Another Satisfied NCLEX Prep Client! Meet RN Zoe!

All right, Zoe, congratulations so much for passing the NCLEX. I am so happy that you are finally able to put the NCLEX in your past and move forward with your nursing career. Um, why don't you just take a moment and kind of explain for anyone who sees this video what your journey was during the NCLEX, and, and then how did you come to find me to help you?

All right. So first off, hello. Um, so during my NCLEX journey, it's been an absolute ride. Like there's no other way to put it. And I feel like you don't get it unless you get it, but it's an absolute rollercoaster ride. And when I first started studying, you know, like I was doing all day, every day. Not really giving myself any grace or giving myself a break at all, because I felt guilty whenever I tried to, and I ended up failing in 75 Questions. And obviously what I was doing wasn't working. So the day after I found out I had failed, or rather was unsuccessful, I don't like using the word failed anymore. Um, My friend Caitlin, she had used you as her tutor, and I had reached out to her and I was like, I have no idea where I'm going to go from here. And she was like, hey, well, I used Damion Jenkins. Here's their information. Just give them a call and see what happens. So that's what I did. I just called you. And I know it's a bit of a shock to hear, like, someone calling you the day after finding out that they failed. But—

Well, you know, honestly, it wasn't that much of a shock because I've helped thousands of people already. And so many people, you know, everyone's a little different, but I've had people call me literally driving on the way back before they even got their quick results, before they could even do the Pearson VUE trick, crying, swearing that they're going to fail. And sometimes it's good news and they pass, and sometimes it is unfortunate and they did have an unsuccessful attempt. So it's not that unusual. I just take it as you were very motivated to just get back into it and move forward.

I also want to say I did the Pearson trick wrong, so listen to Damion Jenkins about how to do it because I did it wrong and I ended up crying for 24 hours when I shouldn't have had to.

Right, after you, after you did the trick, I was like, did you make sure you watched my video on how to do it? I just wanted to make sure, just, just in case, because we were so certain that you were ready. And then to have that bad news, I was like, that's not sitting well with me. This doesn't make sense. And then you were like, whoops, I did the interview trick wrong. And I was like, that makes more sense.

Definitely a big energy shift in my family when we found out that I did it wrong and we did it again. It was literally like night and day.

Right. And so now you have your license. It's posted to your state, right? So you're official.

I think so. I haven't checked it yet just because When I applied to the job that I ended up accepting, um, I had applied the night that I found out that I passed, so I just sent a screenshot of my quick results because I didn't have my license number yet. So I haven't felt the need to go look for it because I haven't needed it yet because I ended up getting my dream job within a week. Thank you.

Gotcha. And you should get some correspondence from the Board of Nursing anyway once they process everything, so that should come in the mail. Pretty soon for you. Hopefully they're processing the licenses quicker than before during the pandemic, but I think they're back on track of moving pretty quickly now. So awesome. So, all right, so you found me through a referral, which is how a lot of people find me. It's word of mouth. So once you started working with me, how did you initially feel about the process from where we started? Um, did you see any frustrations? Were you overwhelmed at any point in my program? And then how did you feel as you moved through?

Well, as you know, I was very hesitant about trying things a different way. Like I was very set in my own ways. Like I really should be studying more than 4 hours. I really should be doing this, this, and that. And every time we were just like, trust the process. And I literally felt like I was in sorority recruitment again. I'm like, I hate when people say trust the process, everything's going to work out. But every time someone says it, it ends up being right. Right, even though you never want to hear it while you're going through it.

Well, you're right, but I just want to point out that I never said it's going to work out. I never said that. Okay. And I never said you're definitely going to pass. What I did say, just to make it clear for everyone, is that if you follow the process and you meet the criteria for me saying you're good to go, then you're good to go. Because all of the previous people before, once they meet that criteria, they're good to go. So yeah.

What I was saying more of that is that every time someone has told me trust the process, it does end up working out. Not necessarily that you told me that it was going to work out. It was like every time someone has told me that, it has worked out, and I just didn't want to listen.

So yeah, a lot of— I, I would, I would say that it's most likely experience where people are speaking from. They've been through it before, so following the process that they know that works is kind of like, it doesn't always work for everyone. There's always going to be that outlier. But most of us have the experience where we know things work out based on a series of steps to get to the end result. It's like dieting. If you want to lose 30 pounds, if you follow the diet and exercise and do the things that you're supposed to do and don't give up and don't cheat and stay persistent, you'll get there.

