RN-NCLEX Anxiety, How did you cope?

Maevish, ASN, RN · May 28, 2016

I am taking my RN-NCLEX this Tuesday. I graduated April 29th and have been studying Kaplan nonstop. I will have finished all the trainer test, sample test and Qbank questions by tomorrow and according to Kaplan and doing pretty good (mid 60's to 70's range).
But I am finding myself becoming more anxious as the test date approaches. I don't remember being this worried when I took my PN-NCLEX.
So 2 questions for those of you that have been there and done that.
1. What did you do to help cope or diminish your anxiety before your NCLEX?
2. They say not to study the day before.... what did you do to keep your mind off of it, help you relax the day before? (I'm worried that I'll just spend all day Monday thinking about it and getting myself very worked up).
Thanks!

I was more nervous after my test because, for some reason, it had made me go to questions number 232 or some nonsense like that and nearly everyone else I knew from my class had stopped around 75:banghead:. Good thing I didn't have to wait months for the results like they used to have to back in the old days...I would have died from the stress.

That said, in the month between graduating and taking the test, I went over (roughly) some concepts I had a hard time with and the math/calculation bit because I always messed the math problems up. I also looked at EKGs.

I was super stressed though, because I'd gotten my IP (since I had the job lined up before I graduated) and had started working as a nurse before my boards. I'd heard this wouldn't be the smartest thing to do and I have to agree. In NCLEX world, it's a perfect world, but in the real world you don't think of things the same way and that messed with my thinking for the test. Or maybe I just psyched myself out, but either way, after number 150, I was freaking stressed. :whistling:

I didn't do any studying the day before, though, and I think that's smart. Go to a movie, go out to eat, have a drink, go on a hike, etc....you're GOING to think about it at some point during the day (and definitely when you try to go to sleep the night before!), but try not to or work out some breathing/meditiation exercises to do so that you don't get worked up.

Double check everything you need to take/not take to the testing center, go to the bathroom beforehand and easy on the water cause they don't care for it when you get up to leave multiple times...

good luck!

xo

PS: By-the-way, I didn't have one single math problem or EKG/MI question in my whole test after all that worrying/studying. :dead:

HeySis, BSN, RN · May 28, 2016

I was more nervous after my test because, for some reason, it had made me go to questions number 232 or some nonsense like that and nearly everyone else I knew from my class had stopped around 75:banghead:. Good thing I didn't have to wait months for the results like they used to have to back in the old days...I would have died from the stress.
good luck!
xo
PS: By-the-way, I didn't have one single math problem or EKG/MI question in my whole test after all that worrying/studying.

Thanks for the advice and well wishes.

I agree that the wait after was worse then the anxiety going in. My test turned off at 75 questions and I thought for sure I had failed. 40 hours later my license was posted!!!!

I didn't have any math problems either. In fact over half of mine were SATA and the rest were multiple choice.

So glad to have that done..... I've already switched gears and started reading/studying for my next adventure working in the PACU. (Drain's PeriAnesthesia Nursing: A Critical Care Approach, 6e) I start my new grad residency program June 6th!!