Pan: Hurst NCLEX-RN Review

     This past Tuesday, June 26th 2012, was the biggest day of my life. I realize it is bold to place such a label on a single day, and as I have lived 22 years' worth of days, that has pretty substantial meaning. On June 26th, I took the NCLEX.

     The National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses is a computer-based, adaptive, scary, potentially-265-questions test nursing school students are required to take following graduation. The NCLEX is designed to illustrate for your respective state's Board of Nursing committee that as a new graduate nurse, you know enough to provide safe and competent care in your setting of practice. The test is a combination of multiple choice, dosage calculation, audito/visual, and "place in order" questions reflective of two years' worth of Bachelor of Science in Nursing course curriculum. Testers may receive a minimum of 75 questions (15 of which are prototypes and do not count for or against you) and must achieve a score of 75% or greater for the exam to shut off. If by question 75 you have not made the benchmark, the computer will continue to generate questions up to 265. This test was beyond intimidating, as both my own self esteem and spot in the graduate nurse residency program at my hospital were on the line.

     In the off chance that I have a reader who is prepping for the NCLEX, currently enrolled in nursing school, or even just thinking about nursing school, I thought it would be a good idea to review my Bible Hurst book to 1) mix things up when it comes to my choice of book reviews and 2) give an honest opinion about what it was like to study for the exam. The Hurst Review, hosted by the one and only Aunt Marlene Hurst, is a three-day live review crash course of a lecture I signed up to take at the end of May. Such review courses are completely optional and by no means as a graduated student do you have to take one, it was just a decision that I felt was best for me. Hurst study material focuses on nursing school content such as pathophysiology and pharmacology rather than test-taking strategies such as "recognize the stem of the question" or "think Maslow." I have friends from my graduating class who chose to take a strategy-based Kaplan review course who had nothing but good things to say. When it comes to choosing between the two, it really just depends on your learning style and what you think you need--do you struggle with understanding what the question is really asking, or do you want to brush up on the specifics of cirrhosis and pancreatitis?

     It is a little tough to agree with the asking price, but I am so glad I chose to invest $350 in to a Hurst Review. The live lectures are 8 hours each day for three days straight and you are provided with "4th and 5th Day" material via the Hurst website. The student workbook is a 250 page fill-in-the-blank lecture complete with diagrams, lab values, medications, and practice questions organized by body systems. Each section (i.e. Cardiac or Renal) incorporates each particular disease process with signs and symptoms, diagnostics, and treatment options. According to the course director, your success on the NCLEX is reflective of your ability to talk through the workbook; recall and understand the information provided. In the 4 weeks at 4 hours a day of studying, I made it through the workbook twice and was able to consistently lecture myself on the material. In addition to live lectures, Hurst provides you with "Q Reviews," six 125-question practice exams that contain rationales for all answer choices. In my opinion, much more than worth it.

     It was so difficult to stay so dedicated to my study regimen, but it definitely paid off in the end. My NCLEX shut off after 56 minutes at 75 questions. My palms were sweaty and my heart was beating out of my chest it was so stressful. To have two years of a college program summed up in 75 questions is so hard to believe! My official score is not expected to be posted until 48 hours following my exam time, so I have one more day of waiting. However, according to "the trick," the registration website did not let me finalize another scheduled exam with a credit card payment. The ladies at the testing center swear up and down it is legit.
   

Pan: 50 Shades Darker

     "I gasp then flush crimson while my inner goddess scoffs at my subconscious as my 50 Shades looks at me with his grey eyes blazing fire..." EL James's writing in a nutshell. This is not an actual sentence from either of her two books I have read, but I swear these are the only words she uses.

     In the second installment of Jame's 50 Shades trilogy, the reader is pulled further in to the twisted relationship of the protagonists Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey. Unlike the first novel in the series however, 50 Shades Darker has an added element of mystery that for me, makes this one just a little bit more interesting.

