what did you use to pass nclex rn????

Hi ladies.
I am about to take my nclex rn for the third time and I am stressed to say the leaset I was wondering if anyone could give me tips on what they used to study for the nclex rn. and what worked for them also has anyone used any of the online sites to take tests off I am talking about the ones you pay for and use for a period of time and take practice tests. Any help advice would be much appreciated thanks in advance. Michelle Murray

I took some college sponserd review class and had some books but luckily I did't really have to study too much. I did the old paper and pencil test. If you know the information maybe you need a test taking class.

I took a review class with Kaplan. I highly recommend it. Kaplan teaches you test-taking skills, which was something that I needed!

Oh I am sorry to say this.. Not making fun of you in any way... 17 years of being an LPN... But you probably don't wanna go that route.. Actually, I took it on the computer in the lab at my University as often as I could..


WR,,, three commas for Becca

Hello Michelle,

My personal advice is this.

Buy or borrow five different NCLEX® Review books (libraries usually have several). There's AJN, Barrons, NLN, and a dozen other brands. Any review book with an index and explanation of answer rationales will do.

Then sit down with a medical dictionary, a drug book and your nursing textbooks handy and start going through questions.

Set aside at least a few hours/day for several weeks to a month before you're scheduled to take your test.

My classmates and I did an average of 6 hours/day just going through questions and different review books for a month before we took our boards.

We each answered 75 questions and passed on the first try (19 in my class).

As we went through the questions, any terms we did not recognize, we looked up in our med/surg books and flagged it for review later.

In a good day, you can get through a few hundred questions. Do as many as you can stand in a sitting.

When you need a break, go for a walk, go shopping, have a snack, then go back and do some more.

As you go through the books, you'll start to recognize more and more terms.

The ones you need to look up the first time, you''ll remember the next time!

Even if it all seems unfamiliar at first, it will pass as you do more questions and review the items you're unsure of.

*************************************************

If you have the money, buy the books (even if they're a year old or two, the question content doesn't really change).

We marked ours up liberally as we studied, jotting down the page # in our med/surg books next to the question in the review guide.

It saved a lot of time when we needed to look things up for a second time or when we needed to review.

Hope that is helpful!

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursingstudents.com

Geeeeeeeeeeeeeesh why bother to go to nursing school...

Wonder if I could do that and pass the medical boards.

Nursing isn't a bunch of facts you cram for in the last days before the NCLEX. Nursing is a process that takes time to digest, absorb, and implement. Boy I know I'm going to Belize when I get sick.

IMHO your advice stinks..

WR,,, three commas for Becca


P.S. Why bother with all these books.. Take the test at your school's computer lab.

I agree with WanderingRN, the best way to study for the NCLEX is practice on a computer. If you can't reason through enough answers to pass, you missed the whole point of your education. It's not about facts, it about learning the bigger picture when assessing your patient. I've been an RN for 9 years and now in grad school. You can always tell the "book learners" form the ones with experience by the way they approach what they see. When you read a question, think, if I was to walk into a room, found this information, what would I do? Use your computer lab and good luck!

WanderingRN,

I think he gave great advice. The question was how to pass nursing boards, not how to become a nurse. If you can't offer something positive why waste the time to post?

I gave my advise as he did his.. He can tell me my advise stinks too if he wants to. When were you gonna jump on Raymond for agreeing with me..

I don't think cramming is the way to study for any test and that's what Nursing Humor was advocating. If you check teaching and learning methodology you'll find that cramming is discouraged.

Also, the NCLEX is a test to determine your critical thinking skills and knowing a bunch of facts ain't gonna get you too far.. As for knowing lab values every quetion I had gave me the norms.. I don't bother to learn many things I can look up. I wanna understand the concepts..

Aaron BTW when did you take the RN NCLEX???

I know I know sarcastic.. So thirty lashes with a wet noodle for me.

Again JMHO .. Of course if I have an opinion, and I do, it's never humble.


WR,,, three commas for Becca

P.S. Go back and read my WHOLE post I offered positive advise. I said save the books take the test in your computer lab...Sorta like OJT On the Job Training.

I wasn't jumping on you, just sharing MY opinion about YOUR opinion same as you did

Then I guess the matter is closed.. Thanks..


WR,,, three commas for Becca


It IS soooooooooooo easy to misjudge someone here and there isn't it?

Don't bother with the Kaplan review class. It sucks! It didn't help me in the least. I got my money back after taking it not only due to the fact that I didn't pass my first time, but I just think Kaplan doesn't help. The way I am preparing for taking it this second time is to go through my Saunders review book and answering all the question. Saunders is the most like the NCLEX because they break the questions into the same sections as the NCLEX does. Make sure you have your medical dictionary and med book handy when you answering questions that way you can look up words and drugs you don't know even though you won't have them with you during the test it helps you memorize and reclal things better. My advice is just to answer answer and answer questions. Also remember to read the rationale for why the answer is the right answer. Oh and don't forget about doing the CDs that come with the books because when you answer them with a pencil in the book when you get to the computer it's different. Do BOTH!

