What am I supposed to do while waiting for NLE results? How can one exam be so intimidating and manage to inflict so much anxiety?
Well, I guess this is the after effect of taking Nursing Licensure Exam supposed to feel like and you wouldn’t feel anxious if it weren’t so important to you.
I bet you have mustered all your courage and sharpened up your knowledge to prepare for the most coveted exam to pass. Taking the NLE is nerve-racking but nothing beats the tension and worry you feel while waiting for the results. The dreading results that could make or break your dream of becoming the registered nurse you have ever longed to be.
Being anxious or troubled about whether you will pass the exam is normal and to top it off WAITING makes it more agonizing. Just one piece of advice, never let the worries take a toll on you because the time you have spent worrying about the results is a time you can never get back. All you have to do is to be optimistic and shun the negativity. You should always know that you have to trust yourself that you had done the best you can to make it.
Things to do while waiting for NLE results
• Acknowledge the anxiety but never succumb into them. Yes, being worried is normal but you have to get on with it. The results are uncertain but you don’t have to carry the burden of thinking it over and over again until you get to the results. Share the experience to someone and if not you can write it down. The best way to get off anxiety is to express it and move on. All you need is a listening ear or anything that can be an outlet for your emotions.
• Go on with life and find time for relaxation. You have toiled enough for months to study for the exam and sometimes even sacrificing happy times but now you deserve a good dose of fun and relaxation with your family/friends. Believe me you earned it.
• Pursue your hobbies, interest and the thing you love to do. This can be a good time to try and divert your attention from your worries. Doing something you enjoy will take your mind off of your negative thoughts.
• Be productive. You can go and do some online jobs or even part-time jobs and it can be or not be related to nursing. The benefit is double edge because you get to earn money and you get to have that feeling of how it is to work.
• Engage in other physical activities. Don’t neglect your body just because of the pressure the exam has brought you. You can channel all those worries, anxieties and other negativities by exercising or engaging in sports. You get to release stress by being active and you benefit by getting in good shape. Be fit and healthy!
• Prepare your documents. You can prep up all the documents you will need later as you apply for a job. It’s better to have it all set than scrambling and looking for those important credentials when the need arises. Have multiple copies of your files and organize them.
• The most important thing to do with your free time is to PRAY. Whatever faith you have the best you can do is to thank and ask for support. I know it may sound so spiritual and cheesy but when I took my exam it was a combination of a great effort in studying and a greater percentage of faith. My faith along with my effort brought me to where I am now.
It was never easy, that’s a known fact but what matters most now is that you had successfully gone through the ordeal without backing down. As they say, nothing worth having comes easy.
The NLE results will come and either way whatever your future is congrats for taking the hard and grueling board exam. I know it might be bold to say this but Yes! Congrats to you soon to be registered nurses.