ava920

So, I took the NCLEX today @ 0800 (started around 0830), got out at 9:20, computer shut off after 75 questions.... I tried the pearson vue trick just a few mins ago. I got, what I guess is considered, the "good pop-up." Just wanted to know if there's anyone out there who's ever gotten the good pop-up and after getting the results, found out that it wasn't accurate? It's nerve wracking having to wait and not know for sure.

You're welcome! :) glad I helped! I hope you get the position! Let me know how it goes! Also, you really will learn a lot in preop/pacu. The nurses in my unit do need ACLS, ECCO, and all those certifications. So when there's a vent pt postop, they try to teach me about what to monitor, they even let me pull out Arterial lines. Always grab the opportunity to learn new things no matter how intimidating it might be! You'll be surprised with the things you learn at work :)

Hi. I worked as a student nurse associate in the preop/pacu of a large urban teaching hospital for over a year. We had pca's there as well, which i'm guessing is very similar to pct's (patient care techs). I really loved working in that area because you really see a lot, although at times it sure feels repetitive. Our preop area is always so busy, especially in the early morning. It's also fast-paced, with the turnover of patients, and all the surgeons, residents, anesthesia, abd the rest of the OR teams talking to patients all at once (everyone wants to get their job done! Lol). I'm really confident with the skills I learned there, from phlebotomy to venipuncture, EKG acquisition, and physical assessments. I'm not sure what your hospital's job description is for techs but it's probably not that different. In PACU, you really get to hone your assessment skills and critical thinking. If you get a pt coming out of the OR, you gotta know what to assess and pay special attention to in terms of the procedure they had done, and of course close monitoring is very important as they are still sedated. I also got to learn more about EKG rhythms, beyond what they'd teach in nursing school. And i had my coworkers always giving me strips to practice and read. We don't get a lot of codes (thank god), but i've seen a few while working there. I got to help out in two codes, just a runner, but it was still roetty exciting! And i learn so much from watching everyone else help and call out things abd do/work on the pt. It really is a learning experience! Another good experience I had while working there is that I actually got to interact with the doctors and the rest of the healthcare/OR team. If there was a lab value that came back critical, i got to tell the doctor myself. They really let us function as a nurse (with limitations of course). My hours were pretty flexible too since I was still in school then. I would work from 4am to 4:30pm if i wanted to do a 12-hr shift, and sometimes i would do a 16hr shift from 4-830p. Anyway, hope this helps! I really loved it and really learned a lot. Having awesome coworkers that are willing to help and teach really made a difference too!

Oh okay. We can do skype :) I'll add you!

I live in Michigan but I'm from the Philippines. Did you take your NCLEX yet? :)

Hi i'm taking mine next friday. Any tips and suggestions? I dont know what im supposed to be doing the next seven days except to freak out!

Hi, i'm taking my nclex next friday. Any tips and last minute suggestions? I am sooo freaked out right now knowing i only have a week left! Thanks!

Hi, when are you planning on taking your NCLEX?

Hi, I was wondering if there's anyone out there who wants to meet up and study together? We don't necessarily have to do the same thing, maybe just discuss some issues we might have or some questions we might find confusing or what not. I also got this NCLEX-review board game from Mosby's that I want to share and play with someone if anyone's interested. I'm in the Metro Detroit area in Michigan. I'm taking the NCLEX-RN next friday. I figured it's time to get out of the house and refresh a little bit, study with someone! :)

