What's up with all the 'failed NCLEX' posts?

caleb2015 · Mar 25, 2016

I look through the "what's new" feed and keep seeing posts of nursing students who failed their NCLEX. Is the test getting harder? I remember that my graduating class had only one student that failed NCLEX. Are schools graduating people who are not ready for the test?

NCSBN raised the passing standard from -0.21 LOGIT to -0.16 LOGIT ( effective April 2010) to 0.00 LOGIT ( effective April 2012 ). On Dec 9, 2015 meeting, NCSBN decided to uphold the current level of 0.00 LOGIT and will remain in effect until March 31, 2019.

Farawyn · Mar 25, 2016

I was 1 of first computerized test takers. I didn't take a study course. I didn't sweat it. Passed 1st attempt at 76 Q's. My school prepared me. I could have taken paper and pencil and not been much worried. Its the quality of the program and the student. Plain and simple

Well, I mostly agree.

There are people whose strength is not test taking. Or have test anxiety or other learning issues.

The NCLEX itself may intimidate the hell out of them.

The only tests you take in nursing school are NCLEX-esque, so if you get through nursing school, you should be able to pass the NCLEX.

I'm maintaining 3 tries for these peeps.

elkpark · Mar 25, 2016

Also, someone else mentioned shelling out 600$ for a review course. I was just talking about this tonight. What review course? I did 1000 NCLEX questions as review, and passed the first time.

Yeah, $400, $600 for review courses, what's up with that?? You were supposed to learn what you needed to know in nursing school. I thought wonders what I was doing spending $12 or $14 on a book of review questions. The idea of paying real money for a "review course" would never have occurred to me or any of my classmates (I'm not sure there even was such a thing then -- the idea would have been considered ridiculous (just like the idea of an extended "new grad internship")).

For our younger members, before the Internet, NCLEX review questions used to be available printed on paper in things called books. (:))

jchristine89 · Mar 25, 2016

I recently graduated and my professors said that the NCLEX has changed in recent years. They said the NCLEX people made it tougher as well. That may have something to do with it! How they knew these things, I'm not sure.

Farawyn · Mar 25, 2016

Yeah, $400, $600 for review courses, what's up with that?? You were supposed to learn what you needed to know in nursing school. I thought wonders what I was doing spending $12 or $14 on a book of review questions. The idea of paying real money for a "review course" would never have occurred to me or any of my classmates (I'm not sure there even was such a thing then -- the idea would have been considered ridiculous (just like the idea of an extended "new grad internship")).
For our younger members, before the Internet, NCLEX review questions used to be available printed on paper in things called books. (:))

...and get off my lawn, you pesky kids!!! :oldman:

elkpark · Mar 25, 2016

...and get off my lawn, you pesky kids!!!

(I do want those pesky kids off my lawn -- is there something wrong with that?)

elkpark · Mar 25, 2016

I recently graduated and my professors said that the NCLEX has changed in recent years. They said the NCLEX people made it tougher as well. That may have something to do with it! How they knew these things, I'm not sure.

I was teaching nursing when the switch was made to the computerized testing. No one published anything or said anything publicly, but there was v. serious concern and discussion among the state BONS (and educators heard about it) in the first few years that the new format of the NCLEX was much too easy (compared to the old, comprehensive NCLEX) and too many people were passing too easily (and then having problems practicing safely once they were licensed). The NCLEX people have been making the test harder every few years since then in an attempt to reach what is considered the appropriate level of difficulty.

Libby1987 · Mar 25, 2016

Yeah, $400, $600 for review courses, what's up with that?? You were supposed to learn what you needed to know in nursing school. I thought wonders what I was doing spending $12 or $14 on a book of review questions. The idea of paying real money for a "review course" would never have occurred to me or any of my classmates (I'm not sure there even was such a thing then -- the idea would have been considered ridiculous (just like the idea of an extended "new grad internship")).
For our younger members, before the Internet, NCLEX review questions used to be available printed on paper in things called books. (:))

With no cell phones, bottled water or $4 coffee!

jchristine89 · Mar 25, 2016

I was teaching nursing when the switch was made to the computerized testing. No one published anything or said anything publicly, but there was v. serious concern and discussion among the state BONS (and educators heard about it) in the first few years that the new format of the NCLEX was much too easy (compared to the old, comprehensive NCLEX) and too many people were passing too easily (and then having problems practicing safely once they were licensed). The NCLEX people have been making the test harder every few years since then in an attempt to reach what is considered the appropriate level of difficulty.

So, basically, you believe that new nurses nowadays don't have the same level of a beginner's competency due to making the exam 'easier' to pass? Or, maybe not nowadays, but in years since the NCLEX was made to be computerized? Do you think NCLEX may now have gone to its previous level of difficulty and this is why students are having trouble passing?

Farawyn · Mar 25, 2016

I don't know why, for sure.

I agree with what a lot of these posters say as far as the reasons.

My thoughts? I don't see how you can fail the NCLEX 9 times (really???) and still be licensed to practice as an RN.

I think more theory and less clinical does not help learning and prepare you for nursing or the NCLEX.

I'm glad I went to nursing school when I did. I got plenty of clinical time and got to get my hands on a lot of patients.

And the DNPs that taught us had at least 20 years experience.

Purple_roses · Mar 25, 2016

I'm young and naive and not a nurse yet, and what I'm going to say may sound young, naive, and non-nursey, but here goes.

I think NCLEX-style testing is a potential problem. "Critical thinking" is really learning how to decode a question in nursing school. I can't tell you how many times in nursing school an instructor has said "if you have absolutely no idea what the answer could be, see if the answer has this word in it, and then eliminate that one. Then eliminate this answer if it's phrased like this."--and so on. I think it's weird that more focus is on testing strategy than on nursing knowledge sometimes. And Kaplan pretty much teaches testing strategy.

I know a lot of nurses, and I know one that failed her test three times. Her employer let her work as a graduate nurse up until she absolutely had to demote her, which tells me that she was a very capable nurse. And they stuck with her. Her boss absolutely loved her. She finally passed NCLEX when she bought a Kaplan guide that showed her how to take a test (she didn't actually learn any new nursing knowledge). She's practicing now as a very competent nurse and does often get praise from her boss--her team really values her.

I obviously haven't taken NCLEX, so my opinion is based solely on what I've heard from others and is based on my tests as I go through nursing school. But I definitely think it's possible to be a competent nurse who failed the NCLEX multiple times because he/she just didn't nail down how to take an NCLEX-style test in nursing school.

Purple_roses · Mar 25, 2016

I don't know why, for sure.
I agree with what a lot of these posters say as far as the reasons.
My thoughts? I don't see how you can fail the NCLEX 9 times (really???) and still be licensed to practice as an RN.
I think more theory and less clinical does not help learning and prepare you for nursing or the NCLEX.
I'm glad I went to nursing school when I did. I got plenty of clinical time and got to get my hands on a lot of patients.
And the DNPs that taught us had at least 20 years experience.

This! I have learned more in 3 days of med/surg clinical than in hours and hours worth of lecture! Bringing your drug guide and books and having to look things up before you do them and then actually doing these assessments and procedures is the best way to learn. Actually looking at a real patient's chart and seeing the connection between comorbidities, drugs, and interventions is what's shaping me into a "critical thinker"--not the tests in lecture. Lecture is important, but more clinical time would make a huge difference in nursing education.