My Personal Experience With The NCLEX-RN

I'll divulge that the NCLEX-RN was not a completely new experience for me because I had taken and passed the NCLEX-PN back in December 2005 and worked as an LPN for several years. Yes, the NCLEX-PN and the NCLEX-RN basically have the same format.

I graduated from an LPN-to-RN bridge program in March 2010 and took the NCLEX-RN on May 11, 2010 after approximately eight weeks of preparation. I was fully expecting to sit in the Pearson Vue testing center to answer 265 test questions since all of my former classmates had been receiving lengthy exams (anywhere from 180 to 265 questions). I was pleasantly surprised when my test ended in one hour after having answered the minimum of 75 questions. I have the tendency to daydream and my attention span drifts when I am taking a long test with lots of questions. Therefore, I felt so very relieved that my exam was relatively short. Read More...

Looking back

I was just looking at my porfolio from school and I got an A. The short term goal was to pass nclex the first time. My long term goal was to go for my masters in midwifery. I said to my self I can't give up. I also wanted to be a labor and delivery nurse. I did good in OB in school. I'm not going to give up on my dreams. Even though I took nclex 9 times It really hurts. The tears that I have shed. Read More

I'm sick, please take care of me...

How are you with the flu? Are you the worst patient and want everything done for you or are you independent and continue doing everything for yourself? Read More...

Certified Medical Assistant

I am conflicted on how to go about my future career. I would love to be a RN but from talking to the counselors they say its almost impossible to get accepted into their 2 year nursing program. So I was thinking of doing CMA instead. Any suggestions? How much does a CMA make a year compared to an ADN? Thanks for the help. Read More...

Passed NCLEX Without Review Course

I want to share my experience with others. I could not afford $400-$500 on a review course. I used the Hurst review book ($50) - great for content summaries. Lippincotts "NCLEX Made Incredibly Easy" and Hesi's "NCLEX Review" (bought both early on during nursing school). I also used an online link for "Nursing 3500." Our school held a HESI 3 day review and I used that book too. I also used the Lippincotts iPhone apps (each have about 1000 free questions). There is also a free mini Kaplan Q-bank. I did 200 questions a day... Read More...

A lamb in a den of wolves!

The nurse that you're paired up with during your clinical rotations can make or break your love of a certain field. I fully understand that you (RN) has been at the hospital since 6:45am, or earlier, have 6+ patients who don't all understand that you are trying your best to care for their needs. Have more than likely been peed, pooped, and/or vomited on, and are more than likely late with your assessments because of a difficult patient but please, I beg you, don't take it out on me, the young naive nursing student that is following you like a lost puppy; because I want to do is learn something other than what's in the text book. I'm here to learn, to see what 'real' nursing is all about and who knows, I might be a colleague in a few years. We as students are truly like a ball of clay and how you treat us during these rotations does mold us. Remember, you were a student once too! Read More...

New Grad RN Angst

Today is my day off after working three days in a row. However, my eyes popped open at 0530 and would not close again. My brain immediately went into review mode. Shoot! I forgot to give that detail in report! Did I do enough with that brand new admission? Should I have done more before handing over care? Did I miss anything with that patient who did not have a great urine output yesterday? My fellow new grad RN seemed so competent when she took that new ER admission. Do I seem that way to her? Read More...

How do you fellows study?

This is how I study.

1. I read the chapters before the lecture. If I have more time I take notes on my own.
2. I record the lecture and take notes during lecture.
3. After the lecture, I re listen to it and read the notes again.
4. Read the chapters again. This time try to memorize.
5. Repeat listen to lecture and read the book a lot of time.

Any more suggestions compared to this? Read More...

No time for anything BUT school/studying!

Does anyone have this problem? Okay here's my thing: I don't have a problem being busy with school and studying. I work 40+ hours a week and attend school full time in order to complete all the pre Reqs prior to September to make it in time for the nursing program at my CC. I DO NoT have spare time. The 2 hours I have after school/before work I'm studying. The 3 hours I have when I get off at 12(before I have to go to bed an a semi-rational hour), I'm studying. My husband is very supportive but I feel I'm being selfish at times. Am I? Read More...

CDC: Flu Activity Continues to Be High Across the United States

Flu remains at epidemic proportions across the United States, but flu activity decreased in some areas during the second week of January, according to FluView, a weekly influenza surveillance report prepared by the Influenza Division of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read More...

Higher Learning is very hard to understand

As I read through many of these posts, I see how some are really knocking some schools because of "transferring". I then noticed that a lot are because the student received an AAS from a tech school. It's important that it is understood what the difference is between an AAS, AS, BSN, etc. when transferring. When going for your BSN, for instance, many classes at MCI do not transfer because it is an AAS, a degree designed to get you into the field with a little less general education credits. It's not "blasphemy" or "incredulous" that some classes don't transfer... Read More...

Class, Race, and Social Issues

Issues such as race and social class can rub peoples’ nerves the wrong way, especially if one uses poor wording or an inappropriate tone during discussion. For this reason, I will try to generate discourse regarding the aforementioned topics with the utmost tact and sensitivity.

When considering a career in nursing, some people ask interesting questions where race and gender ultimately intersect. “Can I make it in nursing as an African-American male?” “Since I’m a young female nurse who belongs to a racial-ethnic minority, how will I be treated?” “Will my nursing instructors view me differently because of my race?” Read More...