Nurse_Mike

The place I work at only asked something like the past 7 years. They are all different.

Assuming a typo.

Excellent Post! A mentor once told me..."It's not a shame to fall, we all fall--repeatedly, now what is a shame is to stay down!"

Do not send them any money, or deposit any of their checks.

Nice. Great Job. Your hard work is paying off!...

Did you do the PVT or hear anything?

Dear Stevo40: I had failed my 1st attempt. I had underestimated the test, and had anxiety along with pumping 3 uptime energy drinks prior to the test which did not help. 2nd time around, prior to taking the test I took a 2 day Kaplan NCLEX refresher course to help me with my strategy. Most of us students in the Kaplan classroom were getting most of the answers to the mock questions wrong. The teacher showed us how the test works. It was this strategy instruction, and anxiety management that put me over the edge to pass, as my content was still on the weak side. Even with strong content (which I did not have), you will need to have the strategy end of things sorted out here. It is one thing to study strategy over and over and think you have it down, it is another to come up often with correct answers to the difficult questions. Strong strategy translated to me being able to manage anxiety much easier, which wass necessary. I normally do not get anxiety during any test, but there will be some anxiety with this test as the answers often do not glaringly stand out, as well as the idea that there is so much riding on ultimately slaying this monster. I have wrote what I have wrote here to help you, and in hopes that you will see the seriousness inherent with this exam and make necessary adjustments.

The only ones in my nursing school classes that I ever remember complaining were the ones who put their nursing school requirements 4th or 5th on the priorities of their life at that time, then would blame it on the school for being too rigid or difficult. But to speak more directly to your post, nursing school students are allowed and told to work within certain parameters, which in and of itself is, or at minimum, can be or is expansive, however due to these limitations, nursing school will be easier for some. For others that prefer to consider more, or even all exhaustive options, to include those not allowed, the limitations can seemingly add to the difficulty level of the nursing school experience, again, due to limits of data being available to the student to analyze. The latter student has no credentials and therefore is not permitted within the system to warrant considering any information outside the predetermined framework of the licensed, professional establishment--and why should they?

I once worked with RN's on a psych ER unit, but was not an RN myself at the time. Long story short, by about 2am or so, the night shift had all of the recliners full, and was not accepting any new clients for the most part. When the clients had to see the doctor in the am, they were rested. At this time, it was not uncommon for an RN to drift off. There were however probably a minimum of 3-5 other persons, (RN's, MHT's, sitters, and security) keeping an eye on the clients. Some of the RN's were used quite a lot as floaters and were highly skilled and educated.

For those going to take NCLEX or retake--I recommend the in-person Kaplan for strategy. You will get more right answers.

Congrats MoMo !

In a clinical once, while shadowing a floor nurse, one of the clients was due for a lady partsl exam. I had been shadowing the floor nurse for all of her clients, and she had said she would ask the client if it was OK if a student observes her perform the exam. The client, looked at me long enough to see that I was of the male variety, and said something like "Uh, no." I told the nurse OK and that I would sit this one out. When the nurse came out, she seemed concerned as to whether or not I was either upset, or was OK with the refusal or lack of a learning opportunity (although there was to reason to feel this way other than to make sure we were on the same page). I had to reassure her two or three times that I had not given it a second thought. The client had the right to make the decision, it caused no problem for us as we were well staffed, and with female nurses. There may have many angles to look at this, but for me the short version is, it was probably a more comfortable experience for the client without me/a second nurse/a male nurse in there during the exam. The job got done and all was well. I have not been in the clients shoes, nor would I need to be, and my training can come later. There will always be a certain percentage of refusals by clients for any and all medical procedures when the regular staff tries to integrate a student, male or otherwise. I have read all of the previous dialogue and it was a good discussion. Just putting my two cents in.

I was told once that a background investigator will ask all the common questions, which a former employer may, (or may not) answer truthfully for a potential liability reduction. Even if the former employer trashes you on the record (causing injury) and it is all true, the likelihood for them to get sued will naturally increase, which will cost them money whether they have a get the real truth out there on the record fetish or not. When the background investigator is finished the formal, normal questions, they will close their briefcase, and look the former employer in the eye and say, now, off the record, just between you and me, I am not writing this down or recording this, please tell me the real story of what happened with x-employee JOHN HENRY DOE. It is at this time that the x-employee will become glorified or damned. Think this does not go on? Think again. The moral of, the story is clear--instead of bourbon, stick to beer.

No.