Hi, i have read lots of forms on this website and has healped me a lot to stand up and have the courage to study and get my licence so i would like to thank every one on this site who supports the cause.
So in my third try i passed NCLEX, to all the peoplel who is going through what i had, firstly i wana say never ever give up cause graduating from a nursing school is really big, and all who has graduated i beleave are very hard working and have a lot of knowledge.
Kaplan has very good stragy for taking the NCLEX, if u cannot afford the pakage than just get the book, and if u cannot afford the book or don't wan't to buy it than leand it from ur local library or go to a book store and read it and write down the main steps.
Kaplan questions are much toughfer than NCLEX and really makes you think and have good rationales (that i have to give it to them)
NCLEX questions are more like questions from NCSBN Learning Extention, Saunders and exam cram (i wouldn't suggest exam cram because i have found couple of questions with having incorect answers, which makes me dought other questions that i don't know if the questions are right or wrong....did it half way and left it cause i didn't trust it). i have said these three have questions like NCLEX style but i never the exact same question. Saunders is great but questions are little easier than the actual NCLEX.
This was my study plan, it took me 2 and half months.
1. take atleast 2 month with minimum of 5 hrs of sudying (every day).
2. or 3 months with atleast 4 hours of studying. (every day)
3. get saunders comprehensive (i found that saunders was the best, got to have the CD) and review each and every system in the book and do the question at the back of each chapter....about meds i'll talk about it later.
4. if you are getting atleast 75% correct (numbers of question divided by total number of questions and multiply with 100) move to the CD and use the study mode for the specific system and just do all the questions.
5. i finished all the system in a month and half excluding OB, Psyc and Ped.
6. after finishing studying the system go on the same CD and practice questions in test mode.
7. Get the book " Pritriozation and deligation, by linda lachaty"
8. each day i did one chapter, if the question were less than 25 i did 2 chapter. Same day i did 50 questions from saunders Qand A review for NCLEX CD (not the coprehensive) on safety and infection controle or physioligical adaptation.... part which i wasn't strong in.
9. once you have 2 weeks left for exam date i started studying for meds and OB, Psyc, and peds.
10. Make flash cards for meds....really a must to have.....take them with you and read it over and over again when ever you can......oh get ur Lab values on the flash cards too..... and important S/S for diseases like diabeties (meds a must), hypo and hyper thyroid, cushings and addison, MI.
11. during the two weeks i only did 50 or sometime more question from the saunders Qand A review for nclex CD.
* In meds know the general clasification like beta blockers, SSRI's, ACE inhibitors...what are their major side effects, and ur nursing interventions. cause u cannot learn every drug and if u can that's good for you. But there are some important drugs that u have to know like insulins(esp when does it peak), digoxin theraputic level, toxic effect, S/S of toxic effect, lithium, tegratol, flosamax, diamox, and others.....u'll know which drugs are important when doing practice question.
Well that's how i studied and give ur exam with confident. GOOD LUCK