Yeah. But as you know, I was very stubborn. Even with the way I was answering questions Damion Jenkins too. Like, I was just very stubborn. It was very hard to get me to think a different way. And I just—

let's talk about how do you feel that I was able to reach you, being that you know you're stubborn, you know you have the anxiety, you know that you have these things that are working against you. What was it that I did that helped you get beyond that?

Honestly, I think it was finally when it was during my fourth tutoring session with you, like, tough love completely kicked in. You literally were just like, "You are stubborn." And I was like, you know what, someone had to say it. Like, okay. So like, kind of, I guess, being like, like, being caught in a sense. Like, even though you definitely knew it, but like nobody had really like held up the mirror to my face like, you are the problem here right now. And like, even though you, you didn't say you are the problem, you were like, you are stubborn. Like, right, if you, if you sat down and thought about it a different way, you wouldn't be having the same problem over and over. And I kind of just sat down that day and was like, you know, I've, I have heard like 4 tutoring sessions in, I've been hearing the same things. I'm getting the same things wrong. So maybe I should try something different. And that was when things started getting better for me.

Right. And so, so do you think my consistency in my approach and my messaging and providing multiple examples for you to see where you're making those mistakes was what finally convinced you?

Absolutely. I think it was like realizing, like, I've always known the fact that like the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. And I was just in that rut and didn't know how to see it for myself. So to have someone hold me accountable to that that wasn't a family member or a friend, someone completely from the outside, even though I still consider you my friend at this point.

Sure, absolutely.

To have someone from the outside be like, no, you're stubborn. I was like, ooh, OK, maybe.

Right. And I feel like most nurses who know their stuff would probably come to the same conclusion. But I have to always— reel people back in and say, "But I've done this for many years and I am an NCLEX expert. Like, this is my jam." And so being able to identify not only you're not following the process, deviating from the instructions provided, not really giving 100% to the assignments provided, but also identifying where it is you're gonna have trouble when you sit for the NCLEX if you don't change your ways, because there are certain questions that you have to score majority of them correct in order to pass the exam. Because, you know, you have to pass every section in order to pass. Yep. The high-level questions are it. If you don't answer those high-level critical thinking questions correctly, you might as well not even sit for the exam. So I'm so glad that you trusted the process, that you heard it over and over, you were provided with the validation that you needed to see that it actually works. And I tell you, the moment you decided to just give it your all and believe in what I had established for you to follow, all of a sudden your scores improved tremendously. It was almost like a light bulb went off. You went from scoring below average to way above average quickly.

Honestly, another part of that, like, my scores were getting a lot better. Like, it was going from, like, lower 50s to mid-lower 60s. It took you telling me maybe you should push your exam back a couple days. That was really like the kick in the butt that I needed, which I did not want to admit at all. As you know, I put up quite a fight about it, and I did push back my exam even though I only pushed it back 3 days. I still took your advice and I pushed it back. I was like, you know what, Damion wouldn't lead me wrong, you know, like, if he thinks this is what's best to do, that's what's best to do.

Yeah, I have nothing to gain from pushing people's tests back except for giving them more opportunity to improve.

Exactly. So when I like came down from it and was like, you know what, like, it's not personal, like, it's not a personal attack on me, it's just saying I need just a little bit more time. So I pushed it back those couple days. And that's really when I started getting like 65, 70. Like, I remember sending it to you like, "They're marks 4 in a row, buddy. Like, where do I get to take my readiness assessment now?" Like, I just remember being really excited. And my mom was also telling me too, she was like, that was kind of like the kick in the butt you needed too. Like, you wanted to prove the whole world wrong. Like, you wanted to prove to yourself too. Like, I felt like that was what I needed to ultimately prove to myself, that I had what it takes, because it's absolutely an anxiety thing. And I feel like anybody who gets through nursing school and does graduate, it's not a knowledge problem when you get to the NCLEX. And that was something that took a long time for me to understand. Like, I felt like the village idiot when I failed my exam. And yeah, it took a long time for me to realize it's not a knowledge deficit. It's, it's very much just a mental process.

