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Good insights I should say. I don't know about how Australian nurses are currently educated. But based on my experience, clinical rotation in hospitals starts only during our third year of BSN study (Philippine system). As soon as we do start our rotations, we have three days in a week for academic study and 3 days spent in hospital and community health nursing set-up. In my school of nursing, we were rotated in all areas of the hospital (MS- Adult, Pedia, Neonatal, Orthopedics, ICU, OR, DR, OPD, CT/MRI Units, CCU, Nursery). We also have School Nursing rotations in addition to 3 weeks of community health nursing immersion in depressed communities (which can also depress you, in addition to testing your sanity).

in your opinion, should nurses be trained by hospitals rather than spend most of their time in academic study?

if you want to gain a reputable experience in a hospital setting, you should seek employment in JCI accredited hospitals. JCI is an international accrediting institution for healthcare providing companies (i.d. hospitals and clinics). (www.jointcommissioninternational.com) in such hospitals and clinics, you will be exposed to international standards of managed healthcare, worldclass facilities and services as well as highly trained, technically proficient, culturally sensitive doctors and nurses. in the Philippines, we only have two JCI accredited hospitals as of date, st. luke's and the medical city.

Goodluck!

PRAYER BEFORE AN EXAM Grant me oh Lord A clear mind and A sound body that I may be able to Take the NCLEX test with The use of thy wisdom Help me not to rely On others, but To my own self, for Everything that I'm doing Is for the greater Glory of thy name. AMEN. goodluck!

Congratulations! Goodluck on your nursing career!

you will need all the rest that you can get. its good that you are being cared for by a physician in a good hospital. don't hurry yourself. work will come later. your priority now is to recuperate. besides, you don't want to damage your health irreparably.

I have been given a contract (which is by the way, a "template contract" - that means it's given to all prospective nurses regardless of qualifications and experience) by such company. After studying and re-reading it for like the nth time, I find it disadvantageous to the nurse. Not really surprising. Remember that all agencies will milk an RN as much money as they could possibly get away with without making it clearly apparent to the nurse. Have you been given the contract yet? I have the impression you have not but have been impressed by the talk given by the officers of the company. My advice to you is to read the contract well, consult with family and friends and most of all, consult a lawyer for any doubts. In my case, I did not accept it. Its just too one sided for comfort.

We could go on with this issue ad nauseam. There is seemingly a disconnect between what this is (just a one-liner joke on a fictional show) and what it means to the people concerned. I believe most people do not think Teri Hatcher really said it spontaneously. We know it came from a script and we know actors follow a script. Yes, there are other things to focus on. And a lot needs to be worked out. But we know from experience that words, yes, words, even just one, can and have broken relationships, heck even started wars. A remark does not have to be made by governments or institutions to have a requisite response. In 2006, a Denmark newspaper published a cartoon caricature disrespecting the founder of Islam, Muslims around the world were outraged. You cannot just say to the Muslims that it was just a joke, or that it did not reflect the Danish governments views (IT DID NOT), or even that there are more pressing issues that Muslims around the world need to face on (like the Palestinian issue, repressive Arab governments or the Taliban among others). Yes, there are many problems besetting the Philippines, and yes, there have been bad things written by Filipino newspapers in CA (which are in most cases true). But that does not give scriptwriters poetic license to grossly generalize a racial group. In the same way that no person has the right to tell a mother, husband, child, or family member who had a loved one die in Iraq that their loved ones died in vain, in a war founded on falsehood or that they deserved it anyway for destroying a country and its future (either in Philippine shows, in Oprah or in CNN). Even if you actually believed it. I think Filipinos are flexible. If we can work as domestic helpers, teachers, mechanics, foremen in repressive countries in the Middle East we can survive CA. We don't need to thicken our skin. But what we won't tolerate is insult to our heritage. No matter if its just ONE LINE.

