my repressed emotions of failure and build a better and higher self esteem. I started to take small steps. I mediate, I read books geared for success, I worked out. It was the little consistent and disciplined every day efforts that REALLY made tackling the NCLEX doable. I started studying for the NCLEX at the end of August. Content was my main priority (NURSING.com purchased app, SimpleNursing, RegisteredNurseRN, and REMAR all on Youtube ONLY). I did about 40 questions every couple of days.
This story may be irrelevant to some but also maybe someone needs to hear this. You finished the program. You completed your clinical hours. You passed your school exams, You passed your exit exam. You saw other students drop like flies from first semester to your last semester. You got accepted into the program when hundreds weren't. YOU CAN PASS THE NCLEX just like you passed everything else. Please do not give up on yourself. You have the knowledge and the skills. You really have to BELIEVE YOU CAN. It really begins with the mindset.
You apply to their BON as an out of state applicant and then take the exam through their state and after you pass the exam, your state endorses your license.
@ejmoon7845, try Washington or New Jersey! You don’t have to go to those states to take it. You take it in your own state. Go to either of those states’ BON website and fill up the application for out of state applicants. Website will tell you what to do. When you graduated doesn’t matter to them.
So cool I just learned something new LOL IDK why that didn't click from before lolll like of course you don't actually have to travel ::palm face emoji:: lollll
Firstly thank you for being very honest that's not always easy. I know exactly how you're feeling when you say you keep extending the date bc you don't feel ready. It's honestly impossible to just know everything, and that is perfectly fine. The NCLEX wants to make sure you know how to keep the patient safe and do all you can do first, before reaching out. I have literally wasted money by scheduling, rescheduling and then cancelling the exam LOL. I believe I did that 3 or 4 times. But f*** it, its not about the money.
The feeling of fear and anxiety are real and can be debilitating for some, but it doesnt have to be.
Let's try to break this down. It's not about the resources. There are plenty! You do not have to spend money in order to believe that you have all of the knowledge to take and PASS the exam. You have learned them before, and you have passed your nursing exams. You have kept your patients safe during clinical and you have received passing marks there too. So we know you know the content and we know you can keep your patient safe. I understand that some time has passed and you may have to relearn some things, but its OK it's like muscle memory it will come back faster than it did the first time you learned it bc you're basically just re-accessing the knowledge that has already been stored!
So to be honest, as long as I have pushed my exam date and cancelled bunches of times....I did the same thing on the apps I've purchased LOL. I think I had the nursing.com app for about 2 yrs LOL but I didn't actually use it consistently until a little over 2 months before my exam.
I actually didn't even complete any book or any app! You know how you hear some ppl say "yea I read that 1000page book 3 times front and back before my exam" or tell you they did like 3000 NCLEX style questions? Tuh. Not me. Not a lot of people I know either. So when I bought the app I promise you I literally only did medsurg and peds. I spent the majority of my time studying the heart, GI system, respiratory system, endocrine system, neuro, immunizations, precautions (safety, PPE, infection control) and the meds that came with it. Like an overview of the meds (like studying the commonalities like the ending ex. beta blockers are -olol) causeeeeeee that's too overwhelming to memorize all of the meds LOL
I spent the majority of my time on Youtube watching Simple Nursing vids (because he 100% tells you EXACTLY what you need to know for the exam) and RegisteredNurseRN when I need further understanding, bc she goes IN DEPTH (back to school in depth LOL) for FREE as well.
Its 100% a normal feeling up until you receive your pass/fail mark on the NCLEX but please do not let that hinder you from trying. Do you think that failing the NCLEX means you're not worthy of being a nurse? Do you think that if you don't pass the first couple of times it means you may not be cut out for this profession? Do you think failing 1x or more means its "a sign" to give up? Do you think that failing means you're not intelligent?
You are enough. You are worthy. You are intelligent. You are cut out for this profession. It is not a sign to give up, it is a sign to step up. Everyone fails at something but it is up to the individual to first get back up, reassess what went wrong, think about what can be done to improve and then try again.
Really think about it, when you have failed in something (whatever it is doesnt have to be nursing related) but then finally succeeded do you ever look back and say all of the things you think you are now at this current minor hurdle moment? No. If anything you say...ugh I wish I wasnt stuck for that long because if I had just tried again instead of prolonging it and stopped listening to the bull**** my negative self talk was telling me I would have been successful EARLIER. No one regrets failing when they succeed they only think about how long it took for them to realize they were resilient all along.
