Just took my State board test for nursing. Failed it, while people who were worse students are passing left and right. I was a good student, got good grades, while people that were barely passing the whole year are passing. Gotta wait 45 days to take it again. Ive never felt so… sad and empty. Really sucks, I put alot of pressure on myself to be successful and this has to happen. Man…not really sure why Im posting here ,but I just thought ide share. Things never can just work out for me.
My mother always told me “nothing worthwhile happens in a hurry”…Some people are bad at taking tests…Im one of them…Chalk it up as a learning experience…Study again and refocus and get back on the horse and u will ace it next time…I failed by Series 7…series 63…and few other tests before passing…Your only human…Your obviously not an idiot,dont be hard on yourself…
Hoosier, I wouldn’t get down on myself if I were you.
Sometimes when WORSE students than you end up passing, its how they prepare. There are dump sites where people go and post all the questions they saw on the test so the next batch of takers know what EXACTLY to study for. Maybe that’s the route your comrades went…
Back in my younger days when job hunting, folks that didn’t know JACK got jobs I was waaaaaaaaaaaay more qualified for, but it was because they were “creative” with their qualifications and certifications. Stuff happens and to quote the bible, the battle isn’t always for the strong or the race isn’t always for the swift, but for the one who endures.
Don’t be down hearted, brush yourself off, get back into the ring and do your thing.
Sorry to hear about the results. But it’s now history and you have to move forward. As was mentioned earlier, It is not the end of the world!! Just work on the areas that need to be addressed and pass it the next time.
Josh, you are just getting started in your adult life and are going to face many setbacks. The worst thing that you can do is worry about it and let it get you down. Learn from the experience and be better for it!!
My favorite word is…NEXT…
Hoosier,
Try this. When I was studying computer networking (Novell), we had to take a series of 7 tests to be certified. There were sample testing programs one could buy for their computer. I would take these mock tests as a way of studying. These are multiple choice tests. The trick is to not only to know why the correct answer is correct but to also know why each of wrong answers is wrong. I would just keep taking the tests until I consistently got high grades.
jp
Thanks for the encouragement guys. I bought these Saunders Note Cards that are supposed to be excellent for learning how to answer the questions on the test. Im just disapointed that I couldnt get saving money as fast as ide like, but still, things happen. 5 years from now ill look back and laugh at being upset over 6 weeks. Just sucks cause im really wanting to save so I can start investing like all of you, but things always just work out I guess.
Just because you failed doesn’t mean you can’t get a job in the field. My wife was a nursing supervisor and they routinely hired “graduate nurses” who hadn’t yet passed the boards to act in an “assistant nursing capacity” until they pass. Your area may not allow that but it may be worth a try. INVEST IN AN EXAM PREP COURSE and study your ass off for the next time.
jmd_forest
One of the key things to remember when taking these types of tests is this…
The WAY you take the test is almost as important has how you study for it.
I learned this years ago when I started taking Fire Department entrance exams.
You take these tests in rooms with 1500 other people all trying for the same 30 to 40 jobs. On these tests, passing means NOTHING…You have to score HIGHER than everyone else. Because of lawsuits, fire depts. (at least in my State) hire off these lists based on test results and agility test times. So…passing the test doesn’t get you a job…scoring in the top 5% MIGHT.
So…HOW DO YOU DO IT???
You have a limited time to take the test…So it’s VERY IMPORTANT that you follow these rules.
First…any question that takes longer than 20 seconds or so to answer…YOU PASS…Be sure to write down the question number on scrap paper and make sure you pay attention to your answer sheet so you don’t screw up the sequence by skipping questions. This method does a few different things…First it gets you through the MAJORITY of the test and leaves you with just a few questions left to answer with plenty of time left over…Second…it gets you to READ the entire test at least once. This sounds simple, but in reality, some QUESTIONS can actually provide answers to others…All it takes is a simple phrase from another question to jog your memory and BOOM! You recall a word or phrase that makes you remember an answer.
As you go through the test and skip certain questions put a mark next to questions you have NO IDEA what the answer is. These questions you leave to the very end. Other questions that you CAN answer, such as long drawn out MATH problems you do first when you do back to answer the skipped questions.
In the end this is what happens…By going through the entire test and skipping questions that take large amounts of TIME you get through the MAJORITY of the test and thus increase your AVERAGE…All while LEAVING yourself more TIME at the end to complete the questions you CAN ANSWER, but take TIME.
For those questions that you have NO CLUE about…pick one letter such as “C” and answer all the NO CLUE questions with that letter. A FEW of those may end up being correct just based on odds.
The WAY you take these tests is just as important as HOW you STUDY. I have taken all my State EMT tests using these methods…IT WORKS!!!
Good luck!
Hoosier. Passing the course is one thing. Passing the boards is another. You knew what typ of prep you needed when you were in school because you knew the teachers and the way they tested. You knew what to expect. You need to prepare for the way the BOARD’S test and what they’re looking for.
Go to the Kaplan website. You need to buy the NCLEX-PN pep course/exam. You need to be sure any prep course you take knows the areas the board will focus on. That helps to focus your attention on what you need to pass. Don’t take too many tests from different companies. That will confuse you… Many LPN’s and RN’s use the NCLEX exams to prepare.
You need to focus on passing the exam and not the money you’ll be making. For the next 6 weeks, you should focus on NOTHING else. Many people who fail their first time do so because of nerves. You won’t be as nervous the next time and you already know what to expect… Good luck and don’t give up… :biggrin
I really do think the reason I failed was because of nerves. My heart was racing a mile a minute after I felt like I missed like 3 in a row.
