Taking NCLEX. Advice please!!

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:specs: Hi everyone. Im about to take the NCLEX and Im in need of advice. This month I will be taking the Kaplan Review and I dont know if that will be enough to pass so I want to hear some advice from experienced people as you guys are.

I have to say first that I failed my first try on the NCLEX and Im super scared since Im going for my second try soon. I graduated from a BSN program a year ago and took boards last November without much review.

I just want to know which meds should a focus on? What tips that you might have? Have any of you take the Kaplan Review and passed? Or failed?

I bought a 300 meds flash cards and I dont know where to start. Any help will be deeply appreciated.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Hi and welcome to the site

As well as gaining experience from people in their first year in nursing you should check out our NCLEX forum which you can find in the student section, we have support threads for each month with good hints and ways to help study

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Specializes in Day program consultant DD/MR.

I'm an LVN not RN. I put in the cd from the 3 nclex review books I got and did minimum of 80 questions a day for review. I helped me alot. It's hard to say what drugs to concentrate on though since there is a tremendous amount out there. If you take one of the practice test from a cd you can focus on the area that you did not do so well in, that is what I did.

Good luck!!!

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I used Saunder's book and CD for about 2 months while i waited to get a date. Answered maybe 300 questions a day and looked up the answers to things i didn't know/remember. A lot of the time was actually spent on-line looking up stuff. And when i finished the test at 75 questions, i really couldn't tell if i passed or failed. The questions sometimes seemed goofy--just do the best you can as you go thru them and don't get flustered, knowing that others have faced the same questions and succeeded.

Do you know that it is the meds that you were weak in?

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don't give up hope. you will do fine. my basketball coach used to say, "fail to prepare, prepare to fail" like you I also failed my first time, but with much practice using kaplan, my second time around the computer kicked off at 75. Here is some advice i will share what a 20+ year nurse told me: just focus on taking your boards and passing, you have the rest of your life to work. No one will remember the times you failed, but the great nurse you will become in the future. So hang in there and keep studying. Just remember those ABC's on test day and you will be fine.. Good Luck, you can do it and you will become a great nurse one day!!

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Specializes in ICU.

i didn't take a review course, but i used the kaplan book, plus saunders and i did at least 100 questions per day, and closer to the test date, i made a list of the areas i was strong/weak at, and during that last week, concentrated on the areas i felt especially nervous about.

best of luck to you:cheers:

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You CAN do it!!!!! I took my Boards in July and had 75 questions. The advice i have for you is to focus on the side affects of meds. I had a few meds on mine that I never heard of and couldn't figure out based on the endings; olol for beta blocker, etc.......get a good nights sleep if at possible and put your study aids away and dont even open them before your scheduled time! Know the main drugs for different conditions, asthma, cardiac, etc. wouldnt hurt to know any antedotes either....protamine sulfate, etc...The questions have to be fairly broad because things vary from place to place based on policy. Know the main highlights of the different areas. What is the number one concern of a spinal cord injury below C-5 or something..autonomic dysreflexia. Gees.I cant remember exactly!! Know what you will do ina given scenario....I had tons of prioritizing questions...who would you see first type questions. since you took it once you have an advantage. you know how the questions are asked. Some of my fellow students had lots of cardiac questions, some had lots on renal, such as myself.......it seems everyone had a different topic they hit on. I took a review course and it helped tremendously!! There were questions on my Boards I might not have known if it wasnt for the review. Be confident! you will probably be like most and feel worried and sick. I was SURE I failed..but didn't! you go girl!!!!!!!! (or guy!)It would be helpful to know different diets; what can and can't be included in the diet for a patient with a given condition..ie; cardiac, renal, wheat products, etc...... I'm sure you will be fine! Thankfully we don't have to wait 6 weeks for results like they used to! Remember they have 3 days to post the results! I frieked out because it didn't say RN the day after I tested....but it did the next day! www.licensepa.state.pa.us.gov.......or whatever state you are from! Best of luck!

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