Well, the thing you feared the most happened. You Failed the NCLEX ®. Now What?
Stay calm and don’t panic! We promise it’s going to be fine. No, actually, it’s going to be great! Really! You will still go on to have a very successful nursing career because failing the NCLEX ® is not the end of the world. Maybe failing four times is a big deal, but if you use Picmonic’s mnemonic study aids, that probably won’t happen anyway.
In the initial moment when you get the news, try to stay positive and breathe. Talk to someone you love who will make you feel whole again. And maybe eat some ice cream. It helps! You can register to retake the test and you only need to pass the NCLEX ® one time to get that prestigious RN after your name and Picmonic can totally help you do that! Picmonic is a mnemonic study guide that helps you review NCLEX ® content (that will definitely be on the test) in a totally unforgettable way. And it’s a lot more interesting and helpful than nursing flash cards. Sign up for a free trial today but continue reading for tips on how to recover from the initial blow of learning that you failed the NCLEX ®. We promise it’s not as bad as you think!
Acceptance and Forgiveness
Acceptance of the score and forgiving yourself for not doing very well is the first and most important step of recovery. Failing is awful and so disappointing, but if you put yourself down with thoughts such as, I’m too dumb to be a nurse, I should just give up, you’ll never make it in nursing or, anywhere really, with that attitude. Positive thoughts like, that’s okay! I’ll pass next time! go a long way. Accept what happened at the testing center, forgive yourself, say you’ll do better next time, and move on. You can create a game plan on how to avoid a repeat scenario on round two of the NCLEX ®. Our tip? Use Picmonic! We think you can’t beat a study guide with over 900 key nursing topics and 8000+ facts that use mnemonic devices to help you learn in an unforgettable way. Plus, you can sign up for free! Second chances do happen. Use Picmonic to secure yours.
Evaluate the Situation and Why You Failed the NCLEX ®
Review your score report. This part might sting, but the sooner you find out what your brain needs to lock down, the sooner you can get back to studying (and the sooner you’ll have your RN license). Look over the information you received and do a self-analysis of why you failed the NCLEX ®. Did you not study efficiently? Maybe you were close to the passing standards in most areas, but you just didn’t study as much as you needed or you took shortcuts. It happens. Try not to make excuses for yourself or beat yourself up, just make sure you understand why you failed the NCLEX ® so you pass the next time. Properly identifying weaknesses is actually a weakness most of us have, so check out Nurse Marlee’s awesome blog about identifying your own weaknesses, test anxiety, content knowledge deficits, and understanding how to choose the most correct question on the NCLEX ®.
Stay Positive and Get Back to Studying
Now that you know what went wrong, create a study plan you can stick to! Picmonic can help you study with mnemonic study guides that actually help you remember up to 331 percent more than just studying with nursing flash cards or textbooks. Study a few Picmonics every day related to the topics you need to pass the NCLEX ® and these Playlists will help you learn and retain more in less time. Plus, with our “spaced repetition” approach, Picmonic will automatically deliver a Daily Quiz tailored to focus on facts you need to review when you need to review them, pretty much eliminating ‘failing the NCLEX ®’ from your future.
Pick the Big Day (Round 2)
Now that you’ve recouped, self-assessed, and studied, you’re ready for the big day. Schedule that test! Yes, it sucks to pay all your fees again, but now that you’ve boosted your brain power with Picmonic, we know that you have all the knowledge you need to ace the NCLEX ®, so don’t be surprised when you do! And we promise, once you’re on the nursing floor, nobody is ever going to ask you how many tries it took before you got there.
Keep your spirits (and your test scores) high when you use Picmonic! Picmonic makes studying fun, interesting, and schedule-friendly by keeping you entertained as you learn a lot more in way less time. Think of Picmonic as your Personal NCLEX ® Survival Plan with playlists, daily quizzes, and even webinars that will help you study without feeling overwhelmed. Sign up for a free trial today so you can see how easy it is to pass the NCLEX ®. You got this!
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Marlee Liberman, RN, Master Nursing Scholar
As a registered nurse, Marlee understands the struggles that nursing school throws at you – not to mention the overwhelming pressure preparing for the NCLEX®! Marlee brings a unique skill set and perspective to Picmonic with her previous degree in broadcast journalism, her creativity in video production, and her wandering nomad lifestyle. Her blend of talents provides her with the knack for simplifying complicated concepts and demystifying the world of nursing.
