Want to know where to go when you fail the NCLEX

[Floridanurse20]

Want to know where to go after you fail the NCLEX?

Up. When you hit rock bottom the only way to go is up.

Background: Graduated from a BSN program that had a 98% NCLEX passing rate. Got all A's and B's. Regardless was still a bit of a halfass student.

My first time taking the NCLEX I failed at 265 questions. Yes that means I was close to passing but remember, "close" is never good enough. The first time I studied with Kaplan, it was a resource that was heavily pushed throughout our program so I paid the $350 (they gave us a group discount). This was MISTAKE NUMBER ONE. Do NOT be social sheep. Do NOT invest in a resource solely because those around you make the decision to do so or because your program encourages you to do so. Remember that these review programs are BUSINESSES, and you are a CONSUMER. So before choosing your NCLEX review resources sit down and self analyze yourself. What are your weaknesses and what are your strengths. Are you still lacking content? Do you need more strategy? A combination of the two? Do you understand the NCLEX test plan? Once you have thoroughly evaluated yourself THEN you may proceed onto investing your precious dollars into review materials during a time were many of us find ourselves in a financial strife.

Kaplan is a strategy based review with weak rationales. Yes you can not pass the exam without strategy but only God himself can save you if you don't know the content.

While I was taking the exam I knew I was slipping through the cracks. I could get the question down between two answers but I could never be sure which one was the right answer. I started getting severely anxious. Once I hit 150 I knew I was in it for the long run. MISTAKE NUMBER TWO!!!!! Whatever you do, do not let your anxiety push you into spiraling out of control. You are the driver and you are in control. This may also cause you to RUSH the exam. I remember that I just started guessing, and guessing will take you no where but to your doom when taking a computer adaptive test. You must think critically throughout the entire thing, each question, one by one. When I walked out the exam I knew I failed. When I got my results the next day I plummeted into a depression and please by all means allow yourself to grieve. However within 7 days please reevaluate yourself, your strengths and weakness, your social and moral support, and reregister for the exam.

No you are not a failure. These waters do NOT run that deep. It is an exam, so take it again. Do not let a piece of paper measure your potential or self worth. Do not compare yourself to other people because you don't know what other demons they might be battling.

Me reevaluating myself: I underestimated the exam and I did not critically think when doing Kaplan questions, I just answered questions just to answer. I made decent scores and I did around 2k questions but it doesn't matter because if you can't think critically then you won't make it through this exam. It's the quality of studying not the quantity. I was lacking both content and strategy and Dear God I didn't know how to answer those priority questions...

" who will the nurse see first?" Who knows because I sure didn't.

Second time around: I took my exam 50 days after I failed the first time and I probably spend the first week of those 50 days crying my eyes out.

What I do this time? I read 600 pages out of the Saunders comprehensive review book word by word . I had time to read the whole thing but I was meeting my threshold and I felt that around this page mark I had reviewed a decent amount of content. I did 760 questions out of Uworld (the entire question bank is around 1,900) and I read every single rationale word by word and took notes. Uworld is the only resource I've seen that nearly looks like an NCLEX duplicate from the interface to the complexity of the questions. I also did about nine chapters out the Lacharity Prioritization, delagation, and assignment because I knew I was still struggling with who would the nurse see first questions. Boy oh boy this book had SMOKE ringing out my ears. You could see the steam coming off my forehead. The questions are difficult, I was getting around a 60% percent average on chapters and the last two chapters I got a 75%. I also skimmed through the 35 page review guide. Combined I did around 1,400 questions, which is well under the 2,000 questions they recommend you do. I passed in 75 questions in 1.5 hours.

What else did I do? I prayed. I prayed a lot. I haven't prayed in so long but I asked god for the strength, the patience, and the endurance to get me through that difficult time.

Passing this exam has nothing to do with intelligence, it has everything to with hard work and critical thinking.

Rules : 1) you ARE the nurse

2. will this kill my patient?

3. Don't stress it and don't rush

4. Take your time this is not a race

5. ABCs and Maslows hierarchy

6. Assessment before implementation UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION!!!!!!

7. Be patient and be POSITIVE. If you think that you can't do this guess what? You're right; you can't. But you can, and you will, and you will prosper.

[Emergent, RN]

There have been a lot of these types of posts here, ad nauseum, but this is fantastic. Take it from me, I'm an excellent tester, this is great advise, particularly on the psychology of testing and the importance of understanding rationale instead of memorization! I've always had a problem with memorization yet aced school and tests!

Well done!

[Flnolegirl]

Awesome job Flnurse20!

[DNTcode]

Hi, do not give up! Just keep trying. I have to be honest, I did not used any review or anything, I personally thought of them, that they are misleading. i freaked out after the NCLEX. I was so sure I failed.. Thanks God I was wrong. As I think it is hardest part, it requires the most of bravery and character to fight the NCLEX monster over and over again. Good luck! Fingers crossed.

PS. Friend of mine had to go through many many attempts till she finally passed. Do not give up!

[gizahon]

Congratulations and best wishes!!! Your story is very inspirational. May God bless us all nurses, lol.

You're very funny too.