lovinsickfolks

Tested on 7/10/09, passed with 75 questions. It took me an hour and 45 minutes. No math, 8-10 SATA, 1 drag & drop, 19 pilot questions.

Thanks everybody. What a relief it is because I'm not a good test taker. You see I have challenged neurons. I'm 54 years old, TII diabetic, menopausal and God only knows what else besides hard-headed. To prepare for NCLEX I used Kaplan qbank, worked the whole 1K questions, read all the rationales and reworked the incorrect ones 2 and 3 times. My average was still only 62%. After reading advice here, I bought the Linda McCharity book for Nursing Mng'mt. I already had the LWW book of 250 Alternate Format questions. After reading this thread every day, I did my questions then I read the CDC website for endless hours boning up on Transmission Precautions and Immunizations. I memorized the nmemonics, My Chicken Hez TB and SPIDERMAN. Also, I hand wrote a page of the diseases that surprise me to only be standard precautions. I reviewed the Bioterriosm guidelines and made mental notes about odd things such as cohorting with pt's allergic to latex. Two days before my test, I had a mini family reunion at my house. My family kept me busy and my mind off medical stuff. We played catch up on family gossip and went places to keep the little kids occupied. The night before my 0800 exam I worked a few IV titration problems and settled in for a night of toss-n-turn. My husband had agreed to drive me to the Pearson ofc so I could warm my brain up on the way there. I'm not a morning person so I was concerned about that. I only semi-freaked one time during my exam. Other NCLEX takers were finished, leaving when I was at question 40 something. I calmed myself and put my attention back on my test. At question #72 I began to think about a potty break if it didn't cut off at #75. #73 was another SATA, #74 was a med I'd heard of but didn't know its implications...I sweated bullets, made an educated guess and clicked next. Question #75 was so easy I could've gotten it right in Intro to Nursing. I paused and said the nclex prayer....yea the same one every nursing student knows. When I clicked "next" the screen did electronic somersaults and landed on a blank gray screen before telling me I had 19 pilot questions and wanting my answers to Pearson's performance review. After an hour and 45 minutes of NCLEX I came home and obsessively read this forum until it was time to do The Pearson Trick. After getting the pop-up, I "happy-danced", texted my nurse friends for a debriefing and called my family to tell them. Oh, I took a nap too. Still trying to make up for all the sleep I lost while doing Care Plans! Yesterday, I paid the 8 bucks and read the words "passed". You would think Pearson would at least yell it as "PASSED"!!! I yelled it to my family with high-fivin, fist-bumpin, hugging, kissing. Then I announced it on MySpace and Facebook. All and all my NCLEX was a positive experience I'll remember for the rest of my life.

I couldn't stand it anymore, I paid the $8 bucks for my quick results. I am a Registered Nurse.:anpom::anpom::anpom::anpom::anpom: hey cowgirl...i bet you're heat index in Oregon is much more comfortable today than our triple digits. I took my NCLEX with several Kansas testers. I live at the Top of Texas where the Texas, Okies and Kansanites come together.

Hey cowgirl...I think we had the same NCLEX test...lol. I'm in The Lone Star State, you?

I started at 0835 and finished at 0945. Had 75 questions...8-10 SATA, Prioritization was the bulk of my questions, no math but several meds I wasn't super familiar with or their nursing implications, infection control of adult and pedi, a few psyche, more teaching than I expected, 1 women's health and 1 OB lab. Just did the Pearson Vue Trick and I got the pop-up. What a great intervention for post-nclex syndrome. My thanks to the "smart cookie-nurse" who figured that out. Doin an apprehensive "happy dance". I used many of the NCLEX study resources other "AllNurses" members advised. Kaplan qbank and read rationales, Prioritization, Delegation Assignment by LaCharity, Kaplan NCLEX-RN medications, LWW NCLEX-RN 250 New Format Questions, CDC website, last but not least...AllNurses student threads with posts containing NCLEX review content.

I'm 54 and just graduated from nursing school. Upside, I know many of the meds & procedures because I've had them. Never blinked an eye in OR rotation, just glad I wasn't the one on the table this time. Also, older students usually do better in psyche nursing classes just because we have a better understanding of human behavior R/T length of exposure! Downside, neurons are menopausal. I recorded lectures, read every chapter and used flashcards. The other big challenge was my energy level on clinical days. Yea, after staying up half the night writing my Care Plan. I spent my free time learning how to do CP's faster because I needed sleep, not a Redbull before report at 0630. My advice, ask other students for help/advice. You will level yourself to your classmates and not be viewed as their mother or teacher. My dearest friends are nurses the age of my grown children. Its about common interest and age doesn't change that in a person. Nursing school was the hardest yet best thing I ever did for myself. Go for it!!!

Good luck Perkie...I'm praying for ya. Don't forget to exhale!!!

I take NCLEX-RN this Friday, 7/10/09 at 8 am. Gettin a little giddy when I look at the calendar. Can somebody pass me the Xanax salt-lick...pretty please!!!