Take the exam on Feb 1st (it's so funny IDK if you believe in signs but it's actually my bday LOL) WHATEVER YOU NEED, a study partner, an accountability partner, a comfort partner...ask and I will be ?
I just wanted to let you know... I extended my exam date several times after this post! My anxiety, nerves, self worth, doubt and personal issues always seemed to creep up on me when I had to take the exam a day or 2 before, so I would just extend and extend! This last time I decided I was taking it on the last extension date! I did try several resources throughout this time since I a last corresponded with you on this thread! I would check this site for suggestions from anyone about resources to use for study. I was running out of money to pay or resources. I tried Mike's questions bank from Simple Nursing. Honestly I didn't find it helpful. I think he should just stick to Youtube videos. His videos are gold! I used the Nurse Achieve app and even paid for an in class prep course before the pandemic hit and they switched to online.I took NCLEX 3x already and used UWorld my 1st try and 2nd try just to come up with a fail. My 3rd time I tried the in person prep class and again failed. So now I came here on this site for some insight from others and found a lot of helpful info. I said, "I'm studying these last two weeks that lead up to my exam date on May 28, 2021 (Friday) and I'm not going to change my date any longer! I found somewhere on another thread where someone said they used Ultim 8 App NCLEX RN. It was FREE and I told myself I'm not paying for anymore apps!! So I'm going to use this free app and my past knowledge and go through notes. Let me just tell you all... That app seemed to be the app that worked best for me! I used it 2 weeks nonstop everyday to study! I would go through notes and used Mark Klimek notes and what I learned from his tricks for memorization. I used Simple Nursing Youtube videos for more content and ways to memorize subjects easy. Ultim 8 App was so helpful for me! I loved their rationale breakdown after I answered. I tried to extend one more time 24 hours before my exam. I just told myself I want a later time on the same day to buy me more time. But none was available for the test location by my house. There were some available further that required paid parking and I told myself, "NO! You're not going to pay for parking to take this exam a 3rd time! You're not wasting your gas to drive further! It is what it is and you have to take it on Friday at the scheduled time now!". I checked one more time on Pearson Vue to reschedule and it was too late now. 24 hours had expired and I couldn't reschedule it anymore! This was it! I had no choice at this point! I studied afternoon til evening and I just tried the best to calm my nerves and anxiety. I went to bed early to have some good rest so I wasn't so tired in the morning for my exam. I woke up and did my regular routine of cleaning house, feeding stray cats and then showered and got ready. I went to the testing location and just went over notes in the car for like 10 mins. Only on things I thought I may have forgotten before going inside the building. I was met by 2 first time NCLEX RN test takers in the Pearson Vue office. They were so nervous! The girl in front of me was so out of it and the lady at the front desk checking her in wasn't so nice to her. I told the other test taker, "it's okay. You're gonna be okay. Just take your time and if you feel any anxiety during the exam, take a break. You never want to answer a question with anxiety! I'm a repeat test taker. You're going to be okay". I sat down for my exam, said my prayers as usual before I started and I must say I looked up to see what question I was on and I was at almost question 30 and I swore I just sat down! I said to myself, "Slow down, maybe you're going too fast! Because you answered these 30 so quick!". I also did something different this time around. I decided to count my SATA's to take account of how many I was getting throughout this exam. I noticed I was getting a lot when I hit the 20 mark on SATA's and I was at only question like #50 something. My exam shut off at 75! I looked at my SATA tally and I had 30 SATA's total! I was in total shock I shut off at 75 because on exam #2 retake It shut off at 75 and I failed as well. I thought to myself, wow! That was quick, for sure thought I'd go all the way to the end of 130 or whatever the new cut off was now due to covid! But this time I felt I was calm during this exam, I didn't feel as much anxiety like the other 3 times. I prayed throughout my exam. I told myself, "this is just another mock exam! you can do this!". I was a person that would take mock exams and excel and pass them, but when I sat for the actual exam I failed. I felt good vibes this time around and I had good vibes from everyone who was rooting for me an my guardian angels ❤️. I took it Friday May 28th and so I knew from what others said that since the weekend was next that I wouldn't get results, plus Memorial Day is Monday (tomorrow). I still checked the BON to see and still no name. I checked Pearson Vue and the status was "results not in". Today in the morning I checked again BON and my name didn't show. I checked Pearson Vue and now status was "taken". On exam number 2 retake I purchased quick results and got my answer of fail. This time I decided I wasn't purchasing it but I wanted to know though LOL I purchased the Pearson Vue Quick Results and was praying for the best but prepping for the worse. I got my results and I passed! I just want to thank you for your encouragement and to everyone else here on this thread and others that come on here to encourage others in the same boat as us test retakers! I'm just waiting for BON CA to update the system to show my name and license# so I can really believe I passed it. Like every other retaker has said, "DON'T GIVE UP!" TAKE IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN! IF YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT 100X , TAKE IT! You did not go through RN School for nothing! You just have to find the right resource that works for you and after paying for all of those other resources to help me the first 3x, in the end a free app is what did it for me! Good luck everyone! I have faith in you, God has faith in you and you need to have faith in yourself! You got this!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! OMGGGG!! I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOUUUUUU!
