brina

I need any infomation on the hesi exit exam if anyone has taken it. We have to have a 950 or better in order to get our degree and take state boards and have 3 shots at taking the test. Most other schools only have to have 850, so can anyone please help me.

I work in the Pediatric ICU and the nurse who initially fills the order is the one who notes it. Finally a 24 hour chart review is done on all orders for the past 24 hrs by the nite nurses anytime after 12 am.

I am so sorry that you didn't pass. I know that the news had to be absolutely devastating. Take your moment (or two) to mourn and grieve, but then you must DEFINITELY move on. This is by no means the end, and it does not define you. When you are able to look at the situation objectively and without so much emotion, try to analyze what exactly was the problem. Did you read more into the question? Did you answer based on "real world nursing" instead of "textbook nursing"? Did you not know the content? or Did you have a hard time with prioritizing? Answering these questions will help you focus on what you need to the next time. Now here's the advantages of having to take the test again. Fear of the unknown can be absolutely crippling! You don't have that fear anymore. You know what to expect. You know the type of questions that are asked, and you know the manner in which they are asked. When I took it, it took me a long time while I was taking it to get used to the WAY that they were asking the questions. NCLEX questions are nothing like school, Kaplan, or Saunders. It is truly a unique test. My prayers are with you, and while I can imagine how you feel, I thank God that I don't exactly know how you feel. But I realize that up until last nite, it definitely could have been me in your position. Good luck! Oh yeah.... you mentioned in your post that you felt good about the test afterward and that you took 75 questions. At 75, it usually indicates that you did really well, or really bad since the computer was able to tell that u were above or below the passing standard in the minimum amount of questions. Since it turns out that u were below the passing standard, try to go over some of the questions or your feelings when you took the questions. Why were u so confident? Did u REALLY KNOW the answers or did you take a guess? Did you answer too quickly? Did you mis-read the questions? Once again, i know that u will not be able too ask yourself these questions until you are through with the emotional part of not passing. Good luck again. Brina

Hi Raingel. I know exactly how you feel. I took my NCLEX on March 1st too, and my state also does not subscribe to the quick results. So i was having to check my state BON website daily. I waited and waited checking everyday and then on the 7th day (last nite at 7:30to be exact) they posted the results. How it works is like this: As someone else mentioned, if u have a temporary license issued to you you can check on your BON website, and see your name, social and expiration date of the permit. When the results have been posted, and you click on your permit status, it will say something about not recognizing your social in that particular database. That is when u know that the results are in. Thats when u should click on the Registered Nursing license verification and put your social in, if u see your name and an expiration date you know u passed, if that database does not recognize your social, then u did not pass. I was concerned like you, wondering if the reason my name was not on the RN licensure database, meant that i had failed. But thats not true. As long as you can access your temp. permit on that website, the results are not in. When u no longer can, the moment of truth has arrived. Good luck to you, and be encouraged. I was sure that i had failed with 160 questions, that i felt like I had guessed 90% on. By the grace of God, I passed, and you will too. Let us know the good news when u find out. Brina, RN

THANK YOU EVERYBODY!!!! I yelled it, did everyone hear it? This place is like my family. I barely told my hubby and mommy before I jumped on the computer to tell you guys!! lol To everyone who is scheduled to take the test in the near future, my prayers are with you. I had many prayers going up for me, and it was so comforting this past week. So know that you too, have many prayers going for you. Good luck! Brina RN !!

It's officially OVER..... I passed the NCLEX. After a week of waiting for the results, I just found out tonight. Thanks to everyone for the prayers, warm wishes and supportive, kind words. Allnurses was there for me as a nursing student, graduate nurse, and now RN. Thank you. Thank you Jesus!! I can now officially write.... legally write... Brina RN :balloons:

Thanks Pitbullgirl, and to everyone else that has replied. Exactly one week later and I am STILL waiting for the results. I have been told by former classmates that have taken the test that our state board updates their databases on Friday at 6pm. Sooooo, that means TWO MORE DAYS of not knowing. I just pray that when i put my social in that RN license verification box, that i'm recognized. You guys.... this is just awful, I am so scared. I'm trying to put on a front for my hubby and kids, but there are moments when it hits me that I literally don't know if i'll be working in the same capacity when I go to work next week. Pay just cut all the waaaaaaay down to $9 an hour!! Well, thanks you guys for your words of encouragement, and congrats to everyone who has found out that they have passed. Brina

CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!! I am soo happy for you. I can imagine how happy you must be that it is FINALLY all over. I pray that i will be in your position soon. Again a big congrats!! Brina

Hello Zarina and ArmyKitten..... Yep, this waiting game SUCKS!! We just have so much riding on the results, and its so hard to concentrate on anything else because my future is so up in the air! Its been 4 days today and i'm kind of numb. I'm just trying to keep breathing and walk with one foot in front of the other. Good luck to all of us. I pray to God that this NCLEX test will be the completion of our nursing school journey's. To think about having to re-take this test literally makes me sick to my stomach. Let's keep each other posted! Good thoughts to you guys! Brina

Thanks you guys for your words of encouragement. I know that God did not bring me this far to leave me, but if I failed I failed because I did not help myself. I truly did not do everything that I could have and should have done to prepare for the test. This is day #1 after the NCLEX, and i'm trying to put things into perspective. You know...."what's the worst thing that can happen if you fail?" Are you gonna die if you fail?". Those kinds of questions I ask myself. Its not the end of the world, and no matter what, i'm going to be ok. I'll just have to pick myself up, dust myself off, and go for it again. Again, thanks you guys. Through my tears yesterday, I felt good reading your replies. I'll let u all know the outcome. Brina........ NURSE Brina

Hey everybody. Just got through with the NCLEX..... Let me say this 1st. I graduated Dec. 16th, of '05, and I live in Louisiana. Well, because of Hurricain Katrina, all paperwork that goes through the state is late. So I was late getting my temporary license and late getting my ATT, which meant it was going to be late before I could take NCLEX. When I 1st graduated I was very confident about the NCLEX. Now almost 3 months later and working full time I'm not. The test was AWFUL. I felt like I guessed on about 90% of the test. It stopped on 160 or 162 and I don't even think I got the last question right. So, i've read all about the people whose test stopped on 75, 85 or 265, but I have not ever heard anything about the 160's. I really think i've failed you guys! Whats even worse is instead of just my family and friends knowing I failed, everyone at work will know I failed, my pay will be cut down more than half, and i'm going to be a nurse tech instead of a graduate nurse. I am so sad, and depressed. I really feel like if I was able to take my test in January, that I would have done much better. It was like the 2nd week in Feb. before we received our ATT's. Oh well.... thanks for listening. Brina

RNA = RN Applicant This is what my title is until I take (and pass) the NCLEX. You work as an RN with RN pay and privileges, but you're just an app!!

My biggest pet-peeve after reading a lot of these posts, is how it seems to be okay and accepted to make vast generalizations about BSN students or BSN prepared nurses! It has really teed me off time and time again when I read some of these comments from people who LOVE to say all kind of negative things about BSN's. Everyone chose their particular entry into the nursing practice for whatever reasons..... if you are TRULY comfortable and happy with the path that YOU chose, then I feel that you would not feel the need to constantly find ways to down the BSN's (be it the program itself or the nurses) just to somehow try to elevate your particular educational choice! I personally think that people who tend to down others are doing so out of jealousy and/ or insecurities about their own whatever.... you fill in the blank. I am proud to be a BSN graduate, I will be proud to be a RN (as soon as I take my NCLEX),....... I will be proud to be whatever I choose to be and I DON"T have to down ADN's or LPN's to feel that way. The differences in the educational levels are indeed differences, if it weren't then they would all be called the same, right! There's absolutely no need to say "Well, the ADN and the BSN programs are the same except those BSN's have "fluff" classes" or "We ADN's have much better clinical skills than those BSN's and yada yada yada. Anyway.... that is probably my biggest pet peeve since I have entered into this wonderful world of nursing. I have just started my 1st nursing job in the PICU and I am sure that in a couple of months I will have others, lol!! :) Brina BSN Graduate....... and PICU RNA!!!!

