Your Goal of Becoming a Licensed Nurse is Achievable: By Joy Seymour, Ed.D, MSN, RN, PHN

If you are determined to achieve your goal of becoming a licensed nurse, your goal is very achievable with believing in yourself, action steps, self-reflection, hard work, commitment, seeking help when you need it, and passing the NCLEX. If you are to achieve your goal, you must believe that you have the abilities to do so. Success starts with you believing that you are capable of learning the necessary skills to achieve your goal. Creating actions steps on how you will achieve your goal can be very beneficial. Some colleges have students prepare a study plan and send it into the college before they are fully accepted. I believe that all nursing students need an individualized study plan, if they want to be successful in nursing school. A study plan is also helpful when students are preparing to take the NCLEX. Frequent self-reflection can help students to identify strengths and weaknesses. Self-reflection also help to develop critical thinking that is vital in nursing. Nursing school is very hard work; therefore, students should be prepared to work very hard. There is no way to avoid working hard. Only students who work really hard are likely to succeed at becoming licensed nurses. Nursing students must be committed to achieving their goal of becoming a nurse. There will be rough days when one may feel overwhelmed with the load of work; however, if one is committed to graduate as a nurse, that person is more likely to stay in college until the goal is accomplished. Because no one knows everything, nursing students are encouraged to seek help when they need help. Many colleges also have resources that can help students if they need personal help. Some colleges have emergency funds and resources that students can find beneficial. Passing the NCLEX on the first attempt is possible with preparation. Nursing students should start studying for the NCLEX during the first semester of nursing school. Just as the discharge plan of a patient starts at admissions, preparing for the NCLEX should start during your first semester of nursing school. Since the NCLEX world is different from the real world, students must learn test strategies, critical thinking, and know how to apply nursing concepts.

If you are a nursing students, please apply the above-mentioned measures of believing in yourself, creating action steps, performing frequent self-reflection, working hard, committing to completing your nursing program, seeking help when you need help, and passing the NCLEX on the first attempt.

I wish you tremendous success in both your academic and personal life.