Failed my nursing licensure twice — what am I doing wrong?

by Nicole F. 107 views3 replies
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Nicole F.OP
May 27, 2026

I'm honestly at a loss. I've been studying for my nursing licensure for about four months now, and I've failed twice. Both times I felt okay walking out, which makes it worse somehow. I've been using a mix of textbooks and random online quizzes but I'm starting to think my approach is totally scattered. A friend suggested I need a more structured Healthcare and Nursing study guide instead of just cramming random content.

The areas wrecking me most seem to be psych nursing and nutrition-related questions. I did try the Healthcare and Nursing Mental Health & Psychiatric Nursing 2 practice test last week and genuinely learned gaps I didn't know I had — like therapeutic communication vs. crisis intervention priorities. That was humbling.

My exam is rescheduled for 7 weeks out. I'm studying roughly 2-3 hours a day but working part-time too. Has anyone come back from two failures and passed on the third attempt? I need realistic Healthcare and Nursing exam tips, not just "believe in yourself" stuff. What actually worked?

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Marcus T.
May 28, 2026
Two failures here too, passed on attempt three. What changed for me was dropping the passive reading entirely. I did timed Healthcare and Nursing practice test sets every single day — minimum 75 questions — and reviewed every wrong answer before moving on. The rationale review is where the actual learning happens, not the question itself. Also, psych was my weak spot too. Don't skip therapeutic communication; it shows up constantly in weird ways.
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Jessica L.
May 28, 2026
Seven weeks is plenty — I passed with five weeks of focused prep after failing once. Build a weekly schedule, stick to it, and do at least one full practice test every weekend under real timed conditions. Consistency beats intensity every time. You've got this.
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Nicole F.
May 28, 2026
Nutrition questions tripped me up badly as well. I found the Healthcare and Nursing Nutrition & Dietary Management in Healthcare practice test super helpful for that specific section — way more targeted than general study materials. For the broader exam, I'd also suggest looking at your score breakdown after each practice set. If psych is consistently low, that's your 7-week focus, not a 50/50 split across all topics.

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