miQ.

have you tried all of C&E's branches? i havent really seen an original version of the nursing made insanely easy book, just a photocopied version from the "manangs" upfront of PRC...but with the Pharma book, i think i saw it in at least two national bookstores, one in recto and one in sm north edsa.

welcome! :balloons: i am also a second courser myself... graduated October last year just like RNHawaii34... i agree with what Hawaii34 mentioned above...here are some tips i can think of.. 1.read as much as you can but always keep things simple...check out those books that try to simplify nursing concepts for you...those incredibly easy series... but do read those thick books as well. i prefer to read the simplified version first just to get an idea what the disease is about and then i hit those thick books for a more detailed explanation. i knew someone who read Brunner's Medical Surgical thrice! he landed top 5 in the NLE; 2.learn as much as you can during your clinical and community rotations. remember, you cannot afford mistakes once you get your license. abuse your clinical instructor with questions, ask even silly stuff about procedures,volunteer for procedures, get your hands dirty, figuratively of course! 3.be friends with everybody but weed out people who always want you to do all the work for them, simply because your the "eldest" in the group. 4.be sure to pass all the requirements and never leave the impression that you know everything; 5.use this site for updates and information... im not sure how the moderators take the abuse (of repeated questions and displaced anger from some) but you really can learn from them and from the other members as well...

had the same problem when i was still in school... i remember spending more time reading for my philosopy class than my nursing fundamentals because our philo instructor told the class that majority are failing in his class...when i got my grades for that semester, my funda is higher than my philo and i couldnt decide whether to be happy or sad about it... :uhoh21: i know that your priority should be your major subjects but it still wouldnt look good if you get a barely passing grades in your minors... but i think employers (who were once students) knew about these problems... of teachers simply making easy thing difficult for reasons they alone can understand... that despite having standardized procedures for computation of grades, there'll be teachers who would give a 90+ just by your attendance alone... employers would still look into your school grades...why else would they ask for your copy of grades...but that wont be their sole basis...your other credentials will be look into as well, like your board rating, the seminars or other trainings you attended... but from what i gathered from friends who got hired in big hospitals recently, employers are more keen on people who did well in the examination and interview during the hiring process than those who got really impressive school grades but got low scores in the hospital exam or left unfavorable impression during the interview...

are reprints safe to bring along when going to another country? i might be going to singapore next month and im planning to bring along with me my Saunders book with the cd...bought them in C&E a couple of weeks back...i really wanted the imported version but opted to save the extra cash so i bought the newprint copy instead... its a legal copy for sure since its from C&E but can i take it out of manila?

i havent filed for a retake yet. im still weighing my options considering the new legal issues that are coming out, like what is mentioned above...scary loopholes that some can use to question the validity of the December examination if PRC fails to fill up the vacancies in the BON. For now, il still wait to see how the Court of Appeals will handle this TRO and the motion for reconsideration filed by Atty Rene Saguisag. Im giving myself till the end of next month to decide. The one thing i need to check is if there is a deadline imposed for boardpassers who will decide for a retake. I will have to check on this, but the previous announcement regarding the deadline for those who failed the previous examinations was set last month... but for first-timers it would be til November...Not sure for boardpassers... Another issue not clear to me is if there is any written guideline for those who plan to retake... because if I will file for a retake, i would opt to take ALL the five examinations, in that way i think i have better chances. Any thoughts?

oh my...i cant even imagine what the worst case scenario would be...especially in my case...if i decide to retake this december, there'd still be legal problems to contend with...there'd still be questions about the validity of examination in case the PRC chair decides to get on with the exam without a BON...:angryfire

il keep in mind what you said suzanne...i've been reading a lot of goodstuff from this forum and you've been very helpful...and i admire your patience handling questions esp those you've already answered in other threads.... well, I'm trying really hard not to regret that I even let myself take the NLE...i guess its for family pride, that sort of thing...its really a big deal here to pass the NLE (or any other board exam) even if you dont intend to do nursing work...its more like you get this feeling that you owe it to your parents (or whoever is paying for your tuition) to have your name printed in major newspapers for everybody to see... it really is not a practical choice taking the NLE but its something you choose to do because you know it would make people special to you happy and proud in case you pass it. Now im paying dearly for it. i do hope vermont would let me sit for the nclex despite the mess here in manila but im keeping my application on hold and would heed lawrence's advise to write the vermont BON and ask them directly first before sending my application... i already bought the saunders comprehensive book and started answering the review questions at the end of the chapter, just as you suggested in one thread...

