Skrawberri

Hey guys, I have a question that I can't seem to find a straight answer for.... I just graduated in May 2008 and just got my license this past July. When I graduated, I was told that in 2 years time, I needed 24 CEUs. But then I have heard others say that I now need 24 hours at the end of September in order to renew my license!! Is this true? I only have about 16 right now and I'm freaking out! Can someone help me out here?

1. How many questions did you take on NCLEX? I had 75 questions 2. What study materials did you use? Did you take a test review course? I'll be honest... I didn't study as much as some on here say they have studied. I started really studying 3 days before the test! I did take a Sylvia Rayfield review course (paid for by my employer so it was free) and studied a little from Saunders. The Sylvia Rayfield Q&A book is AWESOME and thats what I studied 3 days before the test. 3. Did your SON offer any testing (ERI, ATI, HESI)? We did HESI. I failed all the HESIs except psych and the cumulative one, although I passed it on the second try. So there is hope for those who are worried bc they failed HESI! 4. How long did you wait for results of the test, or are you still waiting? 2 days 5. What were your thoughts coming out of the test (total disbelief, certainty you had failed, confident you had passed)? At first I wasnt sure. Just in shock that it shut off at 75 questions, lol. But I KNEW that I had failed. Out of 75 Q's I knew maybe, hmm, 5 answers??? lol. I literally went through the test and was like, hmmm that sounds good, Ill choose that one.... haha. I had 18 SATA which I, along with most ppl, are horrible at. Only had 1 calc, and lots and lots of med questions about side effects and teaching (which I am also bad at). Had 1 delegation, 2 infection control, and lots of priority near the end, which im actually pretty good at. Maybe thats what saved me?? lol It was a pure miracle of God that I passed because I literally did not think I did well at all and I KNOW that I didnt study as much as I probably should have... But then I passed, so who knows? 6. Was this your first attempt at NCLEX? Yes, and only one, thank God!

Passed with 75 q's just a few days ago. Was absolutely certain I had failed.... But I didnt, praise God!

This was my experience as well. I passed with 75Q's, found out yesterday. Did maybe 200 questions a few days before the test, took the test, KNEW that I failed it (like everyone else, apparently), had lots of SATA and med questions. But I passed. No Kaplan for me, I did take the Sylvia Rayfield course and it was ok.... Did a little bit from Saunders.... But after taking the NCLEX I really dont know what else I could have done to prepare more. It was just HARD.

I took the NCLEX-RN this past Wednesday and found out that I passed yesterday. I will tell you there is NO SURE WAY to study for this exam. I was a pretty good student in nursing school, ya know, mostly B's. I have a Saunders book that I kind of used. But I only started studying last Sunday... Probably would not suggest that for everyone, but when I took the test on Wednesday..... I knew maybe...hmmm.... 5 questions total, out of 75?? lol The rest I completely guessed on because they were out of nowhere! I had 18 SATA and many many med questions (which I will admit, I did not study alot of) like teaching and side effects. I walked out of that test KNOWING that I failed. I cried for two days and Thursday night I couldnt sleep! But I passed. How? I have no idea. But I know I didnt study as much as I should have, didnt use Kaplan or anything like it, just did a few questions here and there and yes, I crammed the night before... lol. But after taking the test, I dont know what else or how much more I could have studied to become "comfortable" because you can do 50,000 questions and still walk out "knowing" that you failed. Once you take the NCLEX, you will understand what Im saying!!!

I also took my exam at 8am today! I had 75 questions, too, but I have NO IDEA how I did. Every question seemed so random to me. I got alot of SATA (18) and alot of meds. Only one calculation though. I really have no idea how I did so I'm just going to have to wait and see.....

I just got home from taking the NCLEX.... I was SO CLUELESS during the whole ******* test, that I have no idea how I did. I got 75 questions, 18 of them were SATA and I SWEAR that every other question was a med question!! Side effects, correct teaching, blah blah blah... I have no idea how I did, and I'm freaking out right now because I seriously can't afford to fail... Im pregnant and expecting a baby in Dec and have alot of vaca time I need to accrue before then!!!

Just wanted to add... I took a review course a few weeks ago and the instructor told us that when she took the NCLEX, she got 265 q's and was a nervous wreck through the whole thing, only to find out later that she was in a "test batch" of test takers that the NCLEX people will do just for research purposes. They STILL do this..... So just because you got 265 q's does NOT mean you failed, you very well may be one of these test batch takers.

Well if they know instantly why the heck can't WE know instantly if we pass or not?? I mean, I'M the one that paid $300 to take the test!! Geez..... (sorry bout the rant lol)

Thanks for posting that link... It really helped to understand where the "computer" will be coming from!!!

It is the sputum culture for a confirmation of ACTIVE TB. I got the fact from a review question I was doing online. I chose X-ray, too, but nope, its the sputum culture. Just thought I'd point that out...

This is an awesome idea for a thread! 1. In prioritizing cardiac patients, check the pt with INDIGESTION first because that could be a sign of MI. 2. ABG's need to be placed on ice and sent to the lab ASAP. 3. If active TB is suspected, a sputum culture for acid-fast bacillus is the only metod to actually confirm active TB (NOT a mantoux skin test!) 4. Celebrex is contraindicted in pts with a history of cirrhosis. 5. In psych pts, the client most at risk for self-harm is always the pt that has stopped taking their meds. One more! :) 6. Change in resp rate in a pt receiving mag sulfate could indicate toxicity.

Yep, 70%. Thank goodness I made a 946 which equaled a 94.6 for that 70%. It was during our last semester so the only thing big we had that semester was preceptorship (240 hrs, sheesh) and a few seminars and a couple papers, which made up the other 30%. So needless to say I slacked off on the other 30% and still made an A that semester! It was my first 4.0 all my college years... Although it was only one grade! haha

Thanks for the reply! Do you think MedsPub helped prepare you for the NCLEX?

