Once I passed nursing school, there was still one more test that had to be done. This was the most important test of my career. If I don't pass the NCLEX, my whole school experience would have been for nothing and my life would have be put on hold.
Since day one of nursing school we have heard about this test. We were given practice questions. We were told to start going through the NCLEX book and studying for the test from the very beginning. If anyone knows me... I procrastinate. I wait until I absolutely feel pressured to study and then I study, I study every free chance I get, I study until the text is blurry.
I scheduled the test for April 23, 2014. At the time of registration I was still a month out. I had time, I wasn't going to stress about it. I was finally getting back into working at the restaurant full time. I was also working on my resume, cover letter, getting my letters of recommendation, and starting to apply for jobs. I was enjoying my free time and taking a break from school.
Two weeks later I still have not opened the NCLEX book. Panic starts to take place. I had two weeks to remember all the things I have learned in nursing school, plus some. Finally I open the NCLEX book. I just started doing practice questions right away. This would get me comfortable in how the questions are going to be worded and what to look for in each question.
The questions are multiple choice, math, put in the correct sequence, and visual (place the curser on the correct part of the body). For multiple choice there are 2 right answers and 2 wrong answers, my job was to pick the MOST correct answer.
My study method was to do as many practice questions as I can. The ones I get wrong I would read the reasoning of the right answer. I got through about 400 questions in 2 weeks. Which wasn't that much, but that's what I did.
The day before the test I stayed with my parents since their house was only about 15 minutes from the testing location, as opposed to a 90 minute drive the morning of. They recommend putting everything away by 5pm the night before the test and just relax... YEAH, RIGHT.
I hardly slept that night, I was so nervous that I didn't study enough, that I wasn't smart enough. I drove to the test site and was shaking. My mind felt like there was a literal fog in it. I tried deep breathing and relaxing. I was called into the testing room and my test started.
It was all on the computer. You could not go back once you answered a question. The test was anywhere from 85 questions to 200 questions and would stop any time after 85 questions. We had 5 hours to take the test. I was trying to read each question carefully, remember the tips and the tricks that I learned throughout the 2 years of nursing school. Remember my ABC's ( no not the alphabet, but Airway, Breathing, Circulation) which was a big part of the test. My test did not stop after 85 questions. I kept plugging away. Some questions I knew immediately, and some I had to take my best educated guess on.
I get to a question which was about the proper way to insert a breathing tube. WE WERE NEVER TAUGHT THIS!!!! I had to put the steps in the correct sequence. I could pretty much figure it out, but there were 2 steps that I kept switching back and forth. I spent what seemed like 5 minutes answering that question and just said "screw it" and hit submit. My screen turned black. That was the end of the test. Oh, how I wanted one more question to end the test on a confident note, but that was not an option anymore. I was dismissed from the testing facility, went to my car, called Nate and started crying. I really didn't think I passed. I was pissed.
There were a couple ways to figure out if you passed the test or not. One way was to try to register for the test again. They say if you can't register for the test, you have passed. The second option was to register on the board of nursing website and they will post if you are a nurse or not within 24 hours. Third, was to pay the testing organization (more money) to find out quick results. I just paid over 300.00 for this test, I wasn't going to give them a dime more. So later that night with Nate, I tried to register for the test again, but I couldn't. Good news?! I, of course, didn't believe it. So then, I registered on the board of nursing website and it said my results weren't posted yet. I think I refreshed that page 100 times that night to see if they were posted.
The next morning, I try again. It said, Exam results: PASSED.
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