Taking the NCLEX multiple times

[cambrose]

So I wanted to write a post about those perspective nurses that can not seem to pass the NCLEX after multiple tries and multiple refresher courses. I recently made a post about the PVT trick and after 70 comments and turned to a weird topic of conversation about not wanting nurses to become nurses if they can't pass the NCLEX the FIRST time, which I believe is complete ********. Me personally I have worked with a bunch of nurses who have passed the first time and failed once and failed multiple times. I know nurses that passed the first time with 75 questions and shouldn't be allowed to empty a foley bag or take a blood pressure and I know nurses that passed it after the sixth attempt who I would allow to be a first assist in a cardiac surgery (just a metaphor). Bottom line is the NCLEX is just a test that measures competency at the time of the exam and does not predict whether a nurse will be good at their job or horrible. What is everyone's personal opinion on the unlimited amount of tries at the NCLEX. Do you agree with the refresher course requirement after the third attempt or do you feel it should be done after each attempt. I personally passed the NCLEX on my second attempt so I believe that the NCLEX doesn't represent a good or poor nurse and I also believe that a good nurse would encourage those who have difficulty passing the NCLEX and give them advice that helped them through it. Please don't put people down in the post that is not my objective but you are entitled to your own opinion so be honest at the same time.

[DowntheRiver]

Two examples...not only two states. Several require you return to school, others have time limits post graduation.

States like NY & CA allow unlimited attempts without maximum time post graduation. CA charges per attempt so it's a revenue producer.

Florida also now requires you to take the test within six months of graduating.

While I think that's a good idea, there are some extenuating circumstances that prevent people from taking it in that time frame. For me, it was the fact that I was sick for 4 months and eventually had to have both my gallbladder and appendix out before taking my NCLEX. I didn't take the test until 10 months after I graduated.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Three attempts for Canadian nurses is the maximum. After that, the candidate is required to repeat their program.

The NCLEX is a basic nursing exam. If after three attempts the candidate is unsuccessful, this usually indicates a lack of knowledge. There is definitely something wrong if you cannot pass after three attempts.

[cambrose]

Three attempts for Canadian nurses is the maximum. After that, the candidate is required to repeat their program.

The NCLEX is a basic nursing exam. If after three attempts the candidate is unsuccessful, this usually indicates a lack of knowledge. There is definitely something wrong if you cannot pass after three attempts.

Must say that The U.S. Should adapt this policy if it wasn't for making money they probably would...

[springchick1, ADN, RN]

Yeah the scary part is we will never know those who took 6 tries to pass. The only way to really see incompetent nursing is stories about lawsuits or those Nurses you work with that should touch a stethoscope... I can see the argument after the third time something has to give which is why some states make you take a refresher course after the third failed attempt but do feel something is seriously wrong with them passing nursing school in the first place...

True. We won't know who took the test 6 times. But employers will notice that someone graduated in Dec 2014 and aren't licensed for a year (or longer in some cases). This raises red flags. At least it does with my boss.

[nursehaley91, BSN, RN]

How many tries did it take you to pass the NP exam?

I passed my first try. I guess by speaking about my NCLEX I was simply saying that how can anyone's competency as a nurse be determined in just 75 questions, including my own. That's not nearly enough material or content to be able to determine that in just that many questions.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Moved to NCLEX forum

[elkpark]

And this is where I post one of my favorite Daniel Tosh quotes:

As much as I enjoy Daniel Tosh, I do have to take issue with his basic premise. There are people who know the content, are able to demonstrate their understanding in 1:1 conversation, are able to apply the content and demonstrate understanding of it in clinical, etc., etc., but freak out when it's actually time to sit in a room and fill in circles. I'm not one of them, but I've known some personally, and I've really felt for them. They really do know the information; they just can't deal with the whole "test" thing. That's v. different from being "stupid."

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Agreed, but even those people who don't perform well on tests should be fine by the third attempt. It's not the first go at the material by then.

[klone, MSN, RN]

As much as I enjoy Daniel Tosh, I do have to take issue with his basic premise. There are people who know the content, are able to demonstrate their understanding in 1:1 conversation, are able to apply the content and demonstrate understanding of it in clinical, etc., etc., but freak out when it's actually time to sit in a room and fill in circles. I'm not one of them, but I've known some personally, and I've really felt for them. They really do know the information; they just can't deal with the whole "test" thing. That's v. different from being "stupid."

How did they pass nursing school?

And if they're going to choke in high-stress situations, is nursing really the right career for them?

I would go so far as to say that people who have "test anxiety" maybe aren't cut out to be nurses. There's a lot more to nursing than just having the knowledge. So much of it is being able to compartmentalize your stress, think on the fly, and work well under extreme pressure.

[elkpark]

I'm starting to think maybe they should bring it back to the old way & have it be 75 questions a section but on computer. I don't think a bare minimum of 75 questions is enough to tell that someone can practice safely. Especially with all the random questions that are in the NCLEX now.

I took it back in the "old days" and it was like 200 questions on each area of nursing. Two eight-hour days of testing, a systematic and comprehensive review of what you actually knew about nursing. When we started hearing that the NCLEX was going to be computerized, I naively assumed it was going to be the same idea, but on a computer instead of Scantron sheets, which sounded like a great idea to me.

My primary objection to people taking the test multiple times is that, the way the NCLEX works how, it's like playing the lottery. If someone only gets 75 or 100 questions, you know that they didn't even get asked about most areas of nursing knowledge/practice -- and, if you take the test enough times, you're eventually going to get lucky and get asked enough questions early on that you just happen to know the answers to that the computer is going to pass you.

Sort of like the old cliche' about how, if you put enough chimpanzees in front of enough typewriters and leave them there long enough, one of them is eventually going to produce Shakespeare.

I'm a "three strikes and you're out" person. "Many are called but few are chosen," as the Good Book says. :) I say, if you can't pass by the third try, this just isn't working out for you, and you should move on and pursue something else.

[trinitymaster]

I almost feel like that would be impossible to do. But that scares me the possibility of a fraud nurse with no education.

How would it be impossible? Simply require all nurses (and even allnurses) to resubmit transcripts. It is simply done on the computer these days.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

My workplace has revised the seminars we offer for our new grads because many of them are ill prepared for the basics.

We are noticing a disturbing trend that some are failing their board exam multiple times. I now provide study outlines to some people and it's obvious that their knowledge is lacking.

I think some people manage to pass nursing school but they still cannot apply the concepts to real world situations. They also can't handle stress or dealing with urgent situations. These types of people are not cut out for the work.