YOU did it! YOUR hard work! YOUR persistence! YOUR belief in yourself! I am so proud of you!
Thank you so much for coming back to this thread to let other student nurses know they can do it because you're another example of overcoming the struggles! You are truly going to touch so many lives an positively impact so many people. You have taught and will continue to teach people to never give up on themselves. Thank you so much for your honesty and vulnerability to share those hard moments that led up to your HUGE SUCCESS!
Please. I really stress this! Please celebrate this accomplishment! It doesn't have to be extravagant but it MUSTTTTT be acknowledged. This is huge! You are your own miracle! Celebrating will also continue to build on your self-esteem moving forward as well. We all need to celebrate ALL wins!
I wish you so much success as you continue your journey, and I will always be here if you need me :)
@Tech_2_RN which package did you purchase exactly from nursing.com? There are several. I graduated from nursing school in 2016 top of my class and worked on my temp license. My former DON still keeps in contact with me and wants me to work for her once I pass boards. Due to some unexpected life events I went through a deep depression, but now I'm ready to take boards and ace it! Thanks so much for posting on here for those like myself too.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! OMGGGG!! I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOUUUUUU!
YOU did it! YOUR hard work! YOUR persistence! YOUR belief in yourself! I am so proud of you!
Thank you so much for coming back to this thread to let other student nurses know they can do it because you're another example of overcoming the struggles! You are truly going to touch so many lives an positively impact so many people. You have taught and will continue to teach people to never give up on themselves. Thank you so much for your honesty and vulnerability to share those hard moments that led up to your HUGE SUCCESS!
Please. I really stress this! Please celebrate this accomplishment! It doesn't have to be extravagant but it MUSTTTTT be acknowledged. This is huge! You are your own miracle! Celebrating will also continue to build on your self-esteem moving forward as well. We all need to celebrate ALL wins!
I wish you so much success as you continue your journey, and I will always be here if you need me ?
yes! I had to come back to thank you and pass on the good vibes you do for me and everyone else you may have touched with your post! Thank you! You will be blessed! you are a blessing in disguise yourself ❤️
@NurseBFix wow! So glad to hear that in spite of what you went through, you have made it over a huge hurdle. So proud of you! For nursing .com at the time that I bought it I think I choose the program that was good for like a year...at that time of purchasing it I actually didn't start studying...so when it was a few months from expiring I began to study it for a couple of months LOL. But I really did enjoy their program and still receive weekly emails from them just giving out free information and cheat sheets. I highly recommend them! I am also a firm believer that the first step to success in everything is to have self belief and self confidence so that is where I personally started. You graduated at the top of your class therefore you understanding the information, retaining it, and being able to think critically is a non issue. You passed all of those exams and you will 100% pass the NCLEX!
