The United States faces a national nursing shortage, which can create substantial issues for healthcare institutions in finding qualified nurses and retaining them as the demand for nursing care increases substantially.
While many concerns can help address nursing shortages, one unexpected consideration is the number of nursing students struggling to pass their final exams and the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination). The NCLEX is a complex exam with several possible responses. It is how many nursing students fail the NCLEX.
However, this article will assist you in shifting your approach during the test procedure, which can allow you to enhance your areas of insufficiency and finally get you past the final hurdle to your profession as a registered nurse.
Reasons for Failing the NCLEX Exam
NCLEX exam failure has affected millions of students, yet millions more have passed and become successful, happy nurses after retaking the test, sometimes multiple times. Failing the NCLEX is simply one small challenge you can get past—not that it didn’t feel awful!
Recognizing your incorrect responses is essential to the first stage of rehabilitation, learning from past errors to avoid repeating the same mistakes. The leading causes of nursing graduates reporting NCLEX failure are as follows:
Not Preparing Adequately
With attempts to refocus on clinical decision-making and critical thinking over the past ten years, the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) has become a significant priority for nursing programs nationwide. Nevertheless, many students fail the NCLEX because they need to complete the necessary coursework before the exam. Nursing programs will help students prepare for tests fluidly and give a sufficiently broad clinical education. Still, they will not concentrate as much on teaching test-taking strategies. Students find it difficult to adjust to the NCLEX format if they have not had the appropriate learning experiences in preparation for the exam.
Reason:
The NCLEX assesses students’ ability to apply their knowledge to make judgments in the actual world rather than how well they retain information. Students will be unsuitably prepared for the NCLEX test item if they merely examine outdated information or a specific topic without devoting time to NCLEX-style practice problems.
Ineffective Test-Taking Strategies
The NCLEX is a computer-adaptive exam in which the level of the questions varies according to the student’s responses to earlier ones. Because of this, many students haven’t worked in this format and will require additional time to get used to it before comparing it to standard exam formats. Students who need help with time management, those who feel uncomfortable answering multiple-choice questions, and those who respond, manage, and go through responses over time will consistently perform poorly.
Reason:
Successful test-taking tactics involve more than just global knowledge; they also involve time management, analysis, a combination of questioning characters or characteristics, and intelligent guesswork.
Test Anxiety
Having anxiety can seriously impair one’s ability to do well on the NCLEX. Students experience extreme weight and pressure after learning that passing the NCLEX is the final requirement for becoming a licensed nurse. It can contribute to poor test performance and a lack of focus and memory.
Reason:
Students who experience anxiety may second guess themselves, overthink questions, or become agitated during an exam. Decreased critical thinking skills and mental exhaustion are further effects of elevated stress.
Weak Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment
The NCLEX strongly emphasizes clinical judgment and critical thinking when requiring students to decide on safe and efficient patient care based on plausible situations. However, only some students may be unable to obtain these abilities through nursing education programs. While possessing solid theoretical understanding, students may need help applying that knowledge in a clinical setting.
Reason:
The NCLEX evaluates students’ ability to make wise choices under pressure in professional settings. It may be challenging for students whose critical thinking abilities are still developing to prioritize treatment, assess patient data, or make decisions based on insufficient information.
Overemphasis on Memorization
Some nursing students prioritize content memorization above grasping the essential ideas, which impedes the development of their capacity for clinical judgment and reasoning. A low level of understanding of the ideas prevents the nursing student from answering problems effectively, as some of the questions on the NCLEX-RN exam enact, even though memory is required for some test questions.
Reason:
Rather than focusing on memory, the NCLEX exam evaluates students on how they apply their information. Students who have only studied the information by heart could not do well on application questions that call for in-depth comprehension, analysis, and application in nursing.
Inadequate Study Habits
One of the leading causes of NCLEX failure may be inadequate or better study habits. Some pupils put things off, don’t devise a study schedule, or choose not to take practice tests. Conversely, others focus only on how much they have learned while ignoring their shortcomings.
Reason:
A well-thought-out study schedule is essential for passing the NCLEX. Pupils who concentrate and prepare regularly are more likely to master the content and develop the ability to perform well on the test.
Financial Constraints
Financial concerns may also contribute to the NCLEX’s failure. Many students struggle to pay for pricey study guides, tutoring, and NCLEX prep classes, making it difficult for them to prepare. In addition, students from underfunded nursing programs require greater access to adequate resources to perform well on the test.
Reason:
Obstacles Financial obstacles prevent some students from using resources (including tutoring services, practice tests, and review courses) that could help them do better on tests; with them, they could be ready for the demands of the NCLEX.
Limited Time for Preparation
Due to these personal responsibilities, several students need help to dedicate enough time to their NCLEX preparation. They must care for their families, work full-time, and attend to other duties. Students become severely overwhelmed in their attempts to find the ideal balance between meeting these responsibilities and studying for the NCLEX, which leaves them unprepared.
Reason:
Focusing on NCLEX preparation requires uninterrupted time. Those with a lot on their plate can require more time to study for the exam; as a result, passing becomes more difficult because the probability of failing due to insufficient preparation is considerably higher.
Insufficient Clinical Placement
Even though they may complete their nursing program, some students might need additional on-site clinical hours. It may result in a lack of knowledge about practical patient care, which is crucial for the NCLEX to test like it does real-world nursing scenarios.
Reason:
Gaining the decision-making and problem-solving abilities required to pass the NCLEX involves practice. If students have limited clinical experience, passing the test and applying what they have learned in the theoretical context may be difficult.
The difficulty thousands of nursing students encounter in passing the NCLEX is a significant but surmountable obstacle to increasing the number of nurses in the field, even if the nursing shortage in the US is a complex issue with many underlying causes. More graduates passing the NCLEX would mean that more people are getting the confidence and test-taking strategies they need, along with the financial and moral support they need to begin their careers as nurses. It would help reduce systemic burnout and ensure that many gifted individuals follow their passion for becoming nurses.