These boards also have about 5 “landmine” questions in them that you could not have prepared for. They put them there to test your test taking ability. They place in certain spots to make you think you’re not doing as well as you think… When you come to a question you havent’ covered, just pick an answer and move on. They end up throwing those questions out anyway… Don’t let them affect the next questions… Prepare well and you’ll do well. You’ll get there… Keep your head up and work your butt off to prepare…
hoosier,
Way back when I failed the California Real Estate Sales Agent exam the first time I took it. I thought I was pretty good at tests and didn’t want to spend the money for the prep course.
I failed! Me, who is good at tests! What a shocker. Well, I paid the money, studied my b— off in the prep course and passed the next time. Wasn’t nearly as well-prepared as I had thought I was.
We have all failed at tests before. I had a physician friend who thought he would just study Russian in his spare time, because he was such a genius in his other courses. He got an F on his first test, and dropped Russian like a hot potato. No genius for that course.
Study really hard and then here is a tip: Tell yourself that “Okay, I may fail again, and that is okay. Next time is my practice time for the third time.” This takes the pressure off of you so that your brain doesn’t go into panic mode. You have given yourself a mental out.
Some law students have to take the law exams FIVE times before they pass. I’ll bet they know a lot more law by then than those who passed the first time.
Furnishedowner
Thanks for the kind words Furnished. I went and talked to my uncle (who had to take it 3 times before he passed) and he told me to buy these note cards that will really prepare me to pass no problem. It sucks, but life always just works out. 6 weeks in the grand scheme of things isnt a big deal. 5 years from now ill laugh out how I thought 6 weeks was a long time.
Here in 6 weeks ill update all you on how its going. Thanks everybody!
Hoosier. You need to take an actual mock exam. Not note cards. Note cards don’t give you the full picture. The good mock tests are HARDER than the real boards and they not only tell you why the correct answers are right, but why the wrong ones are wrong. The tests change every year and you need to have an updated version of the test. I’ve known people who used note cards and failed a few times until they actually used the NCLEX-PN. Check it out. They work great for both RN’s anf LPN’s… You want the NCLEX-PN (practical nurse). Good luck…
Hoosier,
I recently had to get licensed in Texas and Nationally and it was nerve wracking. I studied math in college and have been in this business for over 8 years and I still had to click the review button on over 50% of the test questions because you always second guess yourself.
You will be fine. Spend the money for the practice tests. Those were golden for me. I also paid for testing prep to make sure I passed.
Just keep at it. Don’t start feeling sorry for yourself and make the mistake of not studying.
Always remember that everything that happens has a reason. Maybe its not your time yet. Don’t worry, you’ll be successful someday…!
Hoosier,
When a person introspects, and identifies weaknesses and mistakes, they uncover potential improvements. Sometimes facing these weaknesses can be very harsh. I want to quote something from your signature.
Ide like to grow Marijuana
First, you misspelled I’d. Second, if I were a patient and you were in a complex environment and my life depended upon your level of commitment to intelligence and excellence, I would be worried to read something like this that you have written.
Many State Nursing Boards will revoke your license, or put you on limited duty without the freedom to handle addictive drugs if you test positive for illegal substances.
Personally, I believe that recreational drugs should be legalized. This may seem extreme, but at least then we would know who embraces this lifestyle and who rejects it.
This is not personal attack, but a search for the truth, which can be harsh. Nurses work in many capacities that that do not require extreme levels of personal commitment to the highest performance possible. Life is filled with difficult decisions, and you simply need to clearly define your priorities.
Ok I didnt spell I’d right, damn.
And in case you didnt know, California MIGHT legalize, which then, would make everything you just said sound completely silly.
You notice I didnt say growing in Indiana? Funny how thats works.
And congratz on wanting to end the Drug War. So do I.
Not to hijack the thread…But I watched a CNBC special on growing out in Mendocino County California…The had the town mayor on saying that if growing was outlawed the town would lose %75 of its revenues…Talk about a cash crop…
This doesn’t mean anything, getting older doesn’t mean that I’m getting any smarter, and years of experience do not mean that I have any improvement, but here goes…I’ve been in health care for 25 years. I’ve been a nurse for 16 years.
We have a saying where I work: Come to the party or go home.
There are quite a few doctors who form groups, and they want to perform well paying procedures, but they don’t want to get called in at 3:00 AM or on Thanksgiving right around dinner time. They want all of the money, all of the benefits, but none of the sacrifice. So we say to ourselves: Come to the party or go home.
Our group does not handle things that way. The fact is that we never close. When a person has a heart attack, or a stroke, or a car accident or a delivering mother is bleeding to death, we are there. We get the respect, the preference and the work when referrals are made.
I love it. This kind of work offers a level of fulfillment that makes me get up in the morning and say, if I died today, I wouldn’t look back with a desire to change the way I lived. It makes sense to me. It gives me passion.
If I decided to have a party lifestyle now the way I did in college, I would not be welcome in my current environment. In business, if you make a mistake, it is a learning opportunity; in healthcare, it often means that someone is disabled or dies. There is very little tolerance for mistakes or personal distractions, such as addictive behavior.
I’m a little bit of an adrenaline junkie. I’m in it for the times that the code blue is being called overhead and there are 10 people in the room, people need to know their role, nurses need to know their drugs, the doses and the frequencies. They need to know the pathology that they are up against, how to handle it, and what is going to happen next. Stress makes people stupid. Nurses need to know how to handle pressure, stay organized, and calmly draw from a reliable knowledge base in stressful situations. Results matter.
I don’t know you. There are many opportunities which may suit you perfectly and give you the life that you want. There are many millionaires who are not avid readers of scientific journals. There are many roles in nursing that do not need to commit to this level of intensity. I just want you to see some of the decisions that lie in front of you. The question is: what do you want?