Duncan3178

I just got my acceptance letter from Walden, to start the FNP program in June. I had not heard yet that they were going to raise tuition, that would be most unfortunate! I am trying to verify that in my state of Ohio, they will accept my practicum hours through Walden to sit for my boards when I graduate. I also had to fill out the preceptor site form, after getting some answers from my advisor. The form is to get you thinking, or identify, where you might complete your practicum hours. These are not set in stone, and they do not contact the sites identified.

i took the kaplan review course, and i have mixed feelings about the whole thing.... the strategies were useless during the actual taking of the nclex. i took my test last monday. i got 75 questions, and there was not a single question that i could use the strategies taught. i thought maybe that i was just unlucky, until i talked to several other people who tested last week, and they confirmed what i was thinking! every question was a knowledge question. i couldnt even get as far as the "is it assess/implement?". the online qbank and question trainer were priceless. they were spot on as to what the questions on the nclex were like. like someone said before, test 3 with the "who would you see/call first?" questions was excellent. my study plan was this...of course i had done some studying before hand, but once i scheduled my test, i got on the ball with the studying. i committed myself to doing around 200-250 questions on the qbank every single day. i chose the testing mode (it gives the rationales at the end) because it would be like how the nclex was. i also chose the option that would include all new questions, and also the ones that i had previously missed so that i could see them again. then, i chose every category. so, for about 2 weeks i did this. i saved the question trainers for the 5 or 6 days before my exam. i only did the question trainers these days. my scores for those were in the mid 50's to mid 60's. on the 7th one, i got a 61%. so, i took the exam. i got 75 questions. there were atleast 10 drug questions. drugs that i had never even heard of, and could not tell by the name what kind of drug they were. and it was all discharge teaching about the meds (with meals, at bedtime, dietary restrictions,etc). there is no way to study for the drug questions. you either know them, or you dont. i only had 1 alternate style question, and it was a check all that apply question. no meds, no pointing at something on a picture, etc. the majority of the rest of them were priority questions. i cant even remember if i had a delegating question. like every other person, i left that test feeling horrible about myself!! i felt that i got cheated, and couldnt believe that my 2 years of nursing school came down to 75 questions!! but, i did pass, and it was a relief!!

well, i passed nclex this past week, and finished up everything i needed to do to be able to start south. classes start this week coming up! i decided to do 1 class at a time to start out with, and may go full time once i am off orientation (24 weeks in the surgical ICU). the admissions process went very smoothly, and i was very impressed. so we shall see how it all turns out, or if it was too good to be true!!

1. how many questions did you take on nclex? 75 2. what study materials did you use? did you take a test review course? i took the kaplan review course. in my opinion, the class time was a waste of time and money. the internet q-bank and question trainers were spot on for the questions that i had on my test. easily the best review that i used. 3. did your son offer any testing (eri, ati, hesi)? we took a mid term and exit hesi. had to get a 850 or better on the exit hesi as a condition of graduation. 4. how long did you wait for results of the test, or are you still waiting? i am in texas which is a quick results state. it was literally 48 hours on the dot from the exam start time. 5. what were your thoughts coming out of the test (total disbelief, certainty you had failed, confident you had passed)? i wondered how in the world they could test my knowledge in 75 questions. i was preparing myself, my friends, my family, and my coworkers for the idea of me re-taking the stupid thing. i was 99% positive that i had choked and failed the test. 6. was this your first attempt at nclex? fortunately, it was my first and last time!!!

i tested with you guys monday. 75 questions. just found out i passed!! i am in texas, a quick results state, and it was almost 48 hours on the dot!! now that was the LONGEST 48 hours of my life!!!

i would say he wants you in there in july because the new fiscal year starts october 1. that gives him a little wiggle room to fix any paperwork that needs to be done!! let me know about your tour of wright-patt and what you think!! if you remember, ask them how big their ICU is, just in case i decide to choose wright-patt. i will come in with a ICU identifier, so am wondering how big their ICU is! check out their base housing also, i am not sure where i heard this, but i think they are re-doing their housing. just in case that might be an option for you!! so you are used to the midwest weather! then believe me, even though is sounds like these hot summers would be a godsend, they can be horrible!!!! my air has been on since april!! really hard on those utility bills!! have you looked online at the housing allowances for each base you are interested in? that has been one of the things that i have been looking at. just search through yahoo or google "BAH rates for 2007". they will give you the list by what rank and what base. just a thought....

