SmilingRN

Thanks a lot!

Hi all, So, I just wanted to pay it forward and post about my experience in passing the ANCC FNP exam with the utmost transparency and encouragement. For starters, I don’t think I’m unintelligent but I do KNOW that I am a bad test-taker. I figured I could get through grad school, so I could get through the ANCC exam. Ha! The joke was on me. Everything from my nerves to doubting myself can get the best of me during testing. Now, on to my story... I took the ANCC FNP exam for the first time in December 2017. I wasn’t even out of my program yet and I thought, “What’s the worst that could happen?” I was good student (finished in the top 5% of my class) and was doing extremely well in my clinical rotations. However, I was not prepared at all! I hadn’t mastered the basics (research, skin, cardiac, asthma) and those items were mostly on the first exam attempt. I went in to take my exam without having a firm understanding of the most basic items and FAILED!!! According to my calculations, I would’ve need 5-6 more questions on the first try to have passed the exam. I felt ashamed and defeated, but I knew I had to retest at some point. In the meantime, I forgot about my experience. I didn’t harp on a retake and went ahead to finish up my program (May 2018) and started studying again regularly this past June 2019. For about 8-10 weeks straight, I would go over my weaknesses (GI/GU, cardiac, pulmonary, OB, and peds). I also started on a low-dose beta blocker to help with my nerves and heart rate. I remember the same issues with my nerves and palpitations during my NCLEX prep. While studying this past June 2019, I applied for my ATT and kicked things in to high gear. I stopped studying hardcore in mid-September to give my brain a good rest. The morning of the exam, I went over some basic things (i.e. Tanner staging, vaccinations, STD treatments, murmurs, JNC-8 guidelines) and I am so thankful I did. I retested on this past week and it shows certified. My hard work and patience finally paid off. Please remember that if you have to retake the exam, it doesn’t mean that you’re a bad student or not fit for the job. You have to remain positive and surround yourself with positive people! Do not give up. Do not doubt yourself. During the exam, I would close my eyes, take a few deep breaths, tell myself I had all the answers I needed, and claimed that I would be an FNP-BC. I took a 5-minute snack and bathroom break at the 2-hour mark with 50 questions to go. Then, I went back to the computer to review my flagged items and finish up the test. Believe it or not, I had 62 flagged items!!! I know that I likely didn’t miss all 62, but this help me to do the math regarding my chances of passing. I read somewhere that they score 150 items and you would need 105 to pass. So, I figured with 175 items and 62 flagged that I’d still have 113 correct (enough to pass). Also, I brain dumped so much crap during the tutorial (i.e. Tanner info, murmurs, cranial nerves, vaccination schedule, research triangle, etc.) all of which I had many questions on. The angels were on my shoulders that day (no offense to anyone who is a non-believer). I had plenty of pictures and drag-and-drops. I’m so glad I reviewed these over and over again because most were easy to identify. The following is a list of what I used to prepare: 1) Hollier-Used her review videos and had a copy of her handouts from another students at another school. I loved her videos! The info really stuck with her quick wit and humor. 2) Leik-Used the latest (purple) intensive review book along with the app. The app was awesome because it was in color and I could use anywhere with a Wi-Fi signal. The skin pics helped a lot. Her clinical pearls are priceless. 3) Barkley Review FNP 2017-Used the 2017 version that has JNC-8 guidelines and all current info pertinent to the latest (May 2019) updated ANCC exam. I read the text and listened to the CDs for subject areas I didn’t feel confident about. 4) Exam Edge-Used this site to take the practice tests. I used a friend’s login because you can just reset the exam after each attempt. You can also buy a smaller package because the exams start to repeat questions after test 5. 5) Hybrid handout by Amarina/Haley file-I got this from a peer and it basically combined Leik, Fitzgerald, and Barkley into one document. It was good for when I didn’t want to lug all of my books around. 6) Fitzgerald-Used the text you can buy from the bookstore but I hated it and sold it early on. I attended the review course but I honestly thought it was a waste of money and time. I took the course right before I failed my first attempt. I regret taking it. 7) Joanne APRN videos (YouTube)-This lady was a God-send!!! She made everything so simple and easy to recall. I brain dumped her murmurs and it was smooth sailing. Remember to stay positive and remember that the exam tests your MINIMAL level of competence. Do not harp on things. If you do not know it, just skip it. I felt good going into the exam, but I also knew that I could retake in the worst case scenario. Luckily, I no longer have to worry about it. I can add FNP-BC to my list of credentials. You shouldn’t worry either—study long, study strong!

I just wanted to check back in for 2019 and let everyone know that I’m STILL using the same MacBook from 2010 that I mentioned in my original post. I’ve only had one issue a few years back with the battery and it mysteriously went away. It has lasted through pre-reqs, nursing school (BSN), and grad school! ? Okay, that’s all!

From my understanding, if you have already scheduled and missed the appointment then you automatically forfeit the $200 testing fee. I don't think that it counts against the number of test attempts (if your state has one), however, it is considered a no-call/no-show in terms of getting a new date or refund. I assume that you are an international student and you may have been given a one year application window through your state board and not Pearson VUE? If that's the case, you may want to contact the CA BON to make sure. Good luck with everything!

