cttruong

The moment you don't have to tell your patient(s) that they need a suppository

Him cradling his "little man" with the powder he requested earlier.

You know that feeling of wondering why all of your peers are getting nursing jobs and you're waiting for someone, anyone to call you back. And then it finally hits and you have to make the hardest decision in your life. So... I recently accepted a part-time position at a group home (worked previously as mental health counselor for four years). It's only been a couple of weeks since I started but I went on another interview a couple of days ago in a hospital, which I would prefer over a residential setting. I was offered the position at the hospital full-time and I am perfectly fine working both jobs, however orientation conflicts with my schedule at the group home. I certainly don't want to burn the bridge with the group home, especially because I had already started and I have a great relationship with everyone and have been with the company for many years. On the other hand, I need / prefer hospital experience as a new grad. WHAT SHOULD I DO? My thoughts are explaining to my nurse manager at the group home the situation and maintain my position but have someone cover my shifts until I have availability / am comfortable with my schedule. To give you a better image, my schedule at the group home is: Sun, Mon, Thurs from 2pm-10pm. Orientation at the hospital will start May 2nd, Mon-Fri from 8am-4pm. Any help would be fantastic. Thank you all!

Hi, Third time is a charm! Kaplan offers free online courses through their website. Sign up for them! They usually last for an hour. They also have an online course that allows you to take a practice test, which I found very beneficial because Kaplan is very similar to the NCLEX in terms of the style and format of the questions. Otherwise, go to your local library. I never bought a single item for the NCLEX, went to my library and found so many resources for the NCLEX. Passed on my first try! You can also Google them or YouTube NCLEX-style questions. Be proactive in your studies and you will pass. Best of luck :)

Hi, The best option for you is to take the NCLEX where you are currently residing and have the information transferred. I don't blame you for wanting to start searching for jobs early, it is a tough business to get into especially if you don't have any connections. Just be aware, there might be a fee if you get another state license. Good luck :)

Hi, I had ATI as well but remember that ATI is simply a guide. It may say you are not ready but how do you feel? I know a lot of my peers didn't even go through ATI because they felt that it wasn't helpful. I certainly didn't want to go through it either because the questions on ATI are not NCLEX-style questions that I found on the NCLEX. Not to say it was not helpful, it was great for content and certainly some questions were challenging but it should not be your sole resource to go to in studying for the NCLEX. My suggestion to you is to practice NCLEX-style questions. You will see there is a huge different how ATI words their questions in relation to when you encounter an NCLEX question. If you want to use ATI effectively, write down all the problem areas you had when taking the predictor and practice questions. Good luck :)

Hi, Do not feel like you are alone. I can guarantee you there is not one single soul that left their exam thinking they passed. If it were that easy, everyone can do it. But you and I both know that not everyone can do it and you are here for a reason. Do not lose hope, hang in there! I will tell you, I felt the exact same way. I left thinking I failed, especially after taking it to 135 questions. I got random questions sporadically throughout the exam that were easy, like what is the alpha-fetoprotein connected to? I got that wrong and knew it immediately after. So, don't feel down or stupid. For 48 hours after (or more like 49 hours), I freaked out. You have no idea, I was on allnurses all the time trying to figure out other people's experiences similar to mine. At the end of the day, I didn't get any resolution from it because I had to wait, no matter what. Well, I passed! You can and will too. If you don't, don't take it as if you are a failure. Take it as you need to work a little harder and perhaps change how you are studying! The world will be ready for you as a nurse when the time comes, I promise! Good luck :)

Hi, Third time's a charm! Saunders is a great book for content but that is simply it. Many people fail the NCLEX because they do not understand how the NCLEX is formatted. If you are having trouble with content, Saunders is a great way to go but it does not provide NCLEX-style questions. You've taken the NCLEX before, so you have an advantage in knowing that the exam questions are very different than the content-based questions provided by Saunders. Therefore, my suggestion to you is to pratice NCLEX-STYLE QUESTIONS. Kaplan, UWorld, TootRN (Instagram), all great references for NCLEX-style questions. Google them. You will be amazed as to how many free questions there are on the web that are worded similar to the NCLEX. EMPHASIS ON PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! If you are having trouble with narrowing down selections, I suggest understanding how to take the test. Strategy tips (Kaplan). If you are having trouble picking an answer when you have narrowed it down to two choices, read the question over again and simplify the question. What is the question REALLY asking? If you don't know the answer at all and are having a what the heck moment, slow down. Read the question and try your best! Most importantly, read the rationales. Understand why you got it wrong and then study what you need to work on to improve. Good luck :)

