To begin, I cannot believe I’m in my senior year of nursing school.  We’ve all worked so hard to get to this place and I couldn’t be more happy with how much I’ve grown in these past four years. Working towards becoming a Registered Nurse during a sudden pandemic has not been easy to say the least.  As a nursing student, I was challenged with constant fluctuations in classes between online and in person, traveling far to different clinical locations, and being isolated from my friends and family while living anything but a normal senior year of college.  Despite the craziness of the world, I learned some amazing skills along the way.  I learned how to embrace change and the unknown, something every day nurses face during their jobs.  I learned the importance of staying positive during very hard stressful times, and to go with the flow when it comes to the unexpected.  The pandemic has brought us through great uncertainty, but has also allowed me to appreciate the little things in life.

I’m most excited about taking the NCLEX after I obtain my BSN! It has been a long journey and I’m beyond excited to continue to learn and grow as I start my nursing career!  Graduation is right around the corner, and I have optimism we could get an in person graduation while maintaining covid restrictions.  I look forward to celebrating with my friends and family when it is safe to see people, and hopefully return to our normal lives!

Related to anxiety I tend to be a very anxious girl.  I’m most certainly nervous about taking the NCLEX as much as I am excited to take it and pass. The anticipation of taking enough questions before and remembering four years of information is intimidating to me.  I work very hard work and have always worked to do what is best for me and for my patients in a clinical setting.  In my past I wasn’t the best test taker, but this weakness has actually been a strength for me as I’ve taught myself how to study extra. Therefore despite my nerves related to the NCLEX, I know if I continue to work as hard as I do I will do just fine!

This leads me into talking about how I will be studying for NCLEX in an organized fashion!  I will be laying out my study plan by using the SMART goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time bound.  My objectives are the following:

• For each exam, I will do practice questions in my NCLEX book to help me review specific topics I’m currently studying.
• While in school, I will set aside two hours each week to study for NCLEX using my NCLEX study book till the end of the semester.
• For questions I get wrong on my ATI NCLEX practice questions, I will review and remediate my weak points while writing down areas of focus by the end of the semester
• By the end of the semester, I will have an organized review binder of my areas of focus to help me target my weak spots before taking the NCLEX.
• I will buy UWORLD 1.5 months before my NCLEX exam and study for at least one hour each day.

5. What did I learn from the ATI Nurse Logic 2.0 Modules that will support my success on the ATI assessments and NCLEX-RN?

The ATI nurse logic 2.0 was a wake up call to slow down, and make sure im mentally ready to answer questions.  I need to carve out breaks in between taking these questions and studying for my other classes.  I found when I had gone for a run and or workout, and then took the questions I did a lot better on them opposed to when I studied all day and rushed through the questions.  This can help me in my future while studying during times of having a fresh and clear mind! Not when I’m preoccupied or worn out from school.  This is something I will now work on as it’s officially the prime time grind time to study for NCLEX!