Should I reschedule my NCLEX?

Duttygal86, BSN, RN · Jun 7, 2017

I felt like this yesterday and pushed my test back by 1 more day in a panic. Today I feel more confident. Here is why.

Prior to UWORLD I did Ch 1-6 in LaCharity and was averaging 50%

I took a break from LaCharity, have been doing UWORLD for 2 weeks straight. 75% percentile 58% overall. -panick ensued.

Today I started LaCharity again and I'm now 78%-90% on Ch 7-8!

Calm Down. The anxiety seems to come in waves.

joselyne · Jun 7, 2017

Breathe Deeply.

I will help you move forward based on my observation from your post, issue by issue below:

Observations:

1.You have been studying for 3 weeks

2.You did questions from 1pm -10pm

3.You are discouraged, you haven't improved your score

4.You are utilizing Kaplan

5.You feel less confident

6.You don't know most medications in the questions you did

7.Can't bear the feeling of failing the test

8.Too much content, stressed out at max right now

My insights for you:

You have been studying for 3 weeks/ You are discouraged, you haven't improved your score

Do you think that 3 weeks is enough for you to see progress? How are you evaluating yourself? Are there areas of NCLEX you are strong in? and perhaps areas you are weak in are bringing the score down? You mentioned I still don't know most of the medications being thrown at meâ€. Do you think that your score would increase if you strengthen your Pharmacological knowledge? What do you see as the root cause of this from your perspective?

You did questions from 1pm -10pm/ You feel less confidence

Ok. How much do you think you are retaining after 9 hours? How does it look like? Are you taking breaks? Are you doing questions 9 hours straight? What is going through your mind when trying to focus on for 9 hours. What's your study style and how do you study best to maximize understanding and retention? Are you better studying alone? Studying with someone? Or discussing what you studied with someone. Appropriate personal study style is key in reducing exam prep stress and self-doubt.

Speaking about confidence. Is your confidence tied to the score you are getting? Do you have a concrete plan map on what you need to do in a certain amount of time to ensure complete redness for NCLEX. Different people require different duration and this goes back to identifying your strengths and weakness so you know how much it will take to improve in areas you are falling behind in.

You are utilizing Kaplan

Are you using other study prep programs? How did you choose Kaplan? Is it the most effective for your study style?

From my experience using Kaplan for my NCLEX, it is excellent for questions, lots of great questions. However, their rationales are not as deep as other programs such as UWORLD where you get explanations with pictures and highlighted key points. I liked to get explanation right after I did a question with UWOLRD instead of Kaplan where you had to go back to the book to search for the deep rationale, which was against my timing and my focus.

Have you explored all the programs and chose Kaplan

Have you heard of Hurst Review? Hurst Review is excellent for reviewing content. Otherwise they have less questions compared to Kaplan and Uworld

The struggle with NCLEX preps is investment. I remember I worried about how much money I would spend on prep programs, not knowing it is about finding what works best with your study style and needs. Looking up the review of NCLEX programs might offer you a complete picture. It is recommended to use at least two programs together.

Can't bear the feeling of failing the test

How much fear for this test on a scale of 0-10, 10 being the worse fear you have ever had and 0 being no fear at all?

Based on your answer, remember what you focus on grow and take up your energy. Ideally better to use that energy to study. I know it is not that easy but if you focus on fear, it might be bringing you downâ€¦Having a concrete plan can shift your fear into focusing on your daily study milestone.

Too much content, stressed out at max right now

Stress is inevitable especially when there is such a huge test around the corner. However, it is important to reduce that stress to a manageable limit so you can maintain motivation and self-confidence to keep up with your progress, and eventually towards passing your test.

Finally, as a Health Coach, I can't stress enough the importance of self-care in this process. Studying 9 hour straight might sound productive, but how are you restoring your energy? How are you distressing? Less is more, going out or doing someone thing unrelated to studying might look like a waste of time but it will pay off when you come back to studying, you will notice the difference.

You can do this as long as you have, a concrete plan and the right support.

I am happy to continue to support you on this journey if you require further help or encouragement. Feel free to reach out ([email protected])

All the best,

Joselyne John, Certified Coach, BScN, RN, BA

Wlaurie, RN · Jun 14, 2017

You should tell yourself to relax. I know that sounds simple and maybe stupid but I remember being so anxious on question 2 when a sata question came up i literally had to tell myself that whether I pass or fail I prepared as best I could I'm just going to trust myself and fly. I stopped worrying about failing the test and I relaxed immediatly. Don't worry about failing the test while you're taking the test. I will not help you and will just paralyze your though processes. Good luck and trust yourself.