Nstudent99

I just got my letter in the mail right now and I passed. I'm very relieved. I studied Hurst videos first for content. Then I did uworld. My final average was 63% and I was in the 89th percentile. I then did Mark K last. Mark K audios were my favourite, but you should do them only after you know your content well. He just teaches you some fun tricks to help you memorize certain information. I obtained a new graduate position in the NICU and so it was hard to study while working full time. I studied for about a month but only in the evenings after work for an hour or so. I would say uworld was the closest to the NCLEX. I also thought uworld was about the same difficulty level. My number one piece of advice would be to not freak out if you go past 75 questions. Go in there expecting to write 265. Mark K tells you to remain calm if you get as many questions as me, and to just tell yourself that if you were failing, the test would have shut off by now. If you keep on getting questions then that means you are still in the game! But of course easier said than done. The moment I hit my 180th question, I just knew I was in it for the long haul. When you start to panic you just can't think clearly and you have a hard time thinking critically. If I were to do the exam again, I would try really hard to calm myself down so that I could put more effort into answering the questions. Good luck!

Hello everyone! I am a new graduate in Ontario and I recently wrote the NCLEX-RN (exactly 7 days ago). I ended up writing the entire 265 questions and let me tell you, that was beyond stressful! I studied uworld and Mark K for weeks and felt quite prepared, yet the questions kept on coming. When I left the exam, I felt like there was just no way I passed. After crying my eyes out, I tried the PVT. I got the good pop-up. I've tried it again yesterday, and still got the good pop up. However, I am, like many, extremely skeptical. I was wondering if there is any chance that people get the good pop up because they can't sign up for another test due to the fact that your ATT is only valid for one test? So of course it won't let you sign up for another test, because you can't, since your ATT doesn't work any more.So far, everyone I've talked to that has passed has gotten the good pop up, but I haven't hear of anyone failing just yet. Maybe everyone just as a default is getting the good pop up. Does anyone have any insight into this? ps: we do not have quick results here, and usually CNO sends out the letter within a week or so. Unfortunately, right now CNO's systems are down and they do not know when they will be up again. There are people who wrote their tests 3 weeks ago that are still waiting on their results. Thanks!

Yes they do, however I did not apply for it would decrease my chance of getting into SickKids for my final consolidation.

Thank you both for such detailed responses. You have no idea how much this helps me. Yes, I understand that neonatology isn't exactly paediatrics, but I hope to do paeds first and eventually go into the NICU. My preceptor at SickKids actually started off in the NICU and would always show me around the unit teaching me about various things. I fell in love but I did not think I would be able to get in right away as a new grad. For now, I would love to get experience in both fields! I will think more about MEDLIFE because it is quite costly and I was under the impression that I would be working with children.

Oh no! I did not think it would be seen that way. I thought it would be a great opportunity to get experience working with children. Uh-oh. SickKids actually has a clinical extern program however the interviews were in March. It is very competitive: 300 people apply and there are only 15 spots. I was lucky enough to get an interview at the NICU (for that is my dream in the future), however I was told that the position went to someone who had previous NICU experience from a school placement. I felt very discouraged at the time as my school does not help me get such wonderful placements, however I am feeling motivated once again and that is why I am looking for alternative ways to get this experience.

I did my SickKids placement this spring (that just passed), which is where I did my research. I am still in touch with everyone I worked with and they are all aware of my interest in working there. One of the Associate Chiefs of Nursing recommended that I meet with her in September to discuss what my plan will be in the case I do not get a final consolidation in SickKids. That is very helpful to me! However, I feel like perhaps I should add more to my resume. I am currently taking your advice and researching children's health care related charitable organizations I can volunteer with. I am even considering going on a MEDLIFE trip to volunteer in Peru.

On a side note, do you have any more tips on what I should do in my final year to attain more paediatric experience? In an ideal world, I would have my consolidation on a paediatric floor however at Ryerson we do not have a choice in which speciality we are placed. There is a high chance I will end up in a nursing home or other non paediatric unit. I, of course, can try to explain how transferable many of the skills are, however I was told that the job often goes to individuals who have experience working on the unit that they are applying to. It's a bit of a bummer.

Thank you both for your replies! I had the same idea in mind as the one dishes suggested. I thought it may be best to work for a year or two here in Toronto and then consider moving. However while I am looking for jobs in the spring, I don't think it would hurt to contact the BC new grad transition program to see if I qualify.

Thank you for the quick reply! Yes I totally agree with what you are saying. I have done research at SickKids, presented my work at paediatric conferences, volunteered at paediatric clinics, and currently am working with children with special needs at a summer day camp. I am trying very hard to stand out from the thousands of other new grads.

Hello everyone, This is my first post. Yay! I'm entering my last year of nursing and have started thinking about my future. I currently reside in Toronto and go to Ryerson. After my placement in SickKids last year, I have decided I want to be a paediatric nurse. With all that being said, I don't think I want to settle down in Toronto. I've been thinking of moving out west and wanted to know what advice you all may have for me. I am not in any rush and am simply in the researching stage. Would you recommend to work for a while in Toronto? Try to get into SickKids? Apply for the new grad initiative in BC? Thank you in advance!