Hello Salsaking. By being a nursing student you are entitled to tons of loans, programs, and grants. These vary in the amount of money you receive, but you can DEFINITELY live off of them. I am married and the mom of 2 and I just graduated from a BSN program on December 16th and we managed pretty well. I had to quit my job once I got into clinicals, because you are right, it is very demanding and alot of times you just can't do both. You can apply for a pell grant that will probably cover your tuition and you can also apply for a Federal Stafford Loan that shoul at least be a couple of thousand. There are also Perkins Loans (these are loans that will be "forgiven" as long as you work as a RN in the state that you reside. A certain amount is paid back to the institution from the state until it is paid off) There is a lot of financial aid that is available to you, and a lot that is available especially for nursing majors. Go and talk to your financial aid dept. at your school, and they can tell you about everything including scholarships, and some of those are need based. Good luck! If I can do it, anyone can! Brina

Thank you everyone for your replies. I feel alot better now, about opting out of the review course. I had to hurry and make a decision because my money is due on Dec.1st.... so time was running out. I am the type who studies independently. I don't really like study groups and I don't get too much out of them. I have the NCLEX made insanely easy CD, and the questions from our ATI Comprehensive Predictor. I just figure that its about applying the information.... that you can't really "STUDY" per se because they can ask 1000 questions in 1000 different ways about lets say.... myasthenia gravis. So the best thing is for you to know about myasthenia gravis. I don't know if I'm making any sense, but I am pretty good at taking tests and critically thinking. I just now have to find the best material to study about facts. Thanks again everybody! Brina..... December 16th.... Here I COME !!!!

Hello! I will be graduating from a BSN program in about 3 weeks!!! December 16th!! I am considering NOT taking the Hurst Review or the Sylvia Rayfield course, and instead studying on my own. Has anyone studied on their own and passed the 1st time? I am a pretty good critical thinker and I feel that its knowing the material that is important. They can ask a question a hundred different ways but the facts will always remain the same... you just have to apply it. I am pretty good with applying the knowledge. Please tell me if you or someone you know took the NCLEX RN and passed without taking a review course. Thanks! Brina

All of the hospitals in my area will not hire new graduates in the PACU. You have to have at least 2 yrs experience in the ER or critical care before you work in the PACU. All of the hospitals however, will hire new grads in the NICU. Congrats on your December graduation, I will be graduating too on Dec. 16th. Good luck!

Hi everybody. I will start working in the PICU as a RN in January. I wanted to know if any you recommended any books..... or recommend ANYTHING for a new graduate nurse in the PICU. There are a vast amount of disease processes as well as a number of trauma issues that could land a child in the ICU. I am sooooo excited, and any suggestions from you all who work in there or who have worked in there will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!! Brina BSN GRADUATE next MONTH !!!!!???????

After graduation, you need to get at least a year of floor experience. After that... the possibilities are endless. You can very well become a charge nurse or move into management positions, etc. There are a lot of positions that want 2 to 3 yrs experience for the position but having a BSN substitutes for a yr of the experience. Whatever aspirations you have, the door is open to you by you having your BSN. There are some positions that are MSN preferred, but a BSN is the minimum qualification. If you have more experience in your field, it is possible that you can get this job too. I too, will graduate with a BSN next month, and I am sooooo excited. I had planned to continue on for my masters but I am so sick of school right now, lol, that I think I am just going to have to make this BSN work for me! I have accepted a position in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, and I can see lots of possibilities that will be open to me after a yr or 2 of experience. Consider getting certified after a few yrs. in your field, that can bolster your resume and credentials even more. Good luck to you! I hope that you are excited by our future as much as I am! Brina

Hi Leo! I'm sorry that you are not sure what area you want to pursue after graduation. I too will be a BSN graduate next month!! I never really had a rotation through school that made me say "yes, this is exactly what I want to do." But, there were elements in a lot of them that I really liked. For example, I loved the postpartum part of my Women's Health rotation. I didn't particularly care for Labor and Delivery, but I loved postpartum. What I liked about it was the teaching aspect of it... there was ALWAYS something that you needed to educate the client on. So what I did was tuck this away in my memory. Next rotation was Critical Care.... what I liked about this one was that there was always something to do without you being so busy that nothing could get done, say for example on a med-surg floor with 6 or 7 pts. I liked that you had to chart every hour, and that there was always some sort of procedure / med/ charting that needed to be done every hour or two. Time went by really fast for me in the ICU. What I didn't like about it was the adult patients (I either wanted to work with women or peds). I've always liked peds so i knew that I wanted to incorporate something with peds, just not the floor. So anyway,when it came time to choose areas for our preceptorship I chose PICU for my 1st choice and NICU for my 2nd. Well, I am precepting in the Pediatric ICU....and I absolutely love it! So much so that I have accepted a position there after graduation. So my advice to you is to go over all your past clinical experiences and write down what you liked and disliked about each of them. First of all, you will narrow the areas down by at least knowing what you DON'T want to do. Next, look at all the things that you like and see if there is an area that incorporates any of those things. Just like I took the best of what I liked and discovered the PICU, I hope that you make your discovery too. Good luck! Please let me know what areas you come up with after you make your list. Brina