Hi, CONGRATULATIONS! In reading your post, I felt like I was reading about myself. I was too in an accelerated program and don't consider myself a bright student but I worked very hard in doing my best in everything. Congrats again RN, it's official! Good luck with the rest of your endeavors :)

Hi, YouTube is a great platform for NCLEX! There isn't any particular YouTuber I can think of, I simply typed in NCLEX-style questions. There are several videos I found helpful in breaking down complex questions and choosing the correct answer. My suggestion is to expose yourself to NCLEX-style questions and with questions you have trouble on, YouTube the content in which the question is asking. This will help you expand your knowledge and understand why you got it wrong. Good luck :)

Hello, I'm from New York and it took 6 days! This includes weekends as well. Congrats and hope you get the official news soon :)

Hi, I'm so sorry you failed but certainly do not let this bring you down. I know it is very hard to feel you are a failure but you aren't. You have come all this way, you will be a nurse! Most importantly, do as many practice questions as you can. Expose yourself to NCLEX-STYLE QUESTIONS. Cannot stress this enough. It is very possible you know the answer but find yourself failing because of your ability to test. Do you find yourself narrowing down 50/50? Or are you not confident with content? Determine why you feel that you are failing and start from there. The NCLEX is formatted in a way that you can always narrow down the answer to two selections and there are many strategies in being able to narrow it down. Sometimes, it can be as easy as a silly wording, such as never, always. Answers with these words will most likely never be the right answer! You got this. Good luck :)

Hi, I used that app for RN and thought they were pretty good NCLEX-style questions but I only had the free version so it was very limited in the amount of questions and area of questions that I personally needed to focus on doing better. However, it shouldn't be the only resource you use. In order to pass the NCLEX, I feel that you should expose yourself to as many questions as you can. It won't hurt, it can only increase your knowledge and increase your ability to take NCLEX-style questions. Good luck :)

Hi, Oh, I'm so sorry! Please don't put yourself down. The NCLEX is a hard exam and it's not meant to be easy and know you are not alone. Many people fail, many people fail more than once, multiple times! First, take a step back. You've devoted so much time already. Take a breather and let yourself settle down. Studying in this state, especially when you're so anxious, will not get you anywhere. After you have accomplished that, determine how much you can dedicate to studying. I'm assuming you can retake your exam in 45 days, so sometime in April? My suggestion is to start studying 2 to 3 weeks prior to your next scheduled date. You've already taken it, you already know what and how the NCLEX is formatted. Devote your time to doing as many practice questions as you can. NCLEX-style questions. I think many people fail because a lot of resources, such as Saunders and Hurst (which are great, no hate), are all content-based. It doesn't challenge your prioritization or safety, therefore those resources are good for acquiring knowledge. I cannot stress enough on practicing NCLEX-STYLE QUESTIONS. Anyways, keep doing practice questions! You can do this :)

Hi, I think it all depends on you and your availability and dedication to studying. I know a lot of students from my program studied 2 weeks before their exam and passed. I, on the other hand, dedicated about one month to studying every single day for a good couple of hours. The first step is to determine how much you can dedicate to studying. If you have responsibilities, perhaps spend a little more time and studying a little bit every day. If you are a little more free, study hard for a couple of weeks. At the end of the day, you need to keep doing practice questions. You can study content but the NCLEX is formatted in a way that it tests your ability to test, therefore my suggestion is to devote 2-3 weeks to doing as many practice questions as you can. I think 6 months is way too long and in time, you're going to only forget everything you studied in the first couple of months. Good luck :)

Hi, You are not alone! When I was studying for my NCLEX to even the day of the exam, I never felt ready. I honestly don't think you can ever feel 100% ready for one of the most important exams in your career but you have to have faith and confidence. I know it is hard to have when you feel that you aren't going through questions with ease but I felt the same exact way. I had my good days but I also had my bad days where I would keep getting questions wrong and those were the days where I took it a little easier. It's important to take a break every now and then too! My advice to you is to keep practicing. If you know the content, all you need to do is practice NCLEX-style questions and with the resources you are using now, you're on a great path. Don't focus so much on the grades you are getting on Kaplan and put emphasis on knowing why you got those questions wrong and studying / remediating in your weak areas. Chances are you know the answer but how the NCLEX formats the questions is to trick your ability to test. Remember it is a minimally competent exam! KEEP DOING QUESTIONS! You will pass! If you don't, that's okay too. No one has ever walked out of that exam thinking they passed. If they did, they were getting too easy questions! You can do this. Keep doing those questions! Another resource suggestion, if you have Instagram, follow Tootrn. Great NCLEX-style questions you can do whenever you have spare time. Good luck :)

Great topic! I hate the word retarded. Absolutely hate it. I don't care what content you use it in, that word should never ever be used by anyone. It's just a bad word. LOL curse me for saying it.