I wish you the best of luck and let us know how you did!

[ QUOTE ]
WanderingRN said:
Geeeeeeeeeeeeeesh why bother to go to nursing school...

Wonder if I could do that and pass the medical boards.

Nursing isn't a bunch of facts you cram for in the last days before the NCLEX. Nursing is a process that takes time to digest, absorb, and implement. Boy I know I'm going to Belize when I get sick.

IMHO your advice stinks..

[/ QUOTE ]

The question was what worked for passing the NCLEX, and that what worked for me. An the whole point of "review" is to find out what you don't know so you can brush up on it.

Your comment about "Nursing isn't a bunch of facts" doesn't apply to the question at hand, does it.

You're not learning by doing the questions, you're pinpointing your strong and weak areas, so you can focus on what you need to work on.

Personally I love computers, but its much easier to mark up a book when you get questions wrong so you can review them later.

My two cents.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursingstudents.com

[ QUOTE ]
raymond said:
I agree with WanderingRN, the best way to study for the NCLEX is practice on a computer. If you can't reason through enough answers to pass, you missed the whole point of your education. It's not about facts, it about learning the bigger picture when assessing your patient. I've been an RN for 9 years and now in grad school. You can always tell the "book learners" form the ones with experience by the way they approach what they see. When you read a question, think, if I was to walk into a room, found this information, what would I do? Use your computer lab and good luck!

[/ QUOTE ]

Heh, heh,

Glad to see you've learned how to post appropriately, for the moment Raymond.

I'm not about to sell my stock in Barron's, AJN, Princeton Review, Mosby or the other publishers of NCLEX Review Guides.

Computers are great, but they won't be replacing study guides with indexes and rationales for quite some time to come.

The fact is more students are more comfortable with books than they are with computers. Practice tests on the computer are encouraged, so it will prepare them for the real exam, however most students still study the old fashioned way.

The best way to study, is what works for the individual. And computers are not a panacea.

The guide publishers themselves include study disks, as a "supplement" to the text.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursingstudents.com

I just took my NCLEX on Thursday and will supposedly receive my results later today. My computer shut off at 75 and I am 50-50 on whether or not I passed. I studied with Kaplans and Saunders and did not started feeling comfortable with exam until I was in the twenties.

What was wrong with the way he was posting..Low blow there ....


If I'm gonna be taking a driving test in a truck why would I practice driving a motorcycle???


Inquiring minds wanna know.. Your reasoning seems flawed to me. If I have test anxiety shouldn't I confront the thing that makes me most anxious .. The test and how it's administered..ON THE COMPUTER??


WR,,, three commas for Becca

As an aside, I can only hope that those who are worried about passing the test aren't only worried about passing; but that they want to be excellent nurses. That's why most of us are advocating understanding of nursing.. If I understand a basic concept or issue in a question I really don't need to "study" a bunch of facts and values.. AAMOF every question I had on my RN boards in 1997 gave me normal values and parameters..i.e. normal dig levels, lab values for K+ etc...I could learn all the formulas and "facts" about nuclear physics, ( well probably not) but I wouldn't trust me with the switch and I hope you wouldn't trust me either.

To me learning to take boards is a process. I have known people who had >3.5 GPA fail the NCLEX. You must understand the testing process. It is great to take many sample tests and grade yourself, but understand this, WHY were your questions wrong. Most of the time it has nothing to do with knowledge. You got that in school. Many people make mistakes due to NURSING PROCESS. In your sample test do not just grade them but study the rational why you got the wrong answer. Does it have to do with the process. Some questions have to do with safety. This is where some smart people go wrong. They will put an answer that requires a DR's order. Just because an answer is text book correct, can the nurse perform that function.

Boards are very complex its not just a test of knowledge it is a test of nursing skill at the basic level.

Also, you have to understand how the "testor" thinks. That's why I feel doing the exact thing that you will be doing the day you take the test is the way to go. And if you have a computer lab at school it's cheap. Read FREE,,,..Part of your tuition..


WR,,, three commas for Becca

Ya, there is too much information to try to re-learn before nclex. Can confuse the hell out of you. If you don't know it. OH well. But learn to test.

