You went to check the results and your heart stopped. You feel yourself getting myocardial infarction as you see the big words across the screen that you never wanted to see.
You failed the NCLEX.
Here are the steps to transition from failure to NCLEX success!
1. Cry your heart out for 24 hours.
Seriously it is okay to cry over failing the NCLEX. It is not okay to cry for weeks in your pajamas, not shower, and gain ten pounds over it.
2. Remind yourself that you can do this. Do not give up!
You are not stupid for not being able to answer 265 questions based on thousands of pages that you needed to memorize and four years of nursing school. You just need to readjust your schedule and tackle the NCLEX a different way. After all, you already know what to expect now!
3. Set a new NCLEX date and stick to it.
Do not study and then decide to put a NCLEX date when you believe you are ready to take the NCLEX. Nursing school was never like that so your mindset is not used to that. Your mind is used to the pressure of having to study for exams by a certain date so you NEED to do the same thing for the NCLEX. The IDEAL study time should be 5 weeks.
4. Decide on your NCLEX study strategy.
Your classmates may be able to handle a comprehensive review, but you do not have the attention span to sit there and read the entire book. Everyone absorbs information a different way. If this is the same for you and your nursing classmates in nursing school, then this would apply to studying for the NCLEX.
What is your NCLEX studying strategy? Is it content review, strategy review, or Q&A review? If you are not sure, then click here to find your NCLEX study strategy.
5. Create a NCLEX study schedule.
If you do not have time to create your own NCLEX study schedule, then here are two schedules that I created for you. Click here to view the two study plans you need to pass the NCLEX.
6. Have some fun!
Get the RNtertament: The NCLEX Examination Review game and play with your classmates! Click here to find out what this nursing board game is all about! You may feel less pressure if you are having fun with studying! Yes, it is possible. I beat my friends four out of nine times. Not bad!