It really is. It's a process. It's a different way of thinking. Nursing school, you know, some programs are better than others. I will always say that. I work with a lot of amazing nurse educators who do a great job. Of making sure their students are prepared, but I also have helped thousands of people and know that there are thousands, thousands more who go to nursing programs that really kind of miss the mark with helping them develop these critical thinking test-taking strategies by fully recognizing and understanding their roles and responsibilities within the rules that govern decision-making in nursing. Yeah. I mean, I can't summarize it any more succinctly than that. And once you master those rules, which never change, it takes all the guesswork out of deciding what's the best choice.

Yeah, for sure.

It makes it very simple. Yes, you still have to study. Yes, you still have to know your stuff. Yes, yes, yes. But all these programs and tutors who focus purely on textbook content, they're doing a disservice to their, their clients because nursing is much more than just knowing stuff. It's being able to use that stuff and make decisions in the heat of the moment or when you're stressed. Or when you're anxious, or when you're hungry, or when you're holding your pee, or when someone's taking their last breath.

Yeah. And I think that something that helped me the most in this program is that it taught me how to give myself grace, because like, I really struggled with the whole like, give— taking a break, putting the stuff down. Giving your mind time to relax so that you can later on absorb all that information that would have just been going in one ear and out the other.

Yeah. So, you know, you were pretty surprised, like many of my clients, that I say no more than 4 hours a day in studying. You're like, wait, excuse me, what did you just say to me? And that's true. If you overstudy, there's so much research that proves this. If you overstudy, you're not actually learning anything. You're just putting, you're just pushing it out as you're pulling it in. You have to have time to absorb and apply. Yeah, that's what is— that's what— that's how learning is, is concrete. That's how we keep it. You have to repeat it over and over again and do— you have to put it into action. And that's really what my program helps people do. It helps put all of this information into an action as if you were taking care of patients right now. There's no simulation, there's no what if, there's no, oh, it's just practice, I don't have to give my best effort. No, you have to be like, I'm on the clock, I'm taking care of patients. I need to go because what the NCLEX challenges you to do.

Like, your program kind of just taught me, like, I'm not a robot. Like, I'm not some whiz answering question machine. Like, I'm a human and humans need time. And just because it takes me a little more time than other people, it's, it's human. And I remember another thing that I was struggling with was the amount of time that I used to answer questions. That was something that you and I worked on a lot too. I remember we'd be going over questions and you'd be like, well, maybe if you didn't spend 27 seconds on this. And I'm like, ooh, maybe.

Yeah, it's, it's really difficult to make good solid decisions in less than 60 seconds. Right. So it seems like we want to rush to get to the the best answer, what sounds the best, 'cause we are on a time limit. And a lot of that is test anxiety and it is not having a process to follow to make sure you're not leaving any stone unturned, which is really what I try to focus on to make sure that you're considering all of your options, but also not dwelling on them. 'Cause it's bad either way. It's like too little potassium, too much potassium. It's a problem on either side. Too little time, you're missing essential information. Too much time, you're now thinking too much, you're overthinking, you're building bridges, you're bringing information in that doesn't exist. And both of them could be detrimental to your success. So we got you on average of 60 to 90 seconds per question, which is exactly what we need to be. So everything worked out. And again, it's all about just trusting the process.

So I was gonna say it led right back to the whole stubbornness thing.

You gotta trust Whoever you work with, you got to trust what they've done is going to provide results. And sometimes it doesn't, but you can't really say it works or not unless you give it your all.

Yeah.

You know, for all of us who are nurses or healthcare providers, that's like with medications or new treatments for patients. You have to give it your best effort or it's not going to work.

There were definitely times that I was ready to completely phone it in too, like, especially, I remember the night that you had told me maybe I should push my exam back. I absolutely was like, I'm done. Like, I'm ready to phone it in. And one of my accountability partners was over for the night and they were like, no, you can't do that. So I think—

Especially with so much put into it, there's no way. And I promised you, and I promise all my clients the same thing, I won't give up. I can't promise you'll pass, but I won't give up until you do. So if we have to work together for a couple months, a year, 5 years, whatever it takes. And because I don't give up, every person that I worked with has been successful. So it's, yeah, I love doing this. So one more question for you, for everyone watching, would you recommend my tutoring program to others who need help passing the NCLEX, whether they're a first-time or repeat test taker?

Oh my God. Absolutely.

Absolutely.

