NewSN13

I was "just a tech" in the ER while I was in nursing school (you know, like 2 months ago!!). I always thought it was interesting when fellow techs got upset when they were treated like "just a tech," but had no problem looking down other staff members. A good environmental services person could definitely make my day easier. I never took those guys/girls for granted!!

I just did questions. In my program, we did an NCLEX prep class during the last semester, which included taking the Exit HESI twice. That helped give me a good idea of any areas I was weak in and focus on those. Since alternate format items are the bane of mine (and every nursing student's!!) existence, I made myself practice those. I used Saunders and loved it because it allows the user to generate questions based on content area or question type, among other things. As my test date got closer, I used the NCBSN review. It has content review and questions. I honestly didn't do much of the content review because my previous preparation kind of evened out my weak spots but doing questions that are written by the same people who write NCLEX questions gave that extra little bit of confidence going in to the test. The most important aspect is a steady, consistent approach. To do well, it requires the years of knowledge that you've gained. Doing questions, reading rationales, and just using and keeping that knowledge fresh and practiced is the best prep! It sounds like you're doing that already!

You're good! Just try to relax and think about other things while you wait for more definitive results. But I'd say you passed!

Nursing is my second bachelor's. Once in, the CC here is 4 semesters of part time study. The university is 5 semesters of full time study. Given that and the fact that I would need a BSN for the job I wanted, it was a no-brainer to just get another bachelor's.

Now is relax and take care of yourself time! You have the knowledge, now it's time to just believe in yourself! For test day, just remember that the rules are super strict. My whole mantra was "keep it simple." I left everything in my car except for my car keys and my ID. I dressed in non-bulky, comfy clothes (yoga pants, fitted t-shirt and a light sweatshirt). Plan something fun/relaxing the day of the test, too. Whether it's lunch with friends or a special dinner, just try to think of things to keep your mind off the test because if you're like most of us, you'll want to obsess over it. But once it's over, it's over, and your time is better spent trying to blow off some stream and enjoy a test-free, school-free life rather than worry while waiting for results! Best of luck! You've got this!

My new grad residency program asked for GPA and transcripts. I don't know how much it played into hiring decisions.

I worked as a tech during nursing school and found it beneficial for my own growth and understanding as well as useful in securing a job before I graduated. I worked in an ER that serves as the only trauma center for a large geographic area. I saw and did a lot during my time there. I made learning a priority. Most of the doctors, nurses, and ancillary staff were really open to teaching and I seized those opportunities. Having patient contact and working in a hospital made me much more comfortable in clinical settings during school. I did my senior preceptorship in the unit that I was hired into. I worked my tail off and used some of the skills and confidence I had from my job to help make a favorable impression. My RN position is with a different hospital system than I used to work for and in a unit that has very few similarities to the ER but I still think it was a benefit for me to have held that position while I was in school. There are no guarantees, a fact that you understand. Among my fellow new grads, some have landed jobs because of their clinical placements during school, some because of their work experience, and some apparently just impressed employers on paper without any type of connection to the job/facility. I don't see a downside to healthcare experience and opening up networking opportunities!

Congrats! I also used NCSBN as well as jotting down notes/rationales. Although I didn't spend any time really reviewing my notes, I felt like writing it down made it stick in my head better!

It may be worth checking with your facility's HR department to clarify that you would be eligible for hire with an associate's. The health system I worked for during school, in the ER, would not consider non-BSN prepared nurses as new hires. I worked with nurses who had years and years of charging experience in the ER and are not considered "qualified" if they wanted to move to a different position/department. No one that works with them believes them to be unqualified but HR ultimately holds the power in that struggle.

Motivation is highly individual but for me, I considered all that I had put into being a nurse. Semesters of pre-reqs and nursing school. Tuition, cost of books, cost of other supplies, the cost of the test. Early mornings, late nights. Time away from my family. The contingent offer for my dream job. That was more than enough for me to sit down and stick with my plan!

I felt the same way! Even though everyone says that it feels awful when it is over, I was *certain* that I failed. It's easier said than done but try not to think about it too much! It's over now and you'll having your passing results soon!!

I took my NCLEX on 1/22. I did 75 questions in 45 minutes. My results were on hold when I tried the pop-up. According to the NCSBN website, "Exam results that exhibit unusual statistic patterns will be placed on hold for further investigation. Exam log, item response time, answering patterns and video recording at the test center are carefully reviewed for the score hold cases to ascertain validity of the exam results. Once validity of an exam result is established, the held score will be released to the appropriate board of nursing and subsequently to the candidate." It also mentions that it can take a few additional days to resolve test issues that result in a hold. With all of that said, in my case, the hold pop-up only showed up for the first 12 hours or so after the exam then changed to the "good" pop-up after that and a little under 48 hours later, my quick results posted, confirming I passed. I kept telling myself that if I had failed, they wouldn't bother to review my results. I didn't do anything wrong, besides perhaps reading/answering questions quickly, so any review would show that I took the test without violating any rules. Hang in there!!

I took it Wednesday and was surprised that I didn't see both generic and trade since I was also under the impression that both would be given.

Amen! I push myself hard to learn the material because when this is all said and done, peoples' health and well-being is going to be at the mercy of my knowledge and abilities. This is serious business and if anything, I would push to set the bar higher, not lower. (75%+ to pass in my program, for what it's worth)

I applied this time last year and my acceptance letter came mid-April. It felt like an eternity! Good luck.