You are seriously the sweetest thank youuu I can't wait for you to begin doing the same where you help other nursing students feel as amazing as you do for accomplishing a huge life changing challenge! ? Hope everything is going well for you 2022 is your year to flourish
This post is exactly what I needed to hear this morning. ❤️?? I’ve recently been applying for several health care related jobs and this morning I interviewed for a Nursing job at our hospital that unfortunately I’m unable to work because I do not have a license. It was really sad the hospital has 2 whole wings completely shut down due to being under staffed. They misunderstood my resume and thought I was licensed. I graduated in June of 2016 at an NYS accredited LPN school but moved to Mississippi right after graduation. My self esteem was totally stripped in nursing school even though I completed and passed the program with really decent grades. I had one instructor that tore me down for whatever reason with insults and saying if I didn’t increase my testing time an study more I would never pass the NCLEX-PN…I was and have always been a slow test taker due to reading comprehension issues and horrible test anxiety. Not to mention I was always testing in the 54-56 percent on passing rate on all practice tests. When most other students were reaching above 60-70 percent rates. So after school I moved to MS where my husband was from an I worked for a little while as a medical assistant in a family practice clinic and then was laid off 4 months later…after getting laid off so quickly and just life at the time I convinced myself nursing wasn’t for me and I’d never be able to pass the NCLEX even if I tried. So I never actually even attempted to take the NCLEX not even once. I went back to property management for a bit then just stayed home with my kids for past 5 years. Looking back I’m so upset I didn’t even try! My kids often tell others I’m a nurse or that I went to Nursing school and then I have to correct them and say I finished but decided not to pursue nursing. People an my family think I’m crazy because I graduated but never even attempted my test. I feel like I’ve let my self, my kids and my husband down after putting up with me during school and my husband paying expenses for school. (I’m still paying on school loans) I’d love to help with this nursing shortage we are experiencing due to Covid so I’m currently trying to figure out if and where I can take the NCLEX-PN test. Mississippi doesn’t allow graduates to take the test after 2 years of graduation without going through the nursing program again. I remember our instructors saying we had unlimited time to take the test unlike some states. I’m unsure where to begin because I currently live in MS and they do not allow testing after 2 years if anyone can direct me on where to go from here some great study apps and material for LPN I’d really appreciate it. I called the SBON here they suggested I test in another state but I don’t know what states to contact to set up testing or how to test in that state while living in MS. Hopefully I can still take the NCLEX-PN and pass after 6 years because I can’t afford to redo the program. Also I herd the NCLEX was shorter 145 ? I herd Possibly easier…but if they shortened the test from 265 to 145…I would think that would make it harder because of less questions …. Can anyone confirm or deny that information anyone take tests pre Covid/ post Covid? Please help My email is [email protected]
Firstly, I would like to say thank you so much for sharing your story! It takes such bravery to be this honest and vulnerable.
Screw those people who have discouraged you over the years! I totally understand how you feel. After so many years after graduating and not passing a couple of people around me said that it's too late and that's should give up...BUT if I had listened to them I would have continued to LIMIT MYSELF just like they have LIMITED THEMSELVES! No one who is truly successful, happy and abundant would EVER tell someone else to give up...why? Because they also know first hand the amount of failures they had to overcome in their own lives. Those people who have discouraged you do not see more for themselves and most likely do not believe they can do more, therefore it is through their own perception and beliefs of themselves that have extended their own limiting beliefs. Thankfully, you are not them. I know this because you believe in yourself, because you came here, because you reached out and asked for help years later. Wow. You're called to do this and accomplish this!
I'm gonna write another post to you after I send this one
OK! So an awesome GEM that I found out through this great community is that someone said that you could take the NCLEX in any state regardless of the state you're trying to practice in. What does that mean? You could take the NYS NCLEX PN exam in Mississippi, as long as you still qualify to sit for the exam under the NYS rules. Thankfully!! NY is still currently a state where you have endless amount of tries to take the exam, regardless of amount of years...I believe as long as your school still exists LOL.
So, first part. Pass the NY NCLEX exam. That's a whole other topic at the moment. Then, after you pass the exam you can apply for an endorsement. An endorsement is where you transfer your license from state to state so that you do not have to take the NCLEX again.
I'm not 100% sure of all the specifics but I found out that info just from a quick Google search, but I definitely believe this is possible for you! I've attached some screenshots I took.
RaiRN, ADN
25 Posts
https://www.doh.wa.gov/LicensesPermitsandCertificates/NursingCommission/NurseLicensing/ApplyforaLicense
@ejmoon7845
You apply to their BON as an out of state applicant and then take the exam through their state and after you pass the exam, your state endorses your license.