Refocusing

More than a year has passed since I took and failed the NCLEX, November 2007 to be exact. I recently found out from the State Nursing Board that I HAVE to take it by May or I lose my application, fee, and the chance of becoming a registered nurse by testing in the State. So, faced with this, I have no choice but to pull myself together and get moving. Right?

I felt motivated at first and still do to a certain extent, but the pressure upon me now feels unsurmontable. I have just let two weeks slip by without any real effort to study. To be honest, life is really kicking my butt now and I have to admit that I feel somewhat depressed.

My family is being seriously affected by the country's economic crisis. The bills just keep piling up. On top of that I just feel completely overwhelmed with all the responsibilities before me. I wish I could just row my boat and books out to some far away island, fish for food, swim, and study day and night until my test date. Unfortunately, the life of a wife, mother, and graduate student (with graduate courses and clinical practice hours) simply does not permit one to stow herself away. Somehow, some kind of way I have to pull myself together. I have to pull myself together.

I do know that I cannot study very well in the house unless no one is there or everyone is sleep. So, for these past two weeks I allowed myself to be sabotaged by not leaving the house for the library to study. I simply lay in bed half-answering questions and being interrupted every five minutes with this and that.

Today I have found my way to the library--which is very good--however, I am sitting here blogging before making my way over to the nursing collection to read the medical surgical textbooks and see if anything new as far as NCLEX review/questions has arrived. I know that I need a plan, even if I do not follow it minute-by-minute I know that I need something in writing and something structured.

I will try not to be too hard on myself for blogging because I know that I need an outlet. I only know one other person that is studying for the NCLEX and he is doing it half-heartily. It's like a hobby that he picks up every now and then. For me, it feels like do or DIE. So, blogging helps to reduce my stress and keep my thoughts organized. Okay, so what is my plan? I'll get to that in a minute.

I recently purchased "Mosby's Pharmacology Memory NoteCards: Visual, Mnemonic, and Memory Aids for Nurses". This is a flip notebook of sorts that reviews pharmacology for nurses. There is also one for Assessment, Fluids & Electrolytes, and Pathophysiology. This was incredibly helpful for me. I always knew that I was a visual learner. There does not appear to be a concrete pattern to it, somethings just enter my brain easier through different channels. I am also listening to an audio NCLEX content review on my Blackberry. So impressed was I by these visual aids that I ordered some more references and am awaiting their arrival by post.

They are:
-Visual Nursing: A Guide to Diseases, Skills, and Treatments
-Illustrated Study Guide for the NCLEX-RN Exam
-Memory Notebook of Nursing: A Collection of Visual Images and Mnemonics to Increase Memory and Learning
-Memory Notebook of Nursing, Vol. 2
-Mosby's Fluids & Electrolytes with Clinical Applications: A Programmed Approach

I do not have any money to pay for a good Medical/Surgical textbook yet. This area I feel is my weakness, along with pharmacology.

I do have Saunder's the third edition. I am thinking of buying the Saunders Q & A Review for the NCLEX-RN® Examination, 4th edition as well as investing in either Kaplan and/or NCBSN NCLEX review to expand my question database.

Okay considering that I have about 9 weeks to take this exam, this is how I am going to tackle my preparation for it:

Each day I am going to review content. I feel like I need to dedicate myself to 3-5 hours of content review and 3-5 hours of answering questions. Sounds crazy doesn't it? In other words, I am going to spend 8 hours daily studying for this exam. It is a job for me. There are no days off.

Now, part of these hours could be that I am walking in the local park while listening to the content or transporting husband and child back and forth to work and school.

As far as the number of questions, some former classmates of mine, who have passed the NCLEX, reported that 100 questions a day was more than enough. I will set that as my very minimum, meaning that I have to reach that at the very least. If I can push on and do more than I will.

I think that this is the plan that I will stick with. I won't consider my blogging as apart of my study regime of course :-).

Last time I used a lot of visualization/metaphysical attraction and stuff like that. I failed. It could not have been for lack of faith. I don't know if I am going to go down that road again. I will be sending off lots of positive energy and remain prayerful.