I havent taken boards yet, but I've heard that the HESI is harder. But my gosh I hope so, the HESI I took was so ******* hard!!! I was sweating the whole way through it... Of course the HESI score was 70% of our grade!!

Hey guys, I take the test July 9 and have been TRYING to study.... But I was wondering if any of you guys are using MedsPub to study for boards? We had it all through school (it was assigned for us to do). And now the school is letting us do MedsPub during the summer to study for boards. Anyone using MedsPub or has used MedsPub and then taken the test?? If so, did it help on boards? Some of the questions are pretty hard so it makes me think they might be like NCLEX questions. thanks!

Ok.. I have the NCLEX Candidate Bulletin from Pearson Vue and Im just not sure what the heck it is saying! I graduate May 10, 2008... It says to submit an application for licensure in the state you wish to be licensed. For me, this is Alabama. Then it says I can register for the NCLEX exam. Ummmmm when am I supposed to send in the state license application? Now? After graduation? It says I have to send in a completed transcript which I wont get until after graduation! So then I register for the NCLEX Exam AFTER I graduate, once I hear back from the Alabama board of nursing??? Soo confused!! Can anyone help me?? I am on scholarship with a hospital and they want me to tak the NCLEX a.s.a.p after graduation, within 30 days.. is this possible?? thanks!!! just freakin out here...

I go to Auburn, too, and I'm about to graduate in May and from all the schools that have come to talk to us trying to get us to work for them, the highest I've heard is Birmingham (UAB) at $19.85 an hour. It's a cryin' shame, I tell ya. I work at EAMC as a tech and make $8.66. Now THAT is a shame... I make less changing old man diapers than I did folding pants as a clerk at Dillards. New grads at EAMC make $18.77 an hour with $3 diff nights and $1 diff on weekends. But I am on scholarship here so they paid my tuition and my husband is in school for 2 more years, so it works out great for me. Plus we live in a trailor and aren't big spenders so it really is in your perspective and personal spending habits. :) I do plan on traveling in a couple years, though, so I'm sure I can make it til then!

I don't have much advice for you, but I would try to go ahead and apply for CRNA school just with your NICU experience. There have been plenty of people that have gotten in with NICU experience only. If you don't get in with that, then try a big person ICU. :)

At the medsurg unit I work at there are no more than 6 patients per nurse. We can't get more than that. If we are short on nurses, we just stop accepting patients on our floor.

It depends entirely on the school and your instructors. I go to a well-known school in the south and I am in the BSN program. There is also a local community college that has an ASN program and I work at the hospital with some of the people that go to the CC. I actually think this particular CC is harder than my school. The CC tests differently (essays, fill in the blank, etc) and ALL of our tests are multiple choice scantron tests. We right a few more papers, but their projects are INSANE. Much more detailed than our projects are. The BSN program I go to is a piece of cake. I have never studied more than maybe 2 days before a test (ok, mostly the night before!) and I'm doing perfectly fine. We do get alot more clinical time though. So like I said, it all depends!!

I just got married last December after my first semester of nursing school. Legally, I have changed my name. My new name is the one I use everywhere outside of school. But at school, I have just left my maiden name as the one I use. Partly because I'm lazy, but mostly because that's what my teachers know me by and also I want my degree to have my maiden name on it. For some reason, that is important to me. :)

It's great that people who are older are getting into nursing! Good for you. :) I will be 22 when I graduate from a very traditional BSN program from Auburn University. There are 70 people in my class, and everyone is around the same age.

...and got me a little interested :) I am a senior in a BSN program, graduating in May 2008. Every week hospitals will come to my school (Auburn University.. war eagle!) and serve us lunch and basically talk about their hospital and why we should work for them. This week, someone from the Navy came to speak with us. She was a Chief Officer and has been in the navy for 18 years. She basically explained a bunch about it, the pay, benefits, a $30,000 4 year sign on bonus, etc. But of course, a room full of mostly girls is wanting to know if we will be deployed to Iraq. She said there are only a handful of navy nurses in Iraq (she said a low number.. either 12 or 35, can't remember). Is this true?? She said you can choose where you want to be stationed at.... won't be onboard a ship (she said there are either 12 or 35 nurses on all the ships combined... can't remember which number)... Is all this true?? Alot of what she said sounded a little too good to be true, but maybe not?? She said after graduation you go to OIS?? an officer training thing for 5 weeks. Doesn't sound too bad. Oh yeah, and after 6 years, making $78,000 a year?? As a nurse?? Is THAT true?? Because if it is, I'm in! I guess I'm just wondering.. Are there any navy nurses out there that can back up these facts and maybe give some more info?? How do you like navy nursing?? And this may be a dumb question but.... Who are you seeing, typically, in a navy medical hospital?? Military ppl and their families?? If you can't tell, I'm CLUELESS with anything military.. Nobody in my family was ever in the military and none of my friends either!! So it is totally different from what I know. Thanks a bunch!!

I am a senior in a BSN program and I'm almost finished with my last semester of nursing classes before I do my preceptorship in the spring. You do run into a bit of science... Clinical Physiology (some schools call it Pathophysiology) was pretty hard. It was like one semester of A&P 1 and 2 combined. But then again I had a superhard teacher, I barely survived! Other than that, like the Med/Surg, Peds, and OB and Psych classes were all pretty to the point about assessment and a bit about disease processes, signs/symptoms, etc. I thought pre-nursing was definitely harder than nursing school! But it all depends on which college you go to. Goodluck with nursing!! It's great!!