Hi everyone, I'm in the midst of applying as many jobs as I can throughout the Long Island region and have yet to receive any call backs. I know it is going to take some time, so I'm not complaining. However, because I didn't go to school here, I don't have any experience in any of the hospitals or have any networking / connections. What are your thoughts on volunteering for a hospital as a new grad RN, basically to get my foot in the door?! Do you guys have any suggestions as to what to do if you were in my situation? Any help from you fellow RNs would be fabulous! Thank you! Chi

Hi, I'm sorry you didn't pass but no fear. You can do it the second time around. I suggest Hurst or Saunders or both for content, however do not focus too, too much on content. Maybe spend a couple days or so for content. It is more important that you focus on practicing NCLEX-style questions! The way I see it is that the NCLEX tests you on how to test, with a foundation of nursing knowledge. When it comes to NCLEX-style questions, I suggest Kaplan. I have heard UWorld is really helpful if you want an alternative and equivalent to Kaplan. If you can go to your local library, they might have the Kaplan strategy book. That's how I studied. Never bought a single book! I do not suggest ATI. I thought the questions were good and at times difficult but it was not worded NCLEX-style. It was very much content-based, so do not waste your money on it. As many others said, just keep practicing questions. Slowly build on questions day by day and you'll start to realize that the knowledge and ease of answering the questions becomes easier and you'll get adapted to how the NCLEX words their questions. Believe in yourself. Good luck :)

Hi, It was a great book for prioritization. I actually downloaded the ebook from my local library, so definitely check with your library to see if they have it. In fact, there are a lot of resources for NCLEX at your library and it's so underutilized. Personally, I found the LaCharity to be helpful but the questions were a little on the easy side for me. They were not worded in NCLEX-style but they were helpful in terms of prioritization. Nonetheless, I do suggest it. It must be hard to have to re-take the exam but you can do it! Keep practicing. Good luck :)

Hi, I agree with everyone else. Knowing the disease process and how complex the patient's status is given their disease is important. Knowing the foundation of the disease will tell you enough to determine what services they need. For example, someone with a stroke might need care from a doctor, nurse, speech pathologist, occupational therapy, etc... You'll pass (if that's what you're worried about). If you don't, it's alright too! Good luck :)

Hi, Oh, I am so sorry! Don't be down, you can do it the second time. I find that most people pass it the second time! My advice to you is to figure out how many hours per week you can devote to studying and stick to it. Have a consistent schedule. My capacity level was only 2-4 hours per day. So, know yourself. My school provided us with ATI which was very helpful for content. Saunders and Hurst were also good for content. If you need help with content, I would highly suggest those two. However, don't spend too much time on content because at the end of the day, you need to understand how to take the exam. I found Kaplan to be the most helpful in terms of providing NCLEX-style questions. I also followed Tootrn on Instagram - I did her practice questions whenever I had free time, before bed, etc... KEEP DOING NCLEX-STYLE QUESTIONS! This is so important because you can almost always get rid of 2 choices and use your judgment and knowledge on the other 2 choices. Remember safety and ABCs!! You can do this :)

Hi, I'm so sorry you didn't pass but don't feel ashamed! The NCLEX is not an easy exam and it's not meant to be easy. My advice to you is to do as many practice questions as you can, expose yourself to NCLEX-style questions and know how to take the exam. I know you know how to do that since you said you used Kaplan. I never used Uworld but I have heard they provide questions very similar to the NCLEX. If you have Instagram, follow Tootrn - she provides NCLEX-style questions as well. Do her questions whenever you have free time, waiting on line at a store, before bed. Just keep doing questions! I have confidence you will pass the second time :)

Hi, That usually means you passed - I have heard the PVT is reliable. I personally never tried it because I don't trust it but either way, you would have to find out your results in a valid way either by quick results or however your state informs you. You can do it! I promise you the wait is so worth it.

Omg that sucks dokhtarshirazi! Hope you find out soon cause it does seem like acceptance letters have slowed down since I have not heard about anything on here. Have you checked online for status update? Cause that is how I found out I got in and didn't receive an actual letter until a couple of weeks later. Good luck either way!!