Nurse!Nurse!Hello? I don't want to sound cantankerous here but people react in different ways to the same situation. What is pleasant to you may not necessarily seem remotely comfortable to another. And that is if you share the same culture, language and social milieu. After 9/11, when America and all of Western Civilization grieved, the Palestinians actually were partying on the streets. I don't condone or remotely suggest that terrorism is even by any stretch of the imagination correct, but people view things from a cultural (and political and religious etc. etc. etc.) prism. If a person disparages another person's mother who happens to have a dysfunctional mother, do you think it would have the same effect as when experienced by another person who had a close, stable, and loving maternal figure? What do you think? The line uttered by Teri Hatcher touched a nerve on us Filipinos. Of course, I wouldn't expect you to understand it. Then again, we view things from a cultural prism. Peace!

hi BGmedsestra! having done everything you could to prepare for the NCLEX, its about time that you give your mind some moment to relax and recharge. visualize that you have already passed the NCLEX but control your anxiety. good luck on your exam!

Of course, i agree with you. We should never retire from life.

Hi Grace! You are still too young to have retired.

Clustering your practice tests is reflective of the style of NCLEX. Remember that when we answer an easy question correctly, the next question that will be given is moderately difficult. In the same way, if we answer the moderately difficult question the next question that will be given is difficult. As we answer questions higher on the difficulty level, we rise above the passing standard (which essentially we must be above if we are to pass NCLEX). Hence, by achieving successive correct answers, we ensure that we are reasonably always above the passing standard. This essentially ensures a better outcome for our NCLEX result.

Hello to all retired/inactive nurses! You have stood the test of time and I just would like to ask: 1. What is your greatest realization after all those years working as a nurse? 2. How do you think will the nursing profession be defined in the 21st century? You rock!

thanks lorodz! you don't have to worry about the number of items you answer on the nclex. you don't really pass because you answered only 75 questions. if you do end up at 75, it can only mean two things: YOU REALLY PASSED (your answers were consistently above the passing mean) or YOU REALLY FAILED (your answers were consistently below the passing mean). goodluck on the nclex!

Ladynurse2B, sorry for the very late reply. Anyway, structuring my day meant creating a schedule that I will follow for the day. Example: Rise: 630am, Breakfast: 645am, MS Practice questions: 8-10am (two hours will do, greater than that your cocentration levels will just drop to a nil). I personally followed a time frame wherein I will answer questions, the number of items did not matter to me. What's the use anyway of answering 75 questions if you have been studying for the past 4 hours straight and your concentration level is no longer that good. But I recommend answering 75 questions in one sitting straight after a good break or rest. When answering 75 questions, make sure you get four consecutive correct answers (this makes one cluster). Example: Q1 where Q stands for question and 1 for item number 1. Q1 = CORRECT ANSWER Q2 = CORRECT ANSWER Q3 = CORRECT ANSWER Q4 = CORRECT ANSWER Q5 = WRONG ANSWER Q6= CORRECT ANSWER Q7= CORRECT ANSWER Q8 = CORRECT ANSWER Q9 = WRONG ANSWER In the aforesaid example, Q1 to Q4 makes for one cluster (since it is made up of 4 successive correct answers). Q5 breaks the cluster because your answer is wrong. Q6 to Q9 is not one cluster because Q9 is wrong. Now, in a 75 item practice exam, you must have at least 7 clusters or 28 correct answers grouped into 4 consecutive correct placements. You know ladynurse2B, I was able to secure a lot of review materials but was only able to use 20% of them. My sister bought me a Saunders CD with 3000 questions, I was only able to practice on less than 300 of them. But I read the entire Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice book and 4 other review materials from cover to cover. Talk about money crunch, I'm from a poor country and my exam was in Hong Kong. I have to pay everything in USD. The NCLEX exam fee alone is almost a months salary in the Philippines as a teacher, if you work as a nurse here, you get paid only about USD 150/MO tops, most Filipino nurses get even less. What is great about being a Filipino is that we have a great family support system. Everybody in my family helped me financially. When I went to HK I said to myself that I have to pass the NCLEX the first time, AND FIRST TIME ONLY. I cannot afford to retake it again because of the expense, and the expense my family had to shoulder for me. My greatest motivation to really make it was the cost it would take if I failed, and the cost I already incurred would not be easily recovered. You know what I mean. You know, we can only do so much. No matter what you do, no matter how well you have prepared, there will always be questions that you will have no idea whatsoever. You have a son to support (and I take you are a single mom), that should be enough motivation to pass it the NCLEX. When you study, think of you and your son's future. Say to yourself this is for my son, this is for my son. Repeat it everyday until your exam date. Crazy huh, but you'll be surprised at the power of the human mind, and the power of repetition. Sorry again for the very late reply.