i think that i should mention the weather difference between the 2 cities. in san antonio, there is 2 seasons. warm and hot. maybe a couple of weeks in the winter it may get chilly enough to wear a sweatshirt. the summers can be scorching. the grass dies, we go into water restrictions, and it seems like a desert. it can be humid heat, or it can be dry heat. in the hottest of the hot, it can reach 115 degrees, and you never want to leave your house. just remember that the military trains year round. i had to do a week long training in the middle of the summer. i lost 10 pounds that week sweating in my uniform and gear. dayton has your 4 seasons. winter can be brutal, especially if you are not used to scraping ice and shoveling snow. not as cold and brutal is say, living in north dakota or somewhere like that. if is snows or freezes, you simply shovel and get up early to warm up your car. or better yet, get a house/apt that has a garage!! there are plenty of snow days for the kids, which i remember enjoying. winter is not horrible, but i grew up with it so maybe i am used to it! summers are generally mild. you still will have to turn the AC on, because it gets humid, but generally doable. spring and fall are beautiful. nothing better than having your windows open, listening to birds, and emjoying the weather! i definitely miss not being able to have my windows open longer here in texas.. weather shouldnt really be a factor in choosing between the 2 bases. i have lived in both for years (dayton for 20 years and san antonio for 9 years), and each has their plusses!! when i am home to dayton in the winter and it really snows, then i cant wait to get my butt back to texas. when i am home to dayton in the spring or fall, then i want to stay there (until it snows!)....

i was at wilford hall for 4 years as a PACU tech. excellent hospital at that time. i cant vouch for it now, because i got out in '03. there is lots of rumors around the city of the hospital getting smaller. so check that out first... i live in san antonio now while i am finishing school, before i go back in the AF. the city itself is quite large, with many choices of things to do, and places to live. you would have the choice of living in the city, or driving a little farther and not living in the city. also, i am not sure what your husband does, but the city probably would be easy for him to find a job. no state taxes. but just know that it gets HOT during the summer. i dont know where you are from, but i am from ohio, and i know it took me awhile to get used to the weather around here!!! like i said, i am from ohio, about 30 minutes from wright-patt. i have never been on base or worked there, so i cant tell you anything about the hospital there. i can tell you about the surrounding areas and what goes on in dayton. dayton is a great place to live. actually, you probably wont live in dayton, but in one of the many suburbs of dayton. dayton is definitely less of a "big city" living than san antonio. my mom and i have always called san antonio "concrete city" because there are buildings and highways everywhere. not saying that is always a bad thing, but sometimes it is nice to see some grass and trees!! just thought i would give my 2 cents about the 2 cities/bases that i know about!! hopefully, next year, i will be in your spot. i will probably put my top 3 as lackland, wright-patt, and eglin (no particular order). let me know how the process goes. i am curious to see how long it takes, etc!!

75 for me too today. no meds, only 1 alternate answer question, no OB, no peds specific, and only a couple of psych that i remember. majority were priority (who will you see/ call back first?) and a TON of drugs. my drug questions were really hard, most of them i have never heard of, and werent easily identifiable!! i am trying not to do the "who passed/failed at 75?" game. i know that number of questions doesnt really matter, but have heard from several places that only getting 75 is a good sign. i think that, for my sanity sake, i will go along with them for the next 48 hours!! even though i know it is a little (maybe a lot) obsessive, i couldnt help checking the website tonight. of course, there is nothing there!!! come on, do they REALLY need 48 hours to grade a computerized test? it should be automatic!!! it cuts off after so many questions, and then the screen pops up and in huge letters it will say your name, with "RN" after it!! now wouldnt that be fabulous?!!!!!!

i think you have the right frame of mind about scheduling. it really depends on the person, whether or not you are disciplined about studying. after the kaplan, if you think you are disciplined enough to do nothing but study for several weeks, then i think that is not too soon, not waiting too long. it seems that with the kaplan, and the other studying, then you are doing enough to keep everything fresh in your mind... when i did kaplan, i found out that once you are paid, you are eligible for the preceeding 4 weeks before your class to have access to their online questions. i cannot stress enough how valuable their online questions are. many have said before how similar the nclex questions were to the kaplan online questions. i dont know this for myself, since i dont test for 13 more hours. yes, i said 13 hours!! not a typo!! believe me, you will never feel prepared enough for this test. just schedule a date, and stick to it....