The PVT has worked for everyone that I know. This is over a 2-3 year time span I'm speaking of. I have heard that sometimes the PVT doesn't work when "delivery successful" isn't reflected on the Pearson VUE registration screen to the far right of the testing details. Therefore, if you were to try the PVT prior to the "delivery successful" message, then the PVT may be inaccurate. It makes total sense to me.

Yeah, that's a good old case of "splitting." It's most common on the mental health units. However, I'm sure that non-psych patients are good for it, too.

Some of the students had Swiss Army rolling cases. I've even seen a few doctors using them in the hospital and I see that they carry a lot of equipment. Costco usually has a deal on them and it comes with a lifetime warranty, from what I've heard. I used a rolling bag after using a carrying back because the books started to hurt my back after a few weeks. I'm no teenager, but I'm not 30 and it was scary to think my back was taking a beating because of a few textbooks. Sometimes, I'd have Peds and OB on the same day so between books, binders, and a laptop I'd have at least 10-15 pounds worth of materials at once. Yeah, it was corny to have a contraption that could also double as a luggage, but I only have one back and I want to keep it in good shape. Just some food for thought.

I always look drugs up before I give them just because you always need to know what and why you're giving a patient a particular med (i.e. six rights of medication administration). However, in my nursing program it was taught that in not every instance will the most experienced nurse be able to offer information to the client---a prime example is when a new diagnosis or lab result is available but the doctor has yet to see the patient. In those instances, you will find yourself saying, "I'll have to ask the doctor" because failure to do so could end up costing you your job. We all walk a very fine line of autonomy and interdependency when it comes to nursing. However, I don't mind.

To piggyback off of your statement, sometimes a nurse has to exercise better judgment and hold medications because of a patient's rapid or unexpected change. We wouldn't wait to see what the doctor thinks as the patient is starting to code. I think the OP is being hypercritical or that she may just have a problem with this particular new nurse.

People on the outside looking in always have the most to say: "Why not just go for an MD?, if you're looking into becoming a CRNA?" -or- "Why didn't you just go on to become a doctor, if you are doing so well at nursing?" Blah, blah, blah. At the end of the day, you have can only live your life for you and the people you may have to provide for and it bothers me when people question what you have determined is best for you and yours. Even though I am an RN now, I would have rather went to LPN school immediately after high school and returned back to school after working as an LPN. To be quite frank, some of the best nurses who I've worked with and have had the pleasure of being taught by started as LPNs. Sometimes people say things because they have no experience and have heard things about what they don't actually know to be true from personal experience. I wish you the best of luck in your career! You're going to make a great nurse and will have so much experience, if you do decide to become an RN. The options are limitless!

No problem and thank you, everyone!

@ 48 hrs For sure! Sometimes I would stare at the screen for 5 minutes before selecting choices from Kaplan's SATA because they were just that complex. Luckily, it helped when it mattered most!

@ NW_studentnurse Thanks! The NCLEX SATA are pretty straightforward. At least, they were in my opinion. I read somewhere to treat each option as a true or false based on what the question is asking you, so I breezed right through them and didn't have more than maybe 10 out of the 85 questions on my exam. I think I benefited from doing the Kaplan SATA and the Saunders SATA in the actual book and the CD-ROM. The Kaplan SATA and LaCharity were definitely the more difficult of all types that I had seen during my study. However, you'll learn how to select answers based on inclusion or exclusion given the data provided in the question with the more practice that you get answering this question type.

@ ohyesitslizz Bummer! I checked within 48 hours of completing the exam (which was around 1100 on 8/5/13). Perhaps this is why you can't see your option to view your Quick Results? I would try again after a time when you know for certain that you were at home after the exam. Keep us posted!!!!

@ Kaydensmom01 My initial paragraph was replying to your notion that grades indicate how you'll do in nursing school and whether someone is understanding the material. The subsequent paragraphs are about my personal thoughts (i.e. how I feel, what my experiences have been, my take on the topic overall). Therefore, I hope that you don't think that I was taking jabs at you or highlighting things that you clearly never mentioned. I merely emphasized that OP shouldn't give up. He stated that he is retaking the course with the D, so as far as a nursing school not wanting to see that---I'll assume that he knows and hence why he is retaking. Once again, I'll agree to disagree. The grades may help to objectively identify potential candidates at some schools. However, I know for a fact that at my university they consider some less than stellar academic outcomes to balance out the nursing student body. In fact, this is part of the reason why my school holds an in-person interview to gauge whether you'd be a good fit regardless of your accomplishments. Some of those students soar and some of them sink. But, I wouldn't tell someone not to fly because of a broken wing. I don't want you to take anything I'm saying personally. That's the beauty of this website...everyone shares their opinions in a respectful manner. If I have offended you or made you feel slighted by my post, I sincerely apologize. I've just noticed that OP hasn't came back into the discussion and it's not the end of the world because he has had a few rough grades.