i have been a member on allnurses.com for several years now and was constantly active on the random facts sticky when it first started back in the summer of 2007. i learned alot from that thread and am so grateful for the oppurtunity to have contributed to it!
it's official!!! on my 6th try i have finally passed the nclex-rn!!!! i took my test tuesday, july 20, came home and did the pvt and it showed the "good" pop up. it confirmed my results today, 2 days later!! i graduated nursing school in december '06 and have struggled to pass this dreaded test ever since. i have had anywhere from 89-265 the past 5 times, and this most recent attempt had 75-76 questions!! i had 15 sata, 1 math calc, 1 traction question, and what seemed like more med, infection control (thank you to the original poster of the infection control mneumonics), and some priority/delegation questions. i didn't have any ob questions. i took my time, my test started at exactly 8am and i was walking out of the testing center at 10.20am. i honestly don't know how i felt when i left there. i didn't know if i bombed it or if i passed. as i was leaving, i had to stop to get some gas. i didn't notice this homeless person sitting in the corner outside the gas station until after i paid and finished pumping gas. i just remeber thinking i am so grateful that i am not in that situation, and that no matter if i passed or failed, at least i wasn't in the situation the homeless person was in. i went in and purchased a drink and some food for this man. i walked over and gave it to him and he was so appreciative, it felt so nice to know he was getting something to eat. i got in my car, drove off and just started crying. i still don't know why--whether i was crying because of my exam or that this homeless person crossed my path that day. i just wanted to share this story because in a way he showed me that i can be kind and good in ways where some people might take for granted.
for my review: i started with kaplan when i first graduated for my 1st attempt, and renewed the subscription for the 2nd time (i should have just got a refund!!). the 3rd and 4th time i strictly used saunders comp review and q&a and followed suzanne's plan, but it didn't work because i didn't do my part and stick to the plan (had i stayed focused and did my part daily, i am sure i would have passed using her plan). on my 5th attempt, i used exam cram and some of the kaplan course book. for my 6th and hopefully my final attempt, i took the 3 day sylvia rayfield course in june and they not only go over questions, but also some content as well. they provide 2 books, one a study tool to help you remember what you learn, and another book with questions. i can honestly say this class and my instructor (she was phenomenal) and lots of support, confidence, positivity and prayer is what helped me pass. i went in to each of the first 5 tests feeling so nervous and having so much anxiety, it was to the point where it could have become an anxiety attack. i think the key to my sanity this time was that i kept calm, and stayed confident and positive. i did not surround myself with any negativity, every day i would tell myself, i want this badly, i will be a nurse!! in the end, i think my calm nerves and deep breathing really helped!!!!
thank you to allnurses, and everyone for your support and encouragement!!! to show my appreciation to allnurses.com, i will be upgrading my membership next week!!! thank you for reading my story and experience!!!!!!!thank you! thank you! thank you!!!!!!!!!! :tku: :tku:
time for a celebration and celebratory drink tonight!!! *wine
i also am on my third try and i also conquered my anxiety. now i am calm and can study with comfort. thank you for being an inspiration!
:anpom:woohoo!!! thank you so much a555!! once you focus on the positive energy and less on the negative, i think it will truly work in your favor!! i wish you much continued success and hope that for you also the 3rd time is the charm! :)
jadu1106, i would like to say congratulations!!! i applaud your tenacity in not given up. i know you will make a great nurse. not knowing whether or not you had passed your exam, you still had compassion on someone else who was homeless. while you were displaying god's love for someone, he was smiling upon you and saying nursing is a calling and you have accepted it and now you must walk in it. your story is one of hope and encouragement. you fed him while he was hungry. remember for we entertain angels unaware. my friend you reaped a harvest on yesterday.
:yelclap: 2brn09,
thank you so much for your generous compliments! i didn't give up because i knew i finished nursing school and i was not going to go down without a fight! you know some people are afraid to approach the homeless or think they are just asking for money for drugs or booze, but this man just sat there with a blank look on his face. at one point i think he kind of made a small nod. i just couldn't drive away knowing i could get him something to eat and drink...here he has no food, and yet we have all kinds in our refrigerator that i know i may take for granted many times. i am sure he finished his food and probably rubbed his tummy good too! (i would have!) :) sometimes its the little things that people do that are much more appreciated than some of the big things!
Congratulations!! After all that, you certainly deserve to celebrate! You touched my heart with your homeless man story! God Bless You! You will be an awesome nurse!
congratulations!! after all that, you certainly deserve to celebrate! you touched my heart with your homeless man story! god bless you! you will be an awesome nurse!
:)
mariyahsmommy,
thank you!!! i celebrated with friends, family and coworkers last night with mexican food at on the border and also had a strawberry colada to go with it! it was delicious and so much fun!! my only problem now is that i have been working as a unit sect in women's services and am not sure if i want to stay at my hospital or look elsewhere. this late in the summer there are no internship positions posted anywhere and i am not sure if i should start off in a hospital or enter directly into the doctor's office (which i believe is an offer that may be offered to me next week at a very large & busy ob-gyn office). i know i need to refreshen up on my skills, but with the economy/recession the way its looking, i am not sure that i want to juggle too many options, as you never know what may or may not come along. i love women's services, but i want to learn at a facility that promotes student learning and also considers preceptorship significant rather than throwing us "new" nurses under the rug and fending for ourselves (which my facility has the reputation for). decisions, decisions! :) i just want to learn as much as i can.
Jadu1106 you will be an awesome nurse no matter what area/field you go into. Your heart spoke volumes when you saw the need and acted upon it. Thanks for sharing you story with all of us, it helps to remind us, who’ve been nurses for so long, that what we do and have should never be taken for granted. That many struggle to be where we toil and we too often grumble about it. Now breathe and take some time to allow the title RN soak in, but most of all welcome to the family of RN's. This is your time to shine!
jadu1106 you will be an awesome nurse no matter what area/field you go into. your heart spoke volumes when you saw the need and acted upon it. thanks for sharing you story with all of us, it helps to remind us, who've been nurses for so long, that what we do and have should never be taken for granted. that many struggle to be where we toil and we too often grumble about it. now breathe and take some time to allow the title rn soak in, but most of all welcome to the family of rn's. this is your time to shine!
[color=#483d8b]thank you so much for your precious message! i am still letting the title rn sink in, its astonishing to me still! :) i am so grateful for this oppurtunity and so happy to finally be an rn!!! i am so blessed! :)
WOW! You have just given a lot of testers a lot of hope, and I am very, very happy for you. Mostly I am just very proud of you for not giving up. Best of luck to you and others walking in your shoes! :)
:yeah:
]
o'shearn,
my only problem now is that i have been working as a unit sect in women's services and am not sure if i want to stay at my hospital or look elsewhere. this late in the summer there are no internship positions posted anywhere and i am not sure if i should start off in a hospital or enter directly into the doctor's office (which i believe is an offer that may be offered to me next week at a very large & busy ob-gyn office). i know i need to refreshen up on my skills, but with the economy/recession the way its looking, i am not sure that i want to juggle too many options, as you never know what may or may not come along. i love women's services, but i want to learn at a facility that promotes student learning and also considers preceptorship significant rather than throwing us "new" nurses under the rug and fending for ourselves (which my facility has the reputation for). decisions, decisions! :) i just want to learn as much as i can.
jadu1106
908 Posts
:anpom:woohoo!!! thank you so much a555!! once you focus on the positive energy and less on the negative, i think it will truly work in your favor!! i wish you much continued success and hope that for you also the 3rd time is the charm! :)
best of luck to you,
jadu1106