Passing NCLEX After Your First Failure: Lessons learned from Churchill

Several years ago I was asked by the Chicago Chapter of the Academy of Medical Surgical Nurses (AMSN) to speak about nurse heroes at their Holiday Celebration. The AMSN Chicago Chapter President, Cora Palmer, introduced me to Myia. Myia had graduated from nursing school but had struggled to pass the NCLEX exam. Cora encouraged Myia to reach out to me for help and support. 

I immediately felt a connection to Myia…Why? Because she was determined to do whatever it took to fulfill her dream of becoming a nurse. 

Myia Thompson

Myia and I had several conversations on the phone and via the magic of Skype. I shared my popular blog posts on test taking strategies and offered her my best tips on how to pass a multiple choice exam.

When Myia took the NCLEX exam again, unfortunately, she didn’t pass. I was heartbroken for her. But Myia said she would just try again; she wasn’t going to give up until she passed.

And then I received the most wonderful email. Myia passed!!! She finally made her dream of becoming a nurse a reality.

What did Myia do that worked?

·      Myia asked for help

Myia knew she needed help if she was going to pass the exam. Myia read my blog posts about test taking strategies, we scheduled time to talk on Skype, and she spent time with other experienced nurses (like Cora) to make sure she took advantage of everything!

·       Myia did what it took to prepare

Myia took advice from me and several other nurses. She took practice exams after practice exams. She attended prep course after prep course. Myia did what it took and never stopped preparing.

·      Myia never gave up on her dream

Many people would have given up. But not Myia. Once she made the decision to become an RN, she wasn’t going to let ANYTHING stop her – no matter how long it took.

Just imagine if Myia would have given up after the 1^st, 2^nd and even 3^rd attempt. She wouldn’t be practicing a nurse today.

As Winston Churchill said so eloquently, “Never, never, never give up!”

Even if you've not passed the 1st, 2nd, or even 3rd time - NEVER QUIT!

Thanks for choosing to become a nurse. Take care and stay connected.

Renee

If you know someone struggling like Myia did, please share this blog post with him/her. 

Nursing: A Sea of Options with an Ocean of Danger

Sarah was so excited that she secured her first job as a nurse before she graduated, even though jobs were scarce in her community.  Sarah was hired in the OR at one of her community’s largest hospitals. She was a bit apprehensive at first, because Sarah was shy, easily intimidated, and struggled with confrontation. Although she heard about how stressful working in the OR was, she was way more excited about getting offered a job!

On her first day, one of the cardiothoracic surgeons screamed at her for getting close to his sterile field. At the end of the day, the lead OR nurse told her she needed to “grow a thick skin” if she wanted to be successful. Sarah left her first day in tears. Within 6 weeks, Sarah felt she had no choice but to quit.

What went wrong?

Tips for New Nurses: Effective delegation starts with understanding this

One of the biggest struggles new nurses face is learning how to effectively delegate to nursing assistants. Let’s say you’re 23 years old and get your first job on a busy cardiac unit. You quickly learn that the most of the nursing assistants are much, much older and have been there for centuries! When you meet them, they give you a look – a look that says, “We’ve been here for 30 years and we’re not about to let a young whippersnapper like you tell US what to do!” Seriously, I spend most of my time helping individual nurses and organizations eliminate nurse-to-nurse bullying but sometimes it’s not the nurses – it’s the nursing assistants!!! Many nursing assistants try to intimidate the new nurses on purpose so that they will be less likely to delegate to them.

However, the only way you can successfully provide high quality, safe and effective patient care is to learn how to work WITH nursing assistants (and others) and delegate.

3 important ways to grow new nurse wisdom

One year ago I made the decision to go back into clinical practice. I made this decision for 2 reasons: First, I still teach seminars with clinical topics (certification review courses, medsurg topics, etc.). It’s a credibility thing – I can’t teach about clinical topics if I’m not still practicing clinically!  Second, for me to be an effective keynote speaker and help nurses succeed, I need to know what they are going through.

Going back to the bedside after being away for such a long time (8 years) was the hardest thing I’ve ever done but it was the best decision I’ve ever made. Not only does this experience give me great stories to share while I teach, it gives me great insight and understanding to the challenges current and future nurses face.

This knowledge helps me to help you!

Congratulations Nursing Graduates! Your public is waiting for you

Congratulations! You’ve just completed the 1^st leg of your journey to becoming a competent and compassionate nurse. Getting through nursing school is a HUGE accomplishment!!! Congrats...you've earned the right to call yourself NURSE. However, with this title comes expectations with regards to competence and compassion. 

Guest Post: Top 10 Skills Employers Seek in New Nurses

Thanks to Katy for a great post!

One of the toughest challenges recent nursing school graduates often face is competing for jobs with the experienced labor market. The good news is that there are employers looking for not-so-seasoned nurses. In fact, we found 284,576* job postings over the past 12 months seeking registered nurses with two years or less experience.

One way you can be sure to set yourself apart from other green nurses is to come armed with inside information on what employers are looking for. If you know the keywords they are using in their job descriptions, you can get one step ahead of your competition by using those same words in your resume and job application.

Message for Graduating Nurses: Remember these words

Several years ago I was asked to give the graduating commencement speech for a local school of nursing in Pittsburgh. I can remember talking with many, many new nurses and parents after who were very inspired by my speech. Knowing that this is the time of year again for new graduates, I wanted to share that speech with you to hopefully inspire you too as you begin your journey into the wonderful world of nursing.