I was a school nurse for a private school for two years. Just recently resigned. Because I was also a teacher before I became a nurse, I also taught. Whenever things such as syncope, epistaxis and the like occur, students naturally break out into chaos. I would usually stand at the door (if no teacher is of course inside the room) and in a calm but firm voice, instruct everyone to their seats. I would then call on the president of the class to explain what precipitated the event at the same time requesting students near the victim to assist in transporting the patient to the clinic.

congratulations!!!

It's alright not to quit your job lenjoy03. I know of some nurses who held on to their jobs while preparing for the NCLEX and passed. You just need to set your mind to the task at hand, have a schedule for study and plan what books you will be reading, things you need to work on (weak points etc) and dont' forget, give yourself time to relax and recharge. Goodluck on your NCLEX!

Congratulations!

Thank you Ipaq. I live in the center of the city. I finished my BSN from the University of San Carlos.

Congratulations!!!!

Thanks Future RN Jess and 2b usrn! To be honest 2b usrn, I amassed a library of review materials about NCLEX during the preparation time. Including CD'S, audio CD's and the like. I can almost open a study center. I prepared 3 months before my exam. That means I resigned from my job, rented a room away from family and friends and practically became a hermit in those 3 months. I was not able to scan 80% of the review materials I prepared! But I read the Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice from cover to cover to get the general scope of our profession's practice. I love the Saunders Reviewer on NCLEX. I swallowed it all. I used the slightly older second edition (the green one). Plus the one where the rationale's are printed on the right side of the page. I find this convenient since I don't have to flip pages to get the correct answer. It also provides me immediate feedback. Another tip, get away from the usual hustle and bustle of your life (if you can) and set your mind to the NCLEX mode. That means thinking about NCLEX 24/7 as your exam date approaches. It helps, at least for me. And don't forget to practice with NCLEX type questions and score yourself cluster type (minimum of 7 clusters of 4 consecutive correct answers per 75 items). Try to achieve it. Thanks again.

Hi everyone! I took the NCLEX for the first time in HK last July 30 and passed after 75 questions. My results arrived August 21. 1. When practicing NCLEX type test questions, make sure you target seven clusters of four consecutive correct answers (minimum) per 75 questions. It is not enough to get correct answers at random, consistency counts. 2. Go to the basics of nursing practice. And don't forget them. 3. Give yourself at least three months of intensive review. Schedule your days and divide your time. 4. When determining the correct answers, do not look for THE CORRECT ANSWER. Eliminate what is wrong until you are left with one option. 5. As in all exams, understand what is being asked, not what you think is the answer. 6. This is just an opinion, I think the speed at which you answer difficult questions somehow matters. If you answer a difficult question faster than most nurses who also got it right, then you have something good going for you. 7. Remember that if you end after 75 questions, only 60 of them will determine whether you pass or fail. In like manner, if you complete the maximum 265 only the last 60 will be counted. Point is: make every answer count. NCLEX gives 15 non-credit questions as a way of testing content validity of potential NCLEX question to be pooled in future exams. 8. Think outside of the box. Good luck. Especially to my fellow kababayans! NURSES RULE!