I didn't think that the article was insulting. I think that it was very truthful. The fact is, there are not many fields where you can make $20 + an hour without a college degree. College degree meaning the standard 4yr. education. I didn't know when I was 18, 19, 20, that nurses made pretty good money, and I DEFINITELY didn't know that I could do it with a 2 yr. education. If I did, I probably would have went the AD nurse route at 18. In high school, the push is for students to go to college and become doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. To make the $50,000 a yr starting salary, most students tend to think that a Bachelors degree (at the least) is the only way to do it. I know that I did. It was almost like a well kept secret about the Associates Degree nursing program and that you could make a good living with it. So, lets be honest and realize and recognize that the nursing profession is one of very few that you can make this type of money with the capability of making much more ($100,00 plus with agency, travel, overtime), with having a diploma certificate, or 2yr.degree. I don't think the article said that nursing was easy, or that it didn't take intelligence to do, .... just that it was a field that a person could get into without lots of education.

Well... I think that it is much better for you to recognize this about yourself, and not put the students or yourself in the situation of having to precept. I don't think there is nothing worse (for either party) than to have someone take students that does not like to have students. It will be a miserable experience for the nurse as well as the student. So, I respect the fact that not only do you know that you prefer not to take students, but you actually DON'T take them. Brina BSN Graduate, Dec 16th !!!!! 7 WEEKS TO G0!!!!

Thanks for all the congrats!! I really am excited.... I can't believe I have a job..... and as a nurse!! lol I graduate Dec.16th. I am going to enjoy my last Christmas and New Years of not having to work, lol, and we have scheduled for Sylvia Rayfield to come for NCLEX Review on Jan. 4, 5, and 6. I believe that the NCLEX can be taken the next day. So on January 7, I will hopefully take and pass the NCLEX. I really would rather not wait too long, or let too much time pass after school before the NCLEX. I am scared that if I don't I will get out of the school / study mode... not to mention that I am kind of a procrastinator. Gosh.... 10 weeks till graduation!! Brina PICU RN 2 B.... heee heee sounds good, huh?

Just wanted to give you guys the update. I had the interview with the NICU nurse manager today..... and was offered the job on the spot. However, she told me that she did not want to snatch me away from the PICU nurse manager and that she was going to go and talk to her and let her know that if she didn't make a move and hire me soon, that she was going to hire me in the NICU. Well.... the PICU nurse manager officially offered me the job today, too. She brought the papers and everything. She told me that she had a lot going on the past 2 weeks, and was just not able to officially get with me, but that she really wanted me to work in that unit. So........ I accepted!! I am now OFFICIALLY hired in the PICU (which was always my 1st love). Although I would have loved working in the NICU too. I am excited, but I still kind of wonder in the back of mind if I made the right decision. Thanks again to everyone who responded to me in my original post. Brina

llg- yes, both units are accustomed to orienting new grads. Both units take precepting 5th level students, who (usually) in turn tend to work there as new grads. The NICU is a 40 bed level 3 NICU. This facility is in the process of starting a children's hospital, and has hired pediatric surgeons and the like. There is lots of construction going on and the NICU has already been renovated and will stay in its present location, but the PICU is in the process of expanding. Its about a 10 to 13 bed unit. (Functions best at 10, and when they have 12 pts. they usually are needing help from peds floor. When the new PICU unit opens I don't know how many beds it will have. They are expecting it to open in January which is when I will also start working as a RN. Well, everyone. I called the NICU manager and told her that I was precepting in the PICU, and that I was calling to schedule an interview. I told her that no formal offer has been made to me in the PI and that I would love to work in either place. I told her that I did not want to wait to long to secure a job, and that I wanted to explore my options. She said of course, and that she understood, that she has pulled my application, etc. etc. She is really easy to talk to and seems to be a pleasant person to work for. So I will interview with her on Friday. I really want to thank everyone for your comments and suggestions. Believe me I have taken you alls advice today, and I'm sure I will use some of what you guys said when I talk to her on Friday. I love ALLNURSES!! Brina