My experience with the NCLEX RN 75 questions

I just took the NCLEX RN exam today, which happens to be my birthday, and it shut off after 75 questions. I did the PVT and got the "good" pop up so I'm hoping that I passed. I scored an 85 on the ATI predictor which meant that I would have a 99% chance of passing the NCLEX. I did not trust that so I answered thousands (two thousand and something) of questions on a program called prep u. I also studied the ATI NCLEX review book. As much as I hate to admit it, ATI seemed similar to the NCLEX. We were required to do ATI the last semester of Nursing school and I hated it, but I am glad I did it. It really prepared me for the NCLEX. Read More...

Technology Advice for Nursing School

I will start taking pre-reqs soon and I wanted to see what technology you feel is most useful/necessary in nursing school. Laptop? PC or Mac? Tablet? iPad or other? Keyboard for the tablet? Other? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! Read More...

How old were you when you started nursing school?

The wonderful thing about nursing is that it is open to everyone of all ages. Please give a cheer to all the people who believe that age is not a factor in learning. And, to all the people who strive for knowledge regardless of age. How old were you when you started nursing school? Read More...

Cringe worthy follow up Note

I recently interviewed someone for a non-nursing clinical position. He didn't send a thank you note, but did send me a note telling me he was still interested. Unfortunately, his note was basically two run on sentences.

This is a college grad that I was on the fence about hiring after interviewing him. Why would anyone even send such a poorly written e-mail?

The point is, that follow up notes can be a plus, or a huge negative factor. So, remember that every contact or interaction creates an impression. Read More...

Can I succeed as a Nursing Student with Obsessive Thoughts?

I tend to go over things over and over in my head. Good for memorizing stuff but bad for thinking fast and on your feet. I have anticipated a few problems and am looking for help or reassurance that these aren't game breaking issues when it comes to be being a nurse, eventually. Read More...

What are your views about Remar review?

This time I did Remar review for 1 and 1/2 months and appeared the NCLEX-RN exam. I got my official letter and most of them says "below the passing level". Before this my results were all near the passing except one (did Saunder's Comprehensive Review). I felt like I did even worst after doing Remar review. Now, I feel like none of the review is really helping me to pass. Do you guys think that I should do Remar review all over again?? Read More...

Professor who is too easy?

My Psychology professor is pretty easy, so much so that you barely have to read the material because she gives you a lot of the answers for the quizzes. She'll actually print the quiz off and go over them with us before the quiz is due. I'm just worried because I'm not really learning anything. She also teaches Human Growth & Development. Do I need to be looking for a different professor where I'm actually going to learn what's going on? Read More...

Persistent new grad lands the job!!

You may have seen my postings about panicking over how long the unemployment would last. It's finally over, I landed my dream job in the ICU. And I want to tell you DO NOT GIVE UP! This will pass, keep putting in your applications everywhere and following up. I called this hospital about two times a week for two solid months before I got an interview. HR told me it was because I was so persistent that they called me. So keep applying, keep calling, stop by and try to speak with HR, do whatever you have to ( politely and within reason ) that you can to catch their attention! Finding a job as a new grad isn't impossible, just more difficult than we imagined. Read More

Prioritizing nursing diagnoses list

I'm working on my first care plan and the instructor is requiring that we have 10 nursing diagnoses, which need to be prioritized into a list using Maslow's hierarchy as our guide (physiologic, safety & security, love and belonging, self-esteem, self-actualization). I've got my 10 diagnoses, but was hoping to get some input on whether I'm prioritizing them in the right order. Read More...

Kaplan Readiness Test - Ready or not?

I just want to ask about the Kaplan Readiness test. After all of my online classroom sessions that mostly focus on strategies, I just took it this morning and I'm not sure on what to feel about my score. With no content review yet - I did the diagnostic test and question trainers 1 to 3. I received scores around 50's. Then my readiness test score is 57%. Should I panic or what? Read More...

So I Just Have To Get Creative?

I get into the hospital, nervous as ever, because in nursing school they keep on telling us that if you don't do x,y,z, then you could lose your license. Everything I do, I panic. If a patient's IV infiltrates around the time I am giving them NS, I panic. The patient tells me I'm a terrible nurse because I didn't give them pain medicine within the first 5 minutes of them calling for it, I panic. If it's 12 o clock and I'm not done all of my assessment/charting for all 5 of my patients, I panic. And above all, if I don't know how to administer a certain medication because the specific method isn't provided (what kind of syringe can I use for this medicine?), panic. Read More...

Is a Nursing Internship a Smart Idea to Do While Being a Nursing Student- ADVICE?!

I am in my first semester of nursing school and I do have 2 part time jobs and over a full load of classes. I was considering quitting one of my jobs and try to get an internship at the local hospital across the street from my school. I think it would be smart to get my foot in the door so maybe I have a better chance getting a nursing job after I graduate with my BSN and become an RN. Is this a smart idea?? Is it hard to get a nursing job in a hospital after graduation? Read More...