Taking NCLEX at 2:45PM....Nervous!!!!

BellsRNBSN · Sep 13, 2011

Sending prayers your way, Jaye! I just took the NCLEX yesterday afternoon. I was extremely nervous, but having spent endless hours taking practice tests really helped prepare me. My test shut off right after the 75th question - I hope that's a good sign!

Good luck! Remember to *breathe*, read each question carefully to determine exactly what is being asked, do your best, and go out and do something fun afterwards so you're not sitting around obsessing about your results (like I have been!).

You'll do great! :nurse:

GoosbyLPN · Sep 13, 2011

I'm gonna go soon...did u do the PVT trick yet?

Jaye6789 · Sep 14, 2011

Awww thank you so much for your prayers!!!! I'm still having palpitations haha! :)

I was so anxious days before my exam. :banghead: I was so emotional and I cried a whole lot (I was watching Miss Universe and started crying when each contestant came out and stated their country LOL! That's how bad it was!!!), but on the day of the exam, I ended up spending it in prayer and devotionals and mostly quiet time with Him. Spending time with the Lord helped me SOOOOO MUCH prior to taking NCLEX and reassured me in a way. I also prayed with a girlfriend in the car and watched a clip of "Part of Your World" from the Little Mermaid on youtube minutes before my exam (and cried my eyes out hahaha). My teacher in nursing school said that it would be good luck to watch Finding Nemo prior to taking exams...but I wasn't a huge Nemo fan and substituted it for Little Mermaid and ended up passing all my exams hehe!

Anyway, as for NCLEX, here's how it went. When I first got to my seat, my head was pounding, I felt like the earth was shaking (but it was just me :eek: ), I took the beginning instruction multiple choice thingy and almost couldn't answer the simple questions correctly (like what color is orange...correct answer: orange lol! Not gonna lie, I almost picked red)... from the start, I thought I was doomed. LOL! :grn:

Prior to my start time, I was jotting down everything I could remember on the white board, and I had to read the first question like 50x because I was SO FREAKIN ANXIOUS. I was sooooooo scared that it became physiological lol! :uhoh3: :uhoh3: :uhoh3: But I started to calm down after I got my first SATA and I started breathing away. Anyway, I had like 20-25+ SATAs, some meds (that I've NEVER heard of in my life), some basic questions (that really made me sad), lots of growth and development questions, and even more priority questions (e.g. who would you see first, etc). Funny thing is I didn't get a single med calc question or an OB question. All my questions seemed to be Peds related or about Alzheimer's Dz (I know...weird... lol! ...both of which I didn't thoroughly study but knew basic stuff about). I felt like my exam was all SATA + Priority. I was freakin out because the SATAs were all based on easy concepts but I was scared cuz I knew they'd be tricky (but also knew that a lot of those SATA/Priority questions meant I was doing well)!!! My computer stopped at around 90something (I totes forgot to take note of when it stopped but it was in the 90s) and I know I got the last question correct so I wasn't completely hopeless or devastated post-exam. After the exam, I went out with some girlfriends to a baseball game and took my mind (for the most part) off of the exam. Got home...

OH WAIT, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WITH ALMOST EVERY SINGLE QUESTION, I PRAYED TO GOD TO HELP ME PICK THE RIGHT ANSWER and HE DID apparently because I did the PVT trick (like 5 mins ago [it seriously took me half an hour to muster up the courage to do this trick lol], which is why I'm still having some palpitations haha) and got the GOOD pop up! :yeah: THANK YOU LORD!!!! :bowingpur:heartbeat I'm still praying that I did actually pass and that PVT is 100% accurate. As for now, I can finally relax a bit and wait for my name to :tinkbll:appear on CA BON.

If I had to say anything about this test, it is this. This test was all GOD-DRIVEN. There is no way I could have gotten the Alzheimers/Peds/Meds questions that I barely studied for correct without Him. :yelclap: I can study all I want, but without God and without prayers from strangers (prayers from people who don't know you and prayers from children are the most powerful), I wouldn't be able to pass. I went on Facebook and posted my prayer request on different prayer request groups on Facebook. It's extremely effective and so uplifting! I'm not saying I could pass NCLEX without studying because I had to carry my weight in this too to pass it. I'm just saying that God took over for me when it was impossible for me to bear the weight in this exam and really won this battle for me. :w00t: So I owe it all to God. I did my best, and He truly did the rest!