Yeah learn how the testor thinks... Try this.. I have studied the show Millionaire.. Most of the answers begin with the same letter as the answer. For example What fruit did a guy name Johnny plant in the USA.. a. apple b. oranges c. peaches d. plums... See a apple.. Watch the show.. It isn't done all the time but I've noticed it more on the harder questions.. Very interesting. I think it's probably an oversight and may have been changed I haven't watched recently..HMMMMMMMMM

WR,,, three commas for Becca

Some of the questions on the boards wouldn't be grammerically correct if you choose the wrong answer..LOLLL

If you all are going to do the millionaire theory, you might want to do it on a mock test first. :-) I took my NCLEX last Thursday and found out saturday that I passed. Kaplans is the best and it is only $37.00. I didn't take a review class, but I did read Kaplans twice and did the practice test. I didn't do anymore studying. Being able to eliminate wrong answers and critically think is what Kaplan says is most important. It was the best $37.00 that I spent, and didn't have to drop hundreds of $$$$$ on a review class. Good luck to you

I have been watching for quite a while.. I wasn't presenting it as absolute fact. Just showing that the test is produced by humans and they are falliable..When I graduated from HS one of the guys in my class got a perfect scoer on the Math SAT..AAMOF the test takers sent him a note saying he had answered a question correctly that they had the wrong answer to in their answer bank.. Someone noticed it.. This was a long time before computers. Number 2 pencils, no stray marks, and perfect circles.

I wouldn't spend $37.00 on a book.. I believe it's free at most computer labs..

Maybe not..

I passed it in 20 minutes, in 1997 with 75 questions..


WR,,, three commas for Becca

I hope the next time you post, it will be to announce some good news (smile).

I studied like crazy for the exam (6-8 hours/day for a month!) and when I walked out of the examination I had not a clue, whether I'd passed or not.

The machine shut off at 75 for me also and I'd swear I guessed on at least 1/2 the questions. Waiting for the results was pure torture. . . .

Breathed a major sigh of relief when I got my results.

Hope you can do the same.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.nursinghumor.com

Mic****eM wrote:Hi ladies.
I am about to take my nclex rn for the third time and I am stressed to say the leaset I was wondering if anyone could give me tips on what they used to study for the nclex rn. and what worked for them also has anyone used any of the online sites to take tests off I am talking about the ones you pay for and use for a period of time and take practice tests. Any help advice would be much appreciated thanks in advance. Mic****e Murray

You didnt fail it failed you go to Forum Chat http://www.socanon.com/ there is more to that test than you see...my wife has failed it and I have done some research...take a look
Forum Chat http://www.socanon.com/

I used Mosby's review cards and a Saunders review book. The cards were very helpful! They have more than 3000 questions in one box, with 3 questions per card and answers with reasoning on the back. The cards are divided by topic such as Med Surge, Psyche, Acute, etc. and there is also a comprehensive review of at least 200 questions. You can take them anywhere with you and whenever you have 10 spare minutes, do a couple of questions. Make sure you also have a medical dictionary to look up any words you don't remember!

I'm wrapping up my first semester in nursing school, and my school has been pretty much drilling us on studying for the NCLEX early. I get anxiety from taking standardized tests in general, so I'm pretty nervous about taking the test. However, my school did give us these books from ATI and plan to set up time for us to take online practice tests for each section throughout the school year. So I figured I should plan to take the online tests and review specific NCLEX questions right after actually finishing learning that particular subject in class. Also, I did felt better about the test when my clinical instructor told me that if I focus on learning during the school year and gaining experience in critical thinking during clinicals, I will do just fine.

When I was in 2nd semester Senior year, our class had to do 5 sets of questions from NCLEX 3000; had to get 65% or better the first 2 or 3 sets, then 75% the remaining sets. I thought the program worked quite well.

I also had a review book, but forgot which one I used.....:p

'Cat'

Michelle M.-
First off let me say I understand exsactly how you feel. I had to take my NCLEX 3x as well. Neadless to say I was a ball of nerves the second time I took it and almost a basketcase when I realized I had to take it the 3rd time. I decided that I knew the info just needed to make some other changes. I agree doing computer courses was the most helpful for me. Gave me the practice of working on the computer for the test. The other I did was get couseling and finally go on Ritalin for the studying. As well I took 250mcg of xanax for the weekend prior to the test and took the test on a Monday while on some xanax. I walked out of there the third time and knew I passed. Believe it or not I am not the only RN I know who had to take something to kill the nerves. No I am not saying get all "dopped" up for the boards. It's just sometimes thefear of failing again can get the best of you. So maybe a little Rx help wouldn't hurt. You just might want to explore why your blocking on the test. It could be that your just expierincing some test anxiety. You know you know the answers. You know the content. You just need to get chill to take the test. Good luck and take care!:)

The best study tool is take practice tests over and over. Everytime you have a free moment open up the book and start answering the questions. Then you can score yourself. I even took the damn book into the bathroom with me. I did nothing but study for the 6 weeks prior. Good luck to you!

The Dutchess:)

After being out of nursing school for 7 years, I decided to take the Nclex exam so that I could move to the US from Canada.

I purchased the Kaplan Nclex study guide w/CD from Ebay and used my Mosby's text book. I'm happy to say that I passed after only 75 questions.

I was so thrilled I decided to start a blog about the process, check it out if you get a chance. Leave me a comment or ask me some questions, I'm always willing to share some tips. Get back to me.