you have to apply to the school first, then you apply to the program...there was no entrance exam to get in. just make sure all your transcripts are in in plenty of time to be evaluated...i am not sure how many are currently being accepted each semester. next fall, there is rumor that there will be more accepted when there is the new nursing buiding built. it is a very competetive program, with many applicants. 2 years ago, when i was accepted, they accepted 200 people. half for days, and half for evening classes. the minimum gpa for my class was around 3.5. if you are concerned about your gpa, i would say take some classes to boost it.... let me know if there are any more questions. some of the other newer students might be able to give you more up-to-date figures about the gpa...

if they could tell you over the phone that early, does that mean it was online that fast? so you are saying that maybe i should call tuesday afternoon?

so, i take my test tomorrow at 2pm. i am in texas, which does quick results. i know that they say 48 hours for results, but i am wondering if that is 48 hours from when you start, or from when you submit it? seems silly to wonder over the difference of a couple of hours, but i cant help it!!! i have read that some have been 48 hours on the dot. any sooner than that? any have results post on the BNE website at the same time as pearson? i work tuesday night, but you better believe that i will be up wednesday afternoon waiting on results!! working tuesday night is going to be so hard to concentrate!! maybe i should have taken a mental health day until i got my results!!! will results post anytime wednesday evening. or do they have a cut off time? for example, if i dont have my results by say, 8pm, should i give up looking until thursday morning? sorry about all this! but you guys know how hard the waiting is!! after i take it tomorrow, i will get back with you guys about what kind of stuff was on it, and how bad i am freaking out!!!

i take mine tomorrow at 2pm. i can honestly tell you that i have never been so nervous in my life over one test!! i have done kaplan, been doing the q-bank, and got through the first 5 question trainers. i feel like if i looked at one more test or trainer that i might puke! so, i think that i am calling it a done deal, and let the NCLEX gods take over from here. what will be, will be, and is out of my hands now!!! so, good luck to all of us tomorrow. and hopefully, good news will come in 48 hours! (those of us in the quick results area!)

hhhmmmm...i wonder what school you go to, because that sounds exactly like my school and what the professors said... i just graduated, and took the exit HESI exam. all the same rules applied for us that they did for you (850, 3 times, etc). first, you are about to enter the hardest 2 years of your life. most of the time, that exit HESI will be the farthest thing from your mind.. for us, we did a mid term HESI that gave us a score, but didnt really count. it was just to let you know how you were doing. i got a really good score... for your professors to say it was about the basics, is just pure wrong, and i am sure they have never seen the questions. there was nothing basic about the questions. they were specific diseases (odd ones, that were not taught in school, and were never seen in clinicals), and you even had to know if some meds were compatible with others when administering. the class that just graduated with me, there were 120 of us. only 15 or so passed the HESI the first time. seriously, can the nursing school say that 105 students, most of us good solid B students all forgot the basics? i doubt that. dont stress the HESI. if you fail it the first time, there are things that have to be done to remediate to be able to take it the second time. there are several options for the first remediation (take a Kaplan course which is $350, do an online review course which is $99 depending on how long you sign up for, and attend a 3 day review course on campus which was $15). once one of those are done, and you show proof of attendance or passing, you are cleared to take it the second time. if you fail the second time, you have to show that you took all 50 HESI case studies, and passed with a 80. once you have shown all those, you are clear for graduation... here was my timeline. all during nursing school, i did the HESI case studies (some were required for my classes, the rest i did on my own). about 6 weeks before graduation, i signed up for the online review course, completed it, and got my completion certificate. we had our final on a monday, and i signed up for my HESI on wednesday. i failed with a 835. i immediately went and showed proof of my remediation. i was signed up for retake the following monday. i passed this time with a 899. as long as all those are accomplished before hand, it will only put you 3 or 4 days behind. not a big deal really. even if you fail both times, as long as all your remediation is done, you still graduate. it is not a do or die thing!! i remember when i went to my orientation, i heard so many things. for example, they said to quit your job, because if you work, you will fail. i worked full time, and managed to complete all my classes and graduate on time. they say all these things that are intimidating, so that you will freak out and study your butt off. but mostly what it does is send you in there defeated already! just remember, you earned your spot in that nursing program, and you deserve to be there. do what you are supposed to do, and you will be just fine. concentrate on the tasks before you now, and worry about the exit HESI when the time comes!! i assure you that during med surg, critical care, etc, i was worried about those classes' tests and finals, and the exit HESI never crossed my mine!!