Tips to Studyinghard2bLPN and all future NCLEX takers? Study study study! Was on lockdown for a month and dropped everything for this exam. I took up Hurst and she explains things really well, but, in my opinion and from my experience, a lot of the content that you must learn for NCLEX is also *kind of* lacking in her review. She says to know the material inside out, backwards and forward, and you really should, but there's even more material that you must learn for NCLEX. She really breaks down concepts that she teaches you EXTREMELY well though and clarified things for me no one else could (she was awesome, very funny, and her style of teaching is oodles of fun too!), so Miss Marlene did help me in NCLEX and will continue to help me in my career, so I say TAKE HURST. You won't regret it (just don't rely too heavily on that alone). Thanks Aunt Marlene! I also did one of those random factsheets floating around on the board (I can't find it unfortunately ) and the first page of ExamCram with all the values and stuff. I did the QReviews on Hurst and got pretty low scores ranging from 57-65% though (got these scores before doing other questions)... So I also advise you to do as many questions as possible. Don't be discouraged by low scores. Trust me, I've been there and done that. Stressed out about it and everything. JUST READ AND SOAK IN ALL (as in every single one, if you can) OF THE RATIONALES. Aside from Hurst's Qreview, I used these Qtrainers from: http://www.slideshare.net/thinkrn/kaplan-nclex-sample-exam-7 (and actually saw like 2 exact questions on the exam from there), NCLEX 3500: http://nursing.slcc.edu/nclexrn3500/nursingTopicsSelect.do;jsessionid=76E8F58847371FCEAFC56C2DAD1B4231 , Saunders CD, and a little bit of Lippincott's Review for NCLEX-RN (which has like 4000 questions). I did as many questions and rationales as I could until my eyes and mind couldn't take it anymore. All in all, I would say I did about 1000+ questions/week. Hurst + questions will get you there...and don't forget to breathe...

OH!!! PLUS...

....A HEAPING SLICE OF YUMMMMYYY GOOOD OL' FAITH CAKE IN GOD (and in yourself too!). :WHCk:

Hopefully, within the coming days, I'll see my name on CA's BON and really call myself an RN. :nurse: Thanks again for the prayers! I'm praying for you StudyinghardtobLPN and for all you NCLEX takers out there!!! :) If I could do it (and I was a C to low B student and was a HORRRRRRIBLE test taker in school...I did really bad on HESI and almost didn't graduate due to my barely passing exit HESI score), YOU SERIOUSLY CAN TOO! Good luck and God bless!!! You got this!!! :hug:

xo,

Jaye

anntweet · Sep 14, 2011

Congrats! where did you take your exam Jaye? i'll be taking my exam this saturday.. Pls pray for me too..I'd greatly appreciate it! Hehehe. Thanks! :)

Jaye6789 · Sep 14, 2011

I took mine in San Francisco cuz I'm from the Bay Area :)

Jaye6789 · Sep 14, 2011

May God be with you always anntweet, in your studies and when you take the test! May He send you His amazing peace and guide your hands, heart, and mind in choosing the correct answers on the day of your exam. May His will be done in your life. In Jesus Name, I pray, AMEN!

Also, just keep on reminding yourself that God didn't carry you through nursing school for nothing! He did that so you could become an RN! You got this! :up: Let me know how it goes :)

PRAYING FOR YOU TONS! :heartbeat

xo,

Jaye

schalke20 · Sep 14, 2011

Hi! Jaye, Congratulations :dancgrp::dancgrp:

I took my NCLEX-RN in San Fransisco last August 16 for 8am schedule..seen my name on CA BRN website on the 18th around 3am. and got my license ID on the 19th.. I received my Board Certificate on the 22nd.. so in just a week I got everything I need.

I do agree to all your post up there:nmbrn:

Went there with prayers.. I answered every questions with Him :nmbrn: My exam ended @75 question and left the testing center with prayers. God knows I didn;t know all those questions but I think I survive because of my faith on Him. Though, I study a lot too.. I like the way you say "you dropped off the face of the earth" for this exam. :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

Well, basically we almost have the same principle.. but mine was be SELFISH.. in a sense that I isolated myself from my usual environment and routines.. 1st applying some rules... one of these were.. NO cellphone on my 8-12hours review or if possible non at all. No FB/Internit access except allnurses.com and practice test on some useful websites...No TV and sad to say NO GYM too as I normally did. No Movie and night outs., Just plainly REVIEW..and REVIEW.. my basic entertainment was still REVIEW.

Sunday was my time healing and obligation to God. eventhough its part of my routine and existence since young to attend the Sunday mass. Sometimes I missed it too. :saint: :saint: :saint: but fortunately not on my entire self review. God will always be my strength anytime I feel to defeat or to give up something.

Anyway, Congratulations again and Congratulations to those that are going to take their test.

PS: I advice to those test takers if they are planning to take in San Francisco to spare time atleast 15minutes to meditate on the fountain area of Levis Plaza this place is just in front of testing center. Drop or throw a coin in there and make a promise to yourself. It would help a lot for you to relax before going to the testing center.

Ok I promise to myself that its going to be my first time to take the test and I am not gonna comeback in Gods name. I believe those people who took the test that were very prepare but ended up failed the test because they dont know how to manage their stress/anxiety.

Jaye6789 · Sep 14, 2011

Yes! You are so right schalke20! We're so alike in the ways we disciplined ourselves it's uncanny! Hahaha! And yes, I agree (along with everything you said :) ). For those taking NCLEX-RN/PN in SF, relax for a bit across the street where the benches and trees are. It's so relaxing! I didn't do it cuz I didn't know about it then, but I did after I took my exam and a huge wave of relief swept over me when I was relaxing in that area. :) Good luck everyone!

anntweet · Sep 15, 2011

Aww.. that's really inspiring.. Thanks Jaye!! :) GOD bless your good heart!

Iammaj28 · Sep 16, 2011

:yeah: :yeah: congratulations :yeah: :yeah:

Awesome advice taking mine next week..wish me luck..

Jaye6789 · Sep 16, 2011

Good luck Iammaj28!!!! You got this!!!! Just breathe and pray before submitting every question. Kaya mo yan!!! I'll be praying for you! God bless :)