     James left us hanging in 50 Shades of Grey as Ana breaks up with Christian, as Ana believes that she is not capable of being the type of woman he needs to keep him both physically and emotionally satisfied. 50 Shades Darker picks up not but a few days after the Red Room of Pain walkout and it takes less than a chapter for the couple to resolve their deep-seated issues and get back together. Ana remains as needy and timid as ever, with Grey no less controlling. He vows to try his [twitching] hand at a normal, monogamous no-dom-no-sub relationship with Ana this time around and she is just as eager to please. James spends too much time trying to gain the reader's sympathy by revealing bits and pieces of Grey's troubled past in an attempt to explain why he is the way he is. She is not afraid to describe every single "pained expression" with every single touch of Ana's hand. I am rolling my eyes every single time.

     Ana acquires a stalker in this one; a Christian ex-submissive. She also gets a sleazy publisher boss. Ever the problem-solver, Grey hides the troubled girl away in a rehabilitation facility and buys out Ana's employer. Christian goes missing for a few hours after a helicopter ride goes awry and gives Ana an engagement ring. Aside from these, the book is pretty non-eventful. And even then, the events are actually pretty non-eventful. It ends with Christian and Ana being watched and plotted against by an unknown adversary who seems to be out for revenge for some kind of wrongdoing. I literally laughed out loud. I am now officially 2/3 of the way through the series, and I figure after my nursing boards are complete I will read the last book. I want this time to come and go, as I have a few real-life, critically acclaimed novels ready and waiting in my arsenal. I need to get away from the 50 Shades/Twilight neediness who make up such annoying and boring characters. This series is just wearing me out!

Pan: 50 Shades of Grey

       For as long as I have wanted to do this, I am really not too proud of the fact that 50 Shades of Grey is the feature novel in my very first post. However, everyone has to start somewhere, and as 50 Shades is EL James's first novel, it works out pretty well. Common bond established.

     I first heard the buzz on 50 Shades early one morning at work. One of the nursing ladies was reading it on her iPhone and stealing nervous glances around the room while doing so. There are a lot of male nurses in our ICU, and she didn't want to run the risk of the boys on our unit nagging her. Unfortunately, she never stood a chance. Through the adversity she stayed strong, and I'm pretty sure by the end of that 12-hour shift she had finished the book. On her iPhone. That in and of itself amazes me. She filled me in on the plot line--I use that term loosely here--during our lunch break, and I ultimately decided that I really and truly wasn't all that interested in the story. Shortly thereafter, the book made all kinds of headlines, and I finally caved at a Target late one night. Naturally, I was shoe shopping and wandered in to the book section. I thought it was about time that I should try and give Christian Grey a chance.

Yep. Ana's inner goddess has to love this song

     For those of you who do not know the history of 50 Shades of Grey, the novel is actually a professionally-edited fanfiction based on the Twilight saga. The main characters, Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, are modified versions of Stephanie Meyer's Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. Ana meets Christian while subbing in as an interviewer for her university's student newspaper. From the very start of her clumsy entrance in to his office, the two are attracted to each other in a way that they themselves cannot explain. Ana is floored that the billionaire entrepreneur is even remotely interested in her, and she stumbles her way through their first few dates completely bewildered. Flash forward to Christian revealing he wants to continue seeing Ana with a BDSM twist, pending she signs his contract agreement. Eight hours of sleep a night, a personal trainer, three meals a day, weekends dedicated solely to him, and mutually agreed-upon "hard and soft limits" are just a few of his conditions. It is difficult not to sympathize with Ana as she physically and emotionally struggles with Christian's lifestyle. The book gets pretty steamy as the two explore their relationship, and you'll find yourself wanting to take a cold shower after reading a select few chapters.

     At the end of the day, I am still really and truly not interested in the story. James's overuse of "hitches" and "flush" and "oh my!" get annoying fast, and I had enough after 500 pages of the same cliche' language. I think this book could be a great recommendation to a certain type of person (this can be said about any book), but that person just isn't me. However, I can't help but laugh when I found myself interested enough to start 50 Shades Darker. The author conveniently leaves us hanging, wondering what happens with Ana and Christian. Before I knew it, I was at Target once again.