With graduation season at hand, I’ve been finding myself thinking about being a new graduate nurse. I graduated from nursing school ten years ago but still remember those feelings of excitement, accomplishment, and fear. Several weeks after graduation, I attended a week long NCLEX review course. I can’t tell you for the life of me what topics were actually covered, but I heard the take home message loud and clear: Answer the questions as a nurse. What would a nurse do?

So I entered the test site with this message practically written across my forehead. I knew that the minimum number of questions I would get was 75, so when my computer shut off at question 76 I panicked. I knew that I did either really well… or I bombed it. I received my official license one week later in the mail.

What a better way, then, to send all of the new grads to find an NCLEX review course? You don’t even have to leave your house to do it, either! Thomson Delmar has an online NCLEX review that formats the review questions similarly to the actual NCLEX test format and even gives you a report of areas you need to strengthen. The NCSBN Learning Extension has NCLEX review subscriptions online in 3, 5, 8, and 15 week options. They also give you free access to Taber’s Online with an NCLEX review subscription. I also came across this site that provides a directory of NCLEX information, medication calculations, and contemporary nursing issues like disaster preparedness and cultural awareness.

Do you have some study guides at home but just need some direction in how to study? The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), the organization that develops the NCLEX exam, has test plans to help organize your studies.

When you need a break from studying, or looking for a laugh to help ease some stress, head over to Nurstoon for some good nursing humor. Here is one that brings me back to my first nursing job: