kelnich

In my community health class, we had to teach a class on nutrition and exercise to 4th and 5th graders. We, of course, based the nutrition portion off the food pyramid. The week before our presentation the food pyramid changed so we had to change our whole curriculum. Grr... But I agree it is much better than the previous one. I especially like the fact that they got rid of that stupid serving thing and put in actually measurements. Who knows what a serving is?!?

I took mine on the same day as yours and I felt the same way. I felt like "I didn't fail." but once I got home I went on here and also looked up some questions to see how many people fail at 75 questions and I started freaking out. Everyone at the ED I work at keeps telling me "you passed..." and I'm like "I dunno..." I hope I did but I am not taking anything for granted. I studied hard so I would be very disappointed to fail at 75, but who knows? I felt like I got a big mix of questions like you did, but towards the end I kept getting the questions like "Which patient would you see first?" or "Which message would you return?" Luckily the questions on specific diseases were on things like SIADH, diabetes insipidus, hypothyroidism and addison's disease which I spent a lot of time and know fairly well... Hopefully we both did great! Let us know... Unfortunately I am at the mercy of the California BON so who knows when I'll find out.

Congratulations!!! I hope I have great news to post in a couple of days too.... This waiting for results is horrendous.

Well I took my NCLEX today. I got 75 questions. It was exactly what I expected it to be. I still felt like I guessed through half the questions (I feel like that when I take a Kaplan test). We'll see.. Thanks for all the support!!!!

Moliuchick, I am sure you did fine. I think I won't panic if my test stops at 75 questions. There is no way that I am going to fail at 75 with all that I am studying. I think the same goes for you. I think if your test stopped at 75 you probably will be fine b/c failing at 75 means you weren't even close and I think that getting 70% on the Kaplan tests should tell you that you have a pretty good chance at passing and if it stops at 75 you most likely passed. Maybe that's naive of me to think but I hope my test stops at 75 b/c I will feel pretty good. The problem that I am going to have is if I get more than 200 then I am going to feel like it could go either way b/c I know I have a pretty decent knowledge base so if I don't pass I think it will be with more questions than less. Let us know!!

I think I am just tired of sitting in front of the computer and just clicking. It sometimes get to the point where I feel like it is so mindless and I don't read the questions fully and I just want to get the test over with so I click on an answer and hit next then the second after I realize that wasn't the answer I should have picked. At this point I don't think there is much more for me to do but hope for the best. Good luck to you!!! Let me know how you do.

Hi Everyone, I am taking the NCLEX-RN in two days and I am freaking out. I have been using Saunders, Kaplan Question Trainer and the Mosby CAT. Mosby CAT tells me that I have a 99% chance of passing but... I don't know. On the Kaplan Question trainer I have been getting about 65%-69% and Saunders I've pretty much stayed at about 75%. What do you think my chances for passing are? I have been doing questions and reviewing rationales for right and wrong answers. I know they say not to study the day before the test but I still have to do the last Kaplan exam and I have a pretty good short term memory so I study for tests better the day before and I just want to brush up on some disease processes, lab values, and medications. Also, what medications does everyone recommend that I know? Should I know the drug classifications and broad knowledge or are there certain meds that I need to know specifically? Also any words of encouragement will be greatly appreciated. I have been doing this on my own, since I can take it one semester early in my program and it seems like I am the only one in my program to have made the choice to take it early. I haven't had anyone to commiserate with. I know I can do this, but it would be nice to hear from you guys! Kelly, hopefully soon to be Kelly RN.

Thanks, I may do that.

Hmm... The biggest problem I have is how well I hear with my current stethoscope. That is why I am considering the ultrascopes because supposedly they transmit sound really well. I am CONFUSED. I really wish there were someplace I could go and try them all out but I haven't been able to find a really good medical supply store here in san diego. At this point I feel like anything will be better than the one that I am using.

Hi everyone, I am looking to buy a new stethoscope. I am taking my test in less than a week and I plan on buying a stethoscope as a present for myself when I pass (and I WILL PASS THE 1ST TIME!!!). I'm not concerned with price but I am working in the ER and sometimes with how noisy it gets I have a hard time hearing with my current stethoscope (Littman Classic II SE). I want something that will amplify sounds (breath sounds as well as heart sounds) and cut down on background noise. I have it narrowed down to a Littman Cardiology III or Littman Master Cardiology, but the Ultrascopes have peaked my interest because I have been reading about them. I also read that you can hear through clothing. What does everyone suggest between these three choices? I don't know where I can go to actually try them out.

Congrats!!!

Unfortunately for me, I still have 6 more months of nursing school!!! I am taking my test early because I have finished all the nursing requirements, but need 1 more semester of stuff for my bachelor's. But I have gotten through the hardest part of nursing school. :) I only know one other person from my school taking it early, but she's not taking it 'til september so I feel like I am doing this alone. I know I didn't have to take it early but it made more sense than trying to take it in January with all the holidays and stuff. I know I need to stop stressing out. I get frustrated by how long it takes just to go through 100 questions. I realized that I need to go through the book and do the questions there because it breaks up the monotony of pointing and clicking and in the book I can underline and cross off and it makes me feel like I am doing something and retaining more. We are all going to do just fine and pass!!!!

I am using the Saunder's comprehensive review. I get about 75% right when I answer questions on the CD. How accurate is this? I wish there were a way to really gauge how well I am doing. I am a mess. 10 days to my test and I feel like I am going to fail.

I am taking my test August 9th also. I studied like mad in the beginning to June then I went on a 2 week vacation, felt like I forgot everything, came back and have been studying ever since. I am absolutely freaking out. I have been mean as heck to my poor husband and I had a nervous breakdown tonight. I feel like overall I do well it's just I don't do as well on specific questions about diseases or lab values. I know that I just need to calm down but I am a complete mess. I can't sleep or eat. I am using the Saunder's Comprehensive review as my main resource. I get about 75% of the questions right when I review off of the CD. I don't know what I should be getting to feel like I know enough to pass. I'll cross my fingers for you guys. Do the same for me. Kelly

I have been both a nurse tech and a nurse extern. Where I live in southern California, only the VA hospitals have nurse techs. Basically as a nurse tech I was able to do everything I have learned as a student except pass meds. That was what was supposed to happen but depending on the charge nurse I sometimes was treated as a nurses aide. When I became a nurse extern (went to a different hospital) I was able to do everything as long as I had a nurse supervising me and as long as they were comfortable that I was proficient in doing certain skills I did them by myself, procedures like foleys and ng tubes. I definitely recommend it, either way because I think just the experience of working in a hospital helps increase your comfort level when working with patients. Plus, I never got to do NG tubes during my clinical rotation and barely any foleys or IV's but I did them all the time during my externship. I also didn't have to work but I chose to because of the experience. I even took a pay cut from my normal part time job to work as an extern. You can't put a price on the experience you get. Being an extern isn't about the money... Money comes later when you graduate.