Post NCLEX failure nerves

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HI all. About a week ago I found out I failed my NCLEX at 86 questions. To be quite honest I didn't think that was possible for me. I had Straight A's in college and passed my HESI the first try. I was completely shocked when I realized I failed. Now I can retake the exam in mid July and Purchased Kaplan online review to help me. However the issue I am having is I'm so shell shocked and upset I havn't been able to study. I feel like a failure and I don't know how to begin studying. Since the exam last Monday I have slept maybe 4 hours a night and lost all interest in doing anything. I'm really in a hole here and any encouraging stories about the second time around or advice in general would really help.

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hi! sorry to hear that, just hang on and study in a NCLEX style and you will be fine,and keep reading here in AN so many stories,tips and support for you! Goodluck..!:)

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Stressful. A study group may be helpful. This way you can support others and they can support you. When you are ready take a look at your results, and assess what you need to learn. Content, Test taking skills, stress management. Then decide what how you are going to study.

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Did your school use any type of online NCLEX style reviewing? We used ATI and I think it really helped. I also bought the Kaplan NCLEX 2013-2014 right after graduation to look through just to make sure I wasn't one sided lol. It reinforced the nursing process and how to prioritize for those "what should the nurse do first" questions. I took the NCLEX within 20 days of graduating and was a sick nervous wreck. I left there after answering 75 questions with really no comprehension if I had passed or failed. I felt like I didn't know

any of the answers. I had so many select all and meds that I was feeling defeated and a little harassed.:blackeye: So, don't think you are ever going leave feeling on top of the world, because I sure didn't. I was so scared to even try the PV trick. I didn't want to know if I failed. Thankfully, my BON is super fast and when I checked my status the next day, it told me I had passed.

It sound like you have a good foundation of knowledge from your grades, just maybe lacking a little in the wild ways of NCLEX strategizing lol. Practice those style questions and make sure you assess before implement and I'm sure you will do great next time!

Keep us posted! Best Wishes.

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Don't think that! You are an Amaizing person. You choose nursing as a career. :). You CAN do it. Repeat it I CAN DO IT. I CAn DO IT. Your nerves trick you before. But now that you know how is the test. You can study better :). Do it straight A's.!!!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

My first thought is that maybe you focused on facts as opposed to concepts when you were studying????? I know a nurse friend of mine had the same feeling when she failed. During her explanation, she kept saying things to the effect that she knows her lab values and she knows the answer to this and that. But the critical thinking is what was tripping her up every single time. For example, a 'who would you see first' question between two patients, one with an extremely low hemoglobin or an extremely high potassium....questions like that would stump her since she would rush to get the blood transfusion going when she should have been concerned with the other patients heart. Note, the question said nothing about the patient actively bleeding, so though with a low hgb, this is the most stable of the two.

Not saying that this is your issue but failing to 'think it through' (rationale) like that for the purpose of the NCLEX will fail the most confident of examinees.

Anyway, good luck on your second-and-hopefully-FINAL attempt!!

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I personally think that Maslows has a lot to do with passing boards, Its the foundation to Nursing care, this is my opinion just trying to help, you will nail it next time:)

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My first thought is that maybe you focused on facts as opposed to concepts when you were studying????? I know a nurse friend of mine had the same feeling when she failed. During her explanation, she kept saying things to the effect that she knows her lab values and she knows the answer to this and that. But the critical thinking is what was tripping her up every single time. For example, a 'who would you see first' question between two patients, one with an extremely low hemoglobin or an extremely high potassium....questions like that would stump her since she would rush to get the blood transfusion going when she should have been concerned with the other patients heart. Note, the question said nothing about the patient actively bleeding, so though with a low hgb, this is the most stable of the two.

Not saying that this is your issue but failing to 'think it through' (rationale) like that for the purpose of the NCLEX will fail the most confident of examinees.

Anyway, good luck on your second-and-hopefully-FINAL attempt!!

Ditto to it all. The nursing process, ABC's, Maslows, infection/control and anything I've left out that deals with prioritizing is what this game is about. I know these things but did not know what some of the procedures or situations the stem was asking, but could use my nursing test taking skills and figure it out. I passed without being familiar with the question. I wonder if they make the test like that on purpose.

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If it makes you feel any better, I just found out about oh 4 hours ago that I failed NCLEX, which I took last Wednesday. I worked so hard in nursing school and felt totally prepared for boards. At this point, I know that all you need is a good pat on the back. We are in this together. I understand the feeling, as I have never felt so depressed in my life... But what doesn't kill us will only make us stronger. Stay positive, and I will try to do the same.

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It happens to the best of us. I too took NCLEX last May and failed at 265 questions(the max!). It really hits hard at first but I tried to deal with the disappointment and go through the emotions so when I started reviewing again I had a clear mind. Then I had to find out why I failed NCLEX.

-Were there topics or medications that were unfamiliar?

-Did you memorize facts without understanding the principles?

-Did you have unrealistic expectations of the actual NCLEX?

-Did you have difficulty staying focused?

-Did you find yourself predicting answer choices when you didn't see the answer you expected?

-Did you carefully consider each choice?

-Did you base your answers on the "real world"?

-Did you expect to complete the exam in 75 questions?

There are a lot of things that could have lead to a fail and it has nothing to do with being smart, average or just plain stupid. In my case I had unrealistic expectation and when it didn't go off at 75 questions I was lost. You can turn it into a negative or a positive. I decided to turn it into a positive. At least now I know why I failed and what I need to work on. Another positive is now you know what the exam is like and how test taking will be like on your next take. I too am taking NCLEX in July so good luck to us both.

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Get a calendar planner. Make a study plan on the calendar. I figured out how many Q banks I needed to do per day and how many wrong answers I could review in a day. I also plotted where I would fit in the very long Q trainer tests. Then just sit down and start testing on the Q banks. When I sat for the NCLEX, I was relieved to see priority and delegation questions because I had practiced those. I was not afraid of the SATA because I had taken Kaplan's Sample test w/ 50 horrible alternate Qs in it. (I got a 26 on that one first time and 84 second time.) I also listened to some content videos while playing card games as that was the only way that I could sit through them. YOU CAN DO THIS! Do not let yourself get discouraged because you can train for this and knock it out!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.
Ditto to it all. The nursing process, ABC's, Maslows, infection/control and anything I've left out that deals with prioritizing is what this game is about. I know these things but did not know what some of the procedures or situations the stem was asking, but could use my nursing test taking skills and figure it out. I passed without being familiar with the question. I wonder if they make the test like that on purpose.

I personally think they do. I only spent a total of about 8 hours studying for the NCLEX simply because there are FAR TOO MANY nursing/medical questions in the world to try to figure out exactly which 75 or 265 questions will be asked. So, I spent the majority of my study time trying to understand the concepts and why ONE particular answer stands out from all the rest, whether it is the only correct answer OR the only one that DOES NOT APPLY.

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