justwandering31

Just wondering if your girlfriend took her exam on Friday the 27th? Was hoping to hear some good news about her test.

The RNs on my preceptor unit in school who had graduated within the last year or 2 told me ATI is what they used to study. My school used ATI throughout the program to test our knowledge. I also used Saunders books to study for NCLEX too. I think all the different study options out there are good, and in the end about the same. You just need to find what works for you. If it is ATI then use it, I know it has worked for some.

People's religious/cultural beliefs may be in conflict with your own beliefs and values. For instance if parents don't want to give their child blood products or certain tests. How would you feel if someone chose to forgo a treatment you knew would save their life?

To add on to my previous post, she really needs to not read into the question. This is hard when you are nervous about a test. This being her second time must be making it that much worse. I am not a good test taker so I can empathize. I did pass NCLEX and I really feel that it is because I took the questions at face value. The answer will always be one of the ABC..Ds when it is priority, or Maslows order, or which will kill the patient first, etc. I am saying this because I know when I get nervous I tend to overlook the obvious answer and talk myself into the answer that my mind makes look the best (usually the "other right" but not "as right" answer - FYI, there are usually 2 right answers, one is just more important). The questions are made to give the tester a chance to prove minimum competence. This means they aren't going to give real complicated/tricky questions. So, if you are looking at the question thinking it is too hard, your probably reading into it too much. I know if she was able to get through nursing school, she is able to pass this test. I wish her good luck on the retake.

I don't want to make light of the fact that she may not be ready to retake NCLEX but my understanding is that Kaplan has harder questions. Has she looked to see what score is considered "good" on those tests? I did Saunders review books and I think it was a score in the 70s that indicated a good chance of passing NCLEX. I think Kaplan may have been lower. I'm just saying this because I don't think she should expect to get a 100% Is it possible that she has the info down but needs additional help with test taking skills? I found that to be as big a part of the test as the actual nursing knowledge. If she is overthinking the question or reading into it wrong then it won't matter how much she knows.

I would study the suffixes. Example: -lol = Beta Blocker, -pril = ace inhibitor, etc. There are lists you can find online, just search "drug suffixes list".

I am not a good "test taker" but, I studied Saunder's content review book and did over 3000 questions between that book and the Saunder's Q&A book. I passed on the first try with around 85 questions. I will say the questions in the Saunder's books are very similar so I ended up wishing I didn't spend the money on the Q&A book. The content review is a lot of information but, I found it very helpful and think it was worth taking the extra time reading through it. I would go to the back of each section in the book and answer the questions. Then, I would go on the CD and do a one section quiz (like endocrine for example). I would read in the content book the sections where I did poorly. I think this approach helped me pass that test. I started reading other books but think I was getting too bogged down with too many different things. I don't think any books are exactly like the test but her girlfriend has an advantage now because she knows the kinds of questions to expect. Good luck to her, she can and will do it. :)

If the other suggestions don't work, could you apply to an ADN program? You could have your degree in 2 years then go back and get your BSN while working as an RN. Many RN-BSN courses are online and take 1 year (3 semesters) to complete. (That doesn't include any pre-reqs the RN-BSN program requires. Each college is different so you could look at some and see if you have taken any of the required courses from the community college you attended, this could shorten the time.)

I did my preceptor in ICU and really learned a lot, especially critical thinking skills. One thing though, the hospital I was at and the ones around me do not hire new grads into ICU unless there is a desperate need and with the economy like it is, there isn't. Students who did their preceptorship on floors that hire new grads had an advantage and at least got interviews on the floors they precepted in, many got jobs on those floors. Since I didn't have that option, I was at a disadvantage when it came to applying. Just something to think about. Also, hospice and home health were preceptor options at my school.

I was wondering if anyone has gone through the new grad program at Cape Fear Valley Hospital in Fayetteville, NC. I want to know if it is a good program and how you liked it. Also, If you haven't been through the program but work at the hospital, how do you like working there?? The program sounds really good but, I wanted to hear from people who have experienced the process. Thanks.

My textbooks had CDs in them. Each one has NCLEX questions on them. If your textbooks came with a CD you should check them out and see if there are any on there.

I took the 2nd A&P online and got an A. I am not sure I would have done as well if I didn't have the foundation from the 1st A&P in the classroom. I had to be pretty disciplined about keeping up with my work and the teacher wasn't great about getting back to me on email.

Cam-Not sure where in Charlotte you live, but Palmetto Health in Columbia, SC has new grad positions listed for 2 hospitals (both in Columbia). It is about 1 1/2 hrs from southwest Charlotte (and Pineville area) on Mapquest, but it is an easy drive and I usually get there (Columbia) in about an hour. Hopefully, you will get in at CMC but, if not, you may want to try there too.

Cam -I will graduate in May. The only reason I can think of for being rejected w/o an interview is that they have a lot of students who do their clinical rotations there. CPCC, UNCC, Mercy School of Nursing, and their own College of Health Sciences. Plus, Queens College students do some clinical hours there too. I wonder if those students have preference over others so they don't have space to hire many "outsiders." I would be interested to hear from new grads who did not go to one of the above schools who get accepted. Thank you for your words of encouragement. I am sure we will end up where we were meant to be.

Cam RN - I did not have an interview with CMC, they rejected me without even giving me an interview. It may be a good sign that you haven't heard anything yet. The letter was postmarked on 4/15 so if you don't have one, maybe they are planning on interviewing you. I am crossing my fingers for you. This job hunting sucks, I wish you luck. I hope you are able to try applying to some of the hospitals I listed above.