Blondie24

I guess the feeling of wanting to break through to someone is because I want to have a work environment that I actually enjoy being in. We as nurses spend alot of time with each other. It would just be nice to be able to go to work feeling comfortable and at ease, not just "existing" or "tolerating" each other. I help people on my unit because I truly want to be part of the team effort, not because I feel I have to scratch people's back, so they'll scratch mine. In terms of being a doormat, I just meant that although I don't want to rock the boat at work as the new person, I also know that I need to stand up for myself when the situation arises. Otherwise the bullies will think it's acceptable to treat me that way all the time. There is a fine line between both.

So, I'm a New Grad RN working in Critical Care. I feel so overwhelmed and today was the first day I left work and cried all the way home. The Unit Secretary and some (but fortunately not all) of the other staff RN's are putting me through the ringer! WHY?!?! Today the Unit Secretary was yelling at me because I was using the "small box" method to interpret an EKG strip. She told me I was wrong not to use the 300, 150,... method. Why does she care which method I use? Other staff RN's won't even acknowledge me when I say hello. I am making every attempt to be polite to everyone even if they are being nasty back. I'm not sure what to do or how to break through to these nurses. I always offer to help my team and ask questions when I am unsure of something. I make it a point to thank each person that offers help to me in return. I don't want to rock the boat as the "new" person, but I also don't want to be a doormat. Please help!

You had Dr. **** for Kaplan review? So did I! She's great! Did you go to MSMC by chance?

Just curious if there has been an false positives.

1. First as foremost, believe in yourself!! You were smart enough to get through nursing school and you will succeed at this, as well. Unfortunately, no matter how much you study, you cannot possibly learn everything. It's impossible. And you will never feel 100% ready to take the test. You just have prepare as adequately as possible and bite the bullet. Again, having faith in yourself is key. 2. Adequately prepare, but give yourself time outs too. You need balance. If you study all day, everyday, then give yourself the nights off. LaCharity is a must. Kaplan is good. I found Exam Cram to be so-so. Make flashcards. Review content of questions you missed. Try your best to understand the rationales to every question, whether you got it right or wrong. 3. Surround yourself with positive people and a good support system. 4. Eat a balanced diet EVERY DAY and stay hydrated. When I sat down to take practice tests, I had a bottle of water, protein bars, fruit and/or veggies. 5. Every 50 questions, get up and take a QUICK break. Use the restroom, get the blood flowing, stretch. It gives your mind a few minutes to rejuvenate. 6. After #5...try working your way up to 75....and then 100. Once you can complete 100 without a break, then maintain that. It will simulate the actual test day (you get a break @ 2hrs and 3.5 hrs). On test day, you can take breaks before 2 hrs...its up to you. 7. 1 week prior to test day, do a dry-run to the testing center. Pretend it is test day. Leave your house the same time you would on the actual day. This lets you get a feel for traffic, etc. On test day, you are required to be there 30 mins early for check-in. Factor in this time on the dry-run too. Find out where to park, how much parking costs, etc. Take your ID and ATT and go into the test center. They don't mind. Ask them to look over your ID and ATT to make sure there are no conflicts. You don't want this complication on test day. Going inside the test center allows you get familiar with the surroundings. It will take away a little test-day anxiety. Also, locate where the restroom is in the building. 8. The night before the test, get a good night's sleep! Personally, I know that the evening prior to big events, I always have a hard time sleeping. I took 1 (and only 1) Tylenol PM. It helped me sleep without leaving me groggy the next day. Take a hot shower. Eat a light, healthy meal. No alcohol. Enjoy some time with your loved ones or friends. 9. Test Day: a) Eat a balanced breakfast. Carbs will give you energy, but protein is your brain food. b) Do 10 (and ONLY 10!) practice questions when you get up. While some people may disagree, doing 10 questions gets your neurons firing and wakes your mind up. You're not doing it to review, but just get the wheels moving. c) Try to relax!! d) And most importantly AGAIN --- Believe in yourself!! Good Luck!! Oh, and I got 83 questions. :)

Congrats to you, as well!! It's a great feeling, isn't it?!?

My official results (I'm in Cali) were posted online this morning (@ 0400).....I am officially an RN! After taking the NCLEX on 1/26/11, I immediately and repeatedly did the PVT and got the "good pop-up." Not believing it was true, I wanted to wait for official results to confirm.....and let me say the trick works! For those still awaiting, have faith!!

Just received my official results....PVT works!!! Believe in it! Can't believe I'm an RN!! Woo hoo!

Apparently, I can't type today though. Sorry for the poor grammar and punctuation. I'm tired, LOL

I just graduated and interview yesterday for a position in Critical Care. I was hired for the position today! This particular offered an internship while I was in nursing school, which I participated in. Having your foot in the door and maintaining your contacts is essential! I also did hospital volunteer work, flu clinics, etc. I maintained a 3.7 GPA throughout nursing and had several instructors write a letter of recommendation. Both of this help, as well. Also, get certified before graduating.....BLS, ACLS, PALS, NRP, Stroke certification, EKG. Anything that will make you stand out. Good luck, hope this helps.

You're in Cali and tested Tuesday? I'm in Cali as well and tested on Wednesday. I'm hoping to see my results online tomorrow or Monday hopefully! Got the good pop up in the meantime!

Four days?! I was hoping it would be sooner! LOL

I took mine in Pasadena. :)

That is the same pop-up got, as well, Hula.

Does anyone in CA now how long after taking the NCLEX does it take the Board to post your license number on their website?