I would honestly recommend it more for first-time students and hear me out. Like, obviously I recommend it to repeat students. I literally met my friend for coffee today and she had failed her exam just like me, same thing, 75 questions, boom, you're done. No. Um, and she was asking me how to change her habits and I gave her your information. So I hope that she gives you a call. I know she was taking a little break afterwards just to recoup, but I know that she's ready to get back to it. But I honestly recommend it for those first-time kids that don't think they need help yet, because I think that if I had really sat down and looked at myself and the way things were going, I would have reached out for help a lot sooner, and it probably would have saved me a lot of mental anguish. Because, you know, not passing the first time around, it hurts. It sucks. Like, I'm not going to sugarcoat it and say, oh, it gets better, even though it does. It still sucks. So I would recommend it for that person that's like, oh no, I don't need anything. No, you do. You need more than you think you do. And if I had been smart and known that, I could have saved myself a lot of trouble.

Yeah, so yeah, trouble, mental anguish, money, right? Because you have to pay for things like this time, um, you wind up buying a lot of resources that you think might help you. And, and, and look, going back to the, the statement of if you think you don't need it, you do. And again, for those who are seeing this for the first time, I am an experienced nurse educator. I might not look like your average nurse educator sitting here here in my white coat, you know, being all like, you know, uptight. And I'm certainly not a walking textbook or an encyclopedia. There's plenty of facts I don't know, but I have experience in doing this for people. And so many people, like more than 80% of people, and I'm sorry, more than, what is the latest statistic? The latest statistic is more than 30% are failing the NCLEX right now. So like, it was 20% before the pandemic, but since the pandemic, since a lot of training was abbreviated, it's all the way up to 30% of the graduates are not passing. That's a big problem.

Absolutely. And it sucks being a part of that 30%, but you also don't want to be afraid to reach out for help either. Like, especially in that moment after you're like, what the hell do I do now? Like, reaching out for help as soon as possible was the best decision I ever could have made. Like, it obviously takes different amounts of time for people to realize, hey, I need some help. I had my mom kind of pushing me like, you should ask for help ASAP. Like, we're the kind of people that get right up and keep on going, right? And so I had that in my corner. She was obviously one of my accountability partners. Um, right. But the best thing I could have done for myself was, as soon as I realized, hey, I need help and I'm ready to ask for it, was to ask for that help. And I don't think I would be here talking to you right now on the other side of it if I hadn't done that. I think I would have been doing the same exact thing as I had been doing before burning myself out even more than I already had. I just think I would have been an absolute disaster.

So yeah, so look, I am confident that anyone who graduates nursing school from an accredited nursing program, um, and I say that because I have had a few, a handful of people over the years where their school got in trouble, their accreditation got pulled because they weren't being taught appropriately, and They were a struggle. I'm talking about like 6 months to a year working with them to get them ready because there's a lot of knowledge gaps that I had to help them fill. But again, I'm an experienced nurse educator. I've been a nurse educator for many years. I've worked in many different—

Look what just came in the mail!

Yay! That just came during this testimony.

That's literal perfect timing. My mom just ran in and was like, look at this. That is perfect timing.

So, so you see that, guys? You too can pass the NCLEX. It's not impossible. Um, and yeah, going back to that first-time test taker, I know that nursing schools miss the mark a lot in building those critical thinking skills. So you too can be prepared.

You can have this.

You can have your very own license.

My mom's also cheering in the back. Wow, what perfect timing! That's crazy.

This is serendipity if there is such a thing. Divine timing, whatever you think. This is awesome.

I'm framing it. I'm so excited. Oh, my mom's holding up the actual license. Like, this is just my certificate.

Yeah, that's your paper copy, and then you have the actual license too.

Yes, you too can have one of these. You just trust the process and do what you need to do and get yourself Ups there, like, awesome.

Look, Zoe, thank you so much for taking the time to do this testimonial, to let folks know, you know, your experience. Um, we, we all thank you for sharing. It's not easy to talk about failures, but honestly, the best of us fail many times before we succeed. And, um, I look forward to watching you as you transition into practice. Know that I'm always I have lots of resources to help you in practice if you have any questions or if you're struggling through any of the roles and responsibilities of the nurse. And yeah, keep telling folks about me and I can't wait to collaborate. We should meet up for coffee or something sometime soon.

Oh, I would love that.

Yeah, absolutely. We're just a quick train ride or car ride away, so.

Yeah.

Awesome. So thanks so much and congratulations again, Registered Nurse Zoe.

Yay!

All right, take care.

Well, thanks.

Got a nice ring to it.

It does.

Take care. Bye.