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
That's great how mant tries do you get,as many as you need.What state I know nevada only gives you 3 tries to pass....
Thank you o2BRN!! I tested in Texas, here you can test every 45 days for 4 yrs from the date of your nursing school graduation. It costs roughly around $339 each time in my state! This meant that I only had until December this year to pass or go back to school again! I am so relieved to have passed!!
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! :)
blindsided,
thank you so much for your compliments! i was given so much moral support and lots of hope and encouragement from allnurses.com in my darkest moments during the previous 5 fail results! i hope i can give back to allnurses.com and the members what they have given to me! :)
Okay, Im in the same boat you were (CONGRATS BTW) and would like to know what the secret is about the infection control deal and anything else you can offer to help me pass this test, thanks!
Praise God......I thought I was the only one who had a similar story. I took the test 7 times! Persaverance and prayer is the key. Congratulations.........:yeah::yeah:Trust me I know EXACTLY how you feel.:clown:
praise god......i thought i was the only one who had a similar story. i took the test 7 times! persaverance and prayer is the key. congratulations.........:yeah::yeah:trust me i know exactly how you feel.:clown:
mizzwilsonrn,
you are right, perseverance and prayer is the key. i also learned to stay positive and calm, and had to keep negativity away from my mindset. after so many attempts, you get so used to seeing "fail", you can't help but wonder is it gonna be another fail. but i had to stop thinking that way, it was hard, but i fought and worked so hard see that "pass" on the results screen! and now....the only hurdle is trying to find a good internship that i can learn the best from! :) when did you pass and what did you do to start working? what area you working in?
okay, im in the same boat you were (congrats btw) and would like to know what the secret is about the infection control deal and anything else you can offer to help me pass this test, thanks!
:)
hi dimples1310,
thanks so much! actually, before i passed, i was like you and everyone else, looking for easy ways to learn mneumonics and look for the "tricks" to pass the nclex exam. but now that i have passed, i can honestly say, its not the "tricks" or mneumonics that got me to pass. yes they helped tremendously, but i had to rethink and figure what i was doing wrong and why i was failing. i made a study schedule and started "learning" if you wanna call it, because i wasn't just memorizing, or learning the tricks, i was actually reading and learning the why and how to everything. it was the underlying process i was learning, along with helpful tidbits of information.
the infection control mneumonics are wonderful and really do help on the nclex. please don't get me wrong, all of the helpful tricks and info help during the studying and even on the exam, but without learning the patho, it won't get you far. i made 4-5 weeks of study time and went from ft to pt @ work so that i could seriously focus on passing this grueling, mind controlling exam.
i hope i am not discouraging you, but encouraging you to make a good study schedule and stick to it and learn it so that the next time you test, you will also pass. :)
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
radha parikh, rn!!!!
please tell me what the average time is for taking the nclex? it used to be 1st or at most 2nd time, but that was ages ago and material has definately changed since then. does anyone know the average for 2010? just curious as my cousin will be taking it after this last semester.
I'm sure your tears were an avalanche of pent-up emotions after such a long road.
But just know that at that particular moment, you may have entertained an angel unaware. You were able to see outside yourself and lend a hand to another human being.
Keep this compassion; you will be a great nurse.:redbeathe
Ok, first off I want to say here that I am in no way casting aspersions on teh author of this thread, but I just need to ask...Is anyone else but me concerned that nurses are practicing who had difficulty passing the licencing exam? I'm not at all comfortable with the idea that the nurse who brings me my medication may have had to write 6 times in order to finally pass. Or even 3 times. This means the education they are getting is not preparing them to understand the practice...which we all know from expereince, but this inability to pass the credential portion of the training is very worrisome.
I fear for our profession. I fear for our patients. I fear for ourselves.
I graduated in 02 and passed in feb 2010. However now I'm on a new climb trying to find a job! I'm being told I'm a New Grad and that I need experience! :eek: I have some experience but it is more than 5 years old! I try not to get too discouraged because I am working right now but not in a hospital setting. And I feel like the hard part is over.....I just keep applying, God will open up a door for me. Good luck in your search...and keep us posted on your job search... again CONGRATULATIONS......
Ok, first off I want to say here that I am in no way casting aspersions on teh author of this thread, but I just need to ask...Is anyone else but me concerned that nurses are practicing who had difficulty passing the licencing exam? I'm not at all comfortable with the idea that the nurse who brings me my medication may have had to write 6 times in order to finally pass. Or even 3 times. This means the education they are getting is not preparing them to understand the practice...which we all know from expereince, but this inability to pass the credential portion of the training is very worrisome.
I fear for our profession. I fear for our patients. I fear for ourselves.
heathIam,
I'm speaking for myself but just because I didn't pass the NCLEX in my 1st or 2nd attempt does not disqualify me as being a good nurse. Yes I understand that you have to learn nursing and learn medications and learn the nursing process and pathophysiology behind everything, but all that aside, nursing is also about compassion and nurturing and listening and being an advocate for your patient. I'm sorry but I wouldn't want the kind of nurse at my bedside regardless of how many times it took to pass the exam that runs in and out of the room after 5 min of assessment and medication combined. A good nurse learns and builds from mistakes. Your kind of judgement will probably not get you very far.
There are many great nurses LPN or RN that are great at what they do whether they passed their 1st time or 10th time.
In the respect of this thread, and for those that are looking for something positive and not negative, I will not say anymore other than this about this post in this thread.
:yeah:
:clown:
:eek: I have some experience but it is more than 5 years old! I try not to get too discouraged because I am working right now but not in a hospital setting. And I feel like the hard part is over.....I just keep applying, God will open up a door for me. Good luck in your search...and keep us posted on your job search... again CONGRATULATIONS......
jadu1106
908 Posts
Thank you o2BRN!! I tested in Texas, here you can test every 45 days for 4 yrs from the date of your nursing school graduation. It costs roughly around $339 each time in my state! This meant that I only had until December this year to pass or go back to school again! I am so relieved to have passed!!
jadu1106