To those who have failed PLEASE read this!

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Hi guys, this is my very first time posting in this forum and it may possibly be my last because I usually am not on social media too often. To tell a little info about myself, I recently passed the NCLEX-RN on 8/21 after having failed it the first time in April, 2014. To tell you I was depressed is an understatement. I graduated from an associate's degree program about 6 years ago but I became distracted with the daily grinds of life and raising 3 kids. Even though my spouse helped me, I became complacent with my LPN job and wasnt motivated to study. However this year I reflected on my life and I decided that at 38 years old I wanted to become an RN not just for my family but more importantly for myself. So I studied hard, I studied only 3 books: 1. the Prioritization and Delegation book by LaCharity which helped immensely with my exam which I would say was about 70% priority and delegation questions, 2. Exam Cram Fourth edition by Wilda Rinehart and 3. Comprehensive Review for NCLEX-RN by Mary Ann Hogan, it is an immense book about 1000+ pages but well worth it. I did not take any review class because I couldnt afford it but if you can more power to you.I bought these based on the advice I read on all nurses by a fellow nurse who wrote that the company that publishes exam cram and comprehensive review is Pearson, who also administers the NCLEX exam. Please dont be discouraged. I failed the first test at 75 questions felt depressed and even believed at one point that I shouldnt be a nurse. I was an A+ student throughout college and never failed an exam which is why I was so devastated. So I cried and moaned for about 2 weeks not wanting to even look at a damn study book and hating to have to pay 200 dollars again,then decided to study again. The second time I did things differently: I did not overstudy, I repeat do not overstudy, 2 hours a day for a month or so is quite enough. It will minimize your anxiety and I do believe the brain can become overloaded with too much info that when you take the test you feel like you dont remember anything. Number 2: do not study the day before the exam, I only studied the lab values from the exam cram book and side notes. Number 3: I prayed constantly before the exam, now I dont want to juxtapose my beliefs on anyone but I know that the first time I took the exam, I looked only upon myself and felt so cocky that I didnt need to look upon my higher power for anything. This time I prayed and left it up to my God. Whatever you believe in look to that for faith. Number 4: take your sweet time on each and every question, I hid the clock icon so I wouldnt panic and be rushed for time, the test stopped on 123 and I took a deep breath and said oh well, I know in my heart I did the best I could. So dont you dare feel dumb and that you cant do it, I did it and you can do it too. Just dont study from too many sources. Sorry for the long post :geek: I love you all.

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Congrats pippi77! Thanks for posting the tips :)

I am using Hurst & kaplan review with PDA book too.. failed first time with 75 but I am studying daily about 2-4 hours...

Good luck RN :)

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Congrats! i also failed the first time and passed it on the second time. God has really good plans for us. We just have to have faith.

Thank you for sharing your experiences and GODbless you!

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thank you so much for your support and remember think to yourself when you are testing, I will not let this NCLEX beat me, I WILL BEAT IT!:up:

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CONGRAT! Icant wait for my time to come, done it 4 times now, name it i have used it and still cant seem to pass nclex. i just know one day God will answer my prayers.

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to Sholay70, you will do it and when you get your RN please be proud that you never gave up because quitters never win and winners never quit

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:nurse:
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Great job!!!!!

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congratss! I took a very different route study wise, crammed til the day of for instance, and really fit it all into a two week span. But we did share a couple of study methods. I also used PDA, did all of the tests the week of the test, HELPED tremendously. That is all I did together with the Hurst Videos and Qreview exams, 3 of them. I felt like I learned A LOTTTT, but even then the exam had tons of info i did not know. My last ten questions I believe were drugs I had NEVER heard of, and most of those drug questions were SATA. Even so because the PDA book helps you understand the questions so well and what they are looking for, I was able to give even the questions about things I had never heard of a good attempt. I was able to pass first time with 75 questions. O and I prayed a lot as well. Prayer and PDA, i definitely agree with both of those methods.

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Hi amorales what is PDA book i need some help my exam is on 20 October I am using hurst doing questions from here and there from different web sites I have la charity questions book which I have started yet can you give me some suggestion I will be really thank full to u.

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Specializes in CEN, CFRN, PHRN, RCIS, EMT-P.

Took a Kaplan course and passed on my first try, no higher power or gods needed, besides asking for help on a test is cheating LOL :)

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Hello biglala- The Lacharity book is the PDA (priority,delegation and assignment) book. All the best we got this.

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