This is what I got from the Kaplan NCLEX-expert when I emailed them: RN score eval and Guidelines If you have not yet done so, start by reading the first 2 chapters of your book. They have detailed information on the goal scores for all practice tests, the best use of your materials, guidelines for preparation, and specific study schedules. The section for Repeat Test Takers has valuable tips for first time candidates as well. All this will be helpful in improving test scores. Take some time to think about your preparation so far. Below is some information to assist you in evaluating your scores and some things to think about as you approach your preparation from now until test day. The goal score for the Diagnostic test and Question Trainers 1-5 is 65%. These are more content based tests, meaning they test more on textbook nursing knowledge. For the Readiness, Question Trainers 6 and 7 and all QBank tests, the goal is 60%. These are all passing level test questions. Our data shows that successful candidates complete and review all 7 Question Trainers and 90% of QBank. When sitting for your exam, you will reach a point when you will be getting every other question correct and every other question wrong. This would be a score of 50% correct answers. This happens when you reach your maximum level of competency. Meaning, you will stay right at that level no matter how many questions they give you at that level. If you are getting 50% correct with questions at the Application/Analysis level of Bloom's Taxonomy, this will be occurring above the passing line and you will pass. If it occurs below the line of passing using lower level questions, you will be asked to test again. Question Trainer 6 and 7, and QBank questions are written at the application/analysis levels so they are considered passing questions for the exam. When evaluating your scores on Question Trainers 6 and 7 and QBank, compare your scores to 50%. The closer to 60% you are, the more cushion you have for the exam. This means that at 60% you can get a question wrong and still stay above that passing level. Scores nearer 50% have less room for wrong answers and remain above passing. Do all QBank tests in timed mode, not tutor mode. Kaplan encourages you to achieve scores well above 50% to ensure that your are giving yourself plenty of room to get a question wrong and still remain above that passing line. Each test gives an individual score in specific client needs areas of the exam. Take some time to review those areas with scores nearer to 50% using your Kaplan resources. Use the content videos to review needed essential content starting with you weaker areas and working towards your strengths. Reviewing a test means looking up any medication, disease, complication or procedure you were not familiar with. Look it up immediately as you are reviewing a completed test using your Course Book while the question is in front of you. If you need more information to understand the content, use your core nursing textbooks. This will help you apply the content and the thinking required in the context of that question. The rationale used to select the correct answer will help you think correctly when working questions. It is most important to look at the thinking used to arrive at the correct answer and think about the thinking you used when selecting an answer. Make sure to focus on the thinking required as your review each test question. Remember, they are not testing content - they assume you know that. They are testing your ability to apply that content using your clinical judgment and critical thinking to determine the best answer to the problem they present in each question. Referto page 34 of your book for reviewing tests. Medications can be overwhelming when you see page after page of them. Instead of tackling everything at once, break it down. When reviewing content, if a medication is listed to treat something, go look it up right then. Reading about medications in the context of what they treat helps you understand the medication and the disease better. Look it up every time it is mentioned, and soon you will know it. Look up all medications in a question, not just the med that is the correct answer. Knowing the classification is important to understanding the medication. When you know one medication in a class of drugs, you have a good idea about all medications in that class. Pick a classification, and read about the medications in that classification. Review every question on every test before moving to the next test. You are working to build both content knowledge and critical thinking skills. Make sure you are considering each step of the Decision Tree with every question. In addition, make sure you are recognizing when to use the other Kaplan strategies you have learned. Do not just save the Decision Tree for harder questions. The Decision Tree and strategies should be an automatic process with every question. ----------------------------------- Hope that helps! That's what they emailed me! I wish they do tell you though the correlation of scores, like what a 65% on the readiness means exactly for the NCLEX. But basically what I got from it is that your scores on QT6-7 and Qbank questions are the "closest/better" predictors of where you are in terms of the passing line for the NCLEX.

NAM123, Sorry if I'm worrying too much! I just freak out easily and my scores scare me cause I dont really know what's supposed to be "good enough" for me to pass the NCLEX. I did email the nclex expert and one of the ladies told me that the best way to study and retain info and practice their strategies is to review the rationales right after you take a qbank test, and also look up whaterver you dont know or forgot right then and there. She said read all the right and wrong answer choices and try to think of how they got to that answer choice and what you did to get to your answer choice and look at the difference. I did exactly what she said yesterday and my scores improved :) (before I would take test after test and then review it at the end of the day and I did find this to be a bit harder to understand the info cause I already took 150 questions by the time I was reading the rationales at night and normally I would be so sleepy I wont finish it until the next day). So yeahI found that reviewing it right after you take the test makes a big difference, especially if you look up the content as well. Hope that helps you!!!

Really, you think so? You really made me feel better! I'm sorry if I'm worrying. I just always do and with the NCLEX, my stress is way high of course. It just doesnt look like it's enough you know when I see my scores in the qbank and question trainers in mid50s to 60s. Thank you!

I'm really freaking out. And with how my scores are, I feel like there's no way I'll pass. But I always think like this though. I just wanted to hear other people's opinions and see how they're doing. I think I'm going crazy! LOL

Okay thanks. I just feel very overwhelmed I don't know if I'm doing enough studying.

@bridg0809 - Wow I think your scores are better than mine. :) I was told by my instructor the same thing. I've watched some of the content videos but not all because I found that it takes a while to finish one chapter if I do the videos. What about you?

Thanks @chikah_dorah! I don't have La Charity, Is that available online or here in the US?

Hi everyone, I'm taking my NCLEX for the first time in 2 weeks and I am so nervous about it everyday I think about re-scheduling it. Not getting a good score on the kaplan qbank questions makes me want to change my test date even more. So far I have done 70% of the qbank questions (841 so far), all question trainers, and sample tests 1 and 2. My scores are not consistent, which just makes me feel like I'm not ready at all. I only got a 61% on QT6 and 57% on QT7 and I am so freaked out!!!!! My average score on qbank is 60%. My readiness test score, when I took it on the last day of my Kaplan in-class review, was a 63%. I'm planning on retaking my questions trainers this wkend to next wk and see if my scores will go up or down. I've only gone over the rationales for these tests once right after I took them, and it's been about 1 wk since I took QT7. Also, I'm afraid I'll run out of questions on qbank before I even take the NCLEX. * I also have the Saunders Review book and Lippincott q&a but I have been focusing on Kaplan this past 2 wks. I'm afraid I'm gonna overwhelm myself if I keep taking questions from 3 different sources but I know it works for some people. Any advice or help? I am soooo nervous!