I graduated in the Philippines 2009, passed Phil Nursing Exam in the same yr. Moved to NY and couldn't work as a nurse cause i was undocumented, I had no SSN until i got married and became permanent resident. That's 6 years of no nursing- nothing!
I didn't know how and where to begin. Yikes! I can feel the stress creeping up on me.
WHAT DID I DO?? HOW DID I STUDY??
I studied for 2 months. Schedule your Exam so you have a date. so you'll respect the time you have left for the exam.
5 THINGS you NEED:
1 ILLUSTRATED GUIDE NCLEX RN EXAM 8th Edition by ZERWEKH- Concise and straight to the point unlike Saunders.
2 HURST ONLINE REVIEW
3 UWORLD- 2 month subscription
4 Youtube khanacademy channel was very useful to brush up on your pathophysio in a very simple manner. also google stuff you don't know about. Its free! haha
5 LaCharity- only answered until Chapter 15 on 2nd week before exam.
HOW I STUDIED:
Mon-Wed Id start from 10Am-1pm. I would read a chapter/s about one system/ one specific topic (ex. FLUIDS AND ELECTROLYTES) watch one hurst video about F&E, and do 20Qs on UWORLD on F&E ONLY. I say this cause it will help you retain more info if you study and do questions by system/area. Its more organized. After work, i study from 9pm-11pm and do 20 more Uworld Qs and then watch some tv before sleeping.
Thurs-Fri I work full day so i only study when i come home around 9-11. I do 20-30 UWORLD QS.
WEEKENDS- I like to sleep in during weekends, don't you? I begin studying at 10am. I read chapter/s on the book, watch 2-3 hurst videos, and do 50-75 world Qs. I try to tackle harder systems/areas like cardio on weekends where i can study the whole day. I stop at 10pm and watch me some greys anatomy or the walking dead. I love TV.
REMEMBER:
Its okay to suck on UWORLD. These are really higher level questions, BUT make sure your read and UNDERSTAND the rationales. I started doing 5 Qs at a time, then eventually 10at a time i would score 60% more. ASK TONS OF "WHYs" and "WHAT DO YOU DO FIRST?"Why does that happen? Why do you ask your patient to pee if the uterus is boggy after delivery? DO ALL THE HURST Q REVIEW.
REPETITION IS KEY!!! REPEAT REPEAT REPEAT. you won't get it by reading/reviewing it only once. REVIEW OUT LOUD- LIKE YOU'RE LECTURING A CLASS.
Take breaks when you feel like you're not absorbing info anymore. Go out once a week, go out with friends, eat out, go for a walk, etc. This will lessen your stress. Good for the brain.
3 weeks before the test i took a 4 day break. NO STUDYING. It felt goooood.
2 weeks before the exam i read all my HURST notes again and read UWORLD rationales by system. I studied calculation one day before the test-but not really. Only got 1 calc on NCLEX. I studied MEDS 1 week before exam- Only got 2 on NCLEX- is it worth studying?....errrr
DAY OF THE NCLEX- try your best to remain calm, i listened to Red Hot Chili Peppers on full blast on my way to the testing center. PREPARE YOURSELF TO BE THERE FOR THE ENTIRE 260 Qs! This way, your brain will tell you to be patient taking your time answering Qs carefully. Rationalize, use process of elimination. Take breaks. I took two. The second one after 90 Qs and i ate my banana, water, went to bathroom. After the NCLEX you're gonna feel like ****. Everybody knows that. Not to scare you but to prepare yourself that its normal to feel like you failed. I was 99.9% sure i failed that test. If you're driving, try to calm yourself down before hitting the road, better yet, ask a friend/family to drive you.
TRUST YOURSELF. PRAY. STUDY HARD. I KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS. Good luck future RNs! Now go and rock this test!!!
I haven't passed my Nclex in 3 years and I was wondering did you purchase the online hurst review and how long were you able to watch the videos? Is it possible if you can email me the notes as well? [email protected]
Hey guys. I just started typing my notes. I have my notes all hand written. I'll email the first part later today. It's about Cardio.
To faith: I only purchased the online hurst review. I didn't go to the live review. I finished the videos in two weeks. Make sure you watch more videos during weekends. So you can finish the materials.
Also, I would review hurst notes every time I'm on a commute to/from work.
Guys, these are some notes I have saved on my phone.
Review: MgSO4 to prevent preeclampsia. : 4-8 therapeutic level.
Iron supplement 30 mg daily.
Calcium supplement 1200-1500mg
Newborns: No sun exposure and sunscreen application until 6 mos.
Meds that can cause renal injury: ACE inhibitors, amino glycosides (mycin), digoxin
all meds on nclex are in generic names.
Pregnancy:
Stages of labor:
1st stage: start of contraction to full dilatation
Duri. 1st stage- latent,active, transition
2nd:full to delivery
3rd: delivery of placenta
4th: placenta to 2-4 hrs post op
Latent phase: irregular contraction. Mild. 0-4cm
Active: regular contraction. 4-7cm
Transitioning: intense contractions very painful 7-10. Pain radiates from back to front belly.
Methylergonovine- check bp. Might cause hypertension. Constricts vessels.
Ibuprofen Advil midol NSAIDs
Acetaminophen Tylenol - analgesic
Acetylsalicylic acid- aspirin- NSAIDs
Malignant hyperthermia- anesthesia allergy. This is an emergency.
Sickle cell- priority is O2 non rebreather mask then ivf
Hemophilia- priority transfuse VII concentrate anytime there's a trauma to hemophilia pt.
Pt with thrombocytopenia- low clotting factor- no aspirin
Splenectomy- think infection
Tumor lysis syndrome- hyperkalemia and renal failure
Immunosuppressant med cyclosporine for organ transplant- watch out non tender lumps, indicating lymphoma.
Warfarin- retain same intake of Vit k foods.green tea, grapefruit juice alters warfarin effect.
Ace inhibitors- w.o for hypotension. Cough and angioedema. No pregnant. If these are present HCP will have to change meds cause these are adverse side effects.
Statins- wof liver injury.
Furosemide- ototoxic- slow administration
vancomycin - piggyback over 60 mins. Because fast infusion can cause red man syndrome.
Congrats on passing!!! I'm taking mine in 3 weeks can you add me to your list of people you are sending your notes [email protected] thanks so much :) !
Hi. I also graduated from the Philippines but 10 years ago. My exam will be on July 30. I'm done with Saunders book (obsolete one 3rd edition coz I have no budget) and this is my 2nd week for NCSBN review. After this, I'm going to subscribe Uworld qbanks. Is a month enough or I need more?Thanks in advance.
Hello! I'm so happy I came across your post. Congratulations on passing your NCLEX, I hope to be in the same boat as you :) hence it would be great to have your awesome study notes. My email is [email protected]. Thank you and hope you have an awesome day!
Faithlearnevolve7
2 Posts
I haven't passed my Nclex in 3 years and I was wondering did you purchase the online hurst review and how long were you able to watch the videos? Is it possible if you can email me the notes as well? [email protected]