im quite aware that without a local license, i wouldnt be able to take the cgfns exam... what im trying to ask is IF ever the courts would lift the temporary restraining order and allow us to register and go on with our oathtaking, meaning IF the courts finally rule that we be given our licences, do you think it would do any good if i take the cgfns exam just so i can prove my competency? ill be more than willing to sit for a retake if the courts would decide for a retake. BUT if the courts rule in our favor and grant us our licences, my plan is to take and pass the cgfns so i would have a better chance for the nclex im not sure if this is wise, or im just plain nuts for throwing away dollars for the cgfns exam even if its not really needed for vermont... im playing "what ifs" again but as i said i just want to think ahead... If the courts decide to give us our licenses, what do you think of my plan?

Since the PRC is maintaining its no-retake stand and assuming that the TRO will be lifted and we be allowed to register and take our oath, would it help if i take (and pass) the cgfns examination just so i can prove that my knowledge base is good enough? I know its never good to make assumptions or play what ifs (you are correct, there is no oficial word yet from the courts) but im weighing my options here and I do want to plan ahead... Im just wondering if it would help if i have a cgfns certificate with me, just so facilities or hospitals in the US wont be reluctant giving me eligibility to sit for the nclex or hiring me as a nurse once i pass the nclex. so my plan is if ever they do give our licence, i would apply for the cgfns exam...and after the english test, i would then file for nclex...do you think that's a good idea or am i just wasting money? I've been reading posts saying that facilities in the US would not even think of hiring people from our batch... well, i really couldnt blame them considering the mess here in Manila... so Im thinking maybe it would help if these facilities/hospitals would see that I have CGFNS certificate attached to my credentials. I intend to file my application in the vermont state and if im not mistaken they dont really require a cgfns certificate. But im more willing to shell out a few bucks for a cgfns exam than retake the NLE. I do want to regret taking it in the first place but that wouldnt make any difference so im just looking for whatever options I may have.

try the link below..it will direct you to the official website of the Philippine Nurses Association... they listed several seminars they'll be sponsoring for this month until november...its a tentative list though so be sure to call them for confirmation... fee for students and members is P300... :wink2: http://pna-ph.org/mainframe.html

im quite sure your mind wont even dare think "dirty" had you been in my school...

i totally agree with you... i took up nursing for three years and one extra semester since my first degree is more on the arts...it saved me a great deal of trouble when i applied for the NLE... as you may know, second courses need to be interviewed by the BON before applying for the local board...In the interview, the only question the BON member asked me was how many years i took up nursing...i heard it wasnt that easy with other students...I think the BON are rather skeptical about second courses who finished the degree in less than two years...because of obvious reasons... i can only think of two things to advice you... read up and "abuse" your clinical instructors during your community and hospital duties...just learn as much as you can... and im pretty sure you'd do well in the local and foreign exams... goodluck!:wink2:

hello suzanne4...im just a bit curious...what do u mean when you said "a number of facilities in the US would not even consider hiring a nurse that went thru these programs?" Are you saying that US employers are even looking where we took our review for the nclex? im only asking so i can share with friends who are thinking of shelling out money for review centers in the coming months... im planning to review on my own to save my money. Ill be buying the saunders book as you recommended in many threads...and if i have extra cash im also thinking of buying kaplan books, i saw two of their reviewers in a local bookstore here... im currently working now to finance my nclex fees and expenses so i dont have time to sit on a formal review...i really find your inputs valuable...very informative and make a lot of sense too...

i agree...it wont do any good to label, accuse nor patronize anybody at this point...they may be victims too, you know. i dont like the idea of a retake... as it is, we already have more than our fair share of anxiety from all the waiting involved for our licenses,,,not to mention the expenses plus the money that we could have earned if only the results came out without all these hassles... i just hope that politicians wouldnt use this issue to put some spotlight to their faces...

ive sent my credentials at the metropolitan hospital and they called me yesterday for an exam... i only gave them my board rating, that small piece of paper they give when you verify your grades... capitol medical center is also accepting applicants who just passed the recent board... you may want to give them a call and ask about their application process... i just googled their phone numbers.. goodluck!