Nurses Review NURSING.com's NCLEX Prep Course
The NCLEX represents the culmination of your years of hard work in nursing school, and you want to make sure that you’re prepared with a solid NCLEX review program. It can be difficult to weigh the pros and cons of each, but we’re here to help! Read on to learn about NURSING.com's NCLEX prep course, including pros and cons and who it's right for.
You can also check out our comparison overview of the top NCLEX review programs. This article is the first in a series of in-depth reviews of individual NCLEX review programs.
Overview of NURSING.com
NURSING.com* describes its site as “the trusted learning hub for potential nurses,” and its curriculum is designed to help nursing students, graduates, and new RNs absorb and process the flood of new material they are learning.
The platform was initially founded as NRSNG.com in 2018 by Jon Haws, BS, BSN, RN, CCRN to help students who were struggling in their journey to become a nurse. Haws is the owner of the platform and serves as a curriculum designer alongside two highly experienced nurse educators. In 2020, the name was changed to NURSING.com.
While NURSING.com provides a thorough and well-regarded NCLEX review, they also have a strong focus on helping students succeed in their nursing programs. They offer short recorded lessons that are developed to help organize nursing concepts and make them easier to understand which are taught by a variety of instructors. They also offer study tools designed to support multiple learning styles as well as learning challenges like ADHD and dyslexia.
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NURSING.com Reviews
Reviews for NURSING.com across social media and Amazon are largely positive. A Facebook commenter stated, “I passed my NCLEX on the first try about two weeks ago using these amazing resources! 100% recommend for anyone having difficulty understanding challenging concepts.”
Amazon reviews have called it a “Life (and budget) Saver!” and praised the “Great, to the point material”. Even more critical reviews generally focus on issues around customer service, rather than the material itself, as with this Amazon reviewer who stated they paid for a two-year plan: “My account was locked after one year and the customer service has not been helpful in granting me access to what I paid for.”
Is An NCLEX Review Course Worth It?
Almost 110,000 nursing grads fail the NCLEX every year. While a review course may seem like an unnecessary expense, consider the fact that each NCLEX attempt costs $200, plus any fees charged by the individual state Board of Nursing. There is also the factor of lost earning potential. And the mandatory minimum wait period of 45 days between NCLEX attempts can mean lost RN wages, or even withdrawal of a job offer.
Who Should Consider Signing Up for an NCLEX Review Course?
NCLEX review is a smart choice for everyone. When you consider all of the time, effort, and cost that goes into completing nursing school, it makes sense to do everything you can to make sure you pass the NCLEX and get out in the workforce. Some nursing schools have even added an NCLEX review course to the final semester of their nursing program because it significantly improves their NCLEX pass rates.
However, NCLEX review programs are especially helpful for those who struggle with test anxiety, have had difficulty learning nursing concepts in school, and those who are unsure how to effectively study for nursing school exams. NCLEX review programs also benefit those who have learning challenges that make testing-taking more difficult.
The Pros and Cons of NURSING.com
Pros of NURSING.com
Overall, the NURSING.com NCLEX review is a successful program for students for many reasons. The program offers a wide array of comprehensive materials geared toward students with multiple learning styles and needs. They offer 10 min. lesson videos that cover almost any nursing topic imaginable, along with rationales to help students understand concepts rather than memorize facts.
Students are also able to create customized study plans to address their particular areas of weakness and learning needs. The mobile app for iOS and Android is a great option for studying on the go or practicing a few of the 6500+ NCLEX-style practice questions available while waiting in line at the grocery store. And SIMCLEX, the NCLEX simulator, allows students to become familiar with the unique format of computer adaptive testing and really practice taking NCLEX-style test questions.
Cons of NURSING.com
However, there are a few drawbacks. Most notably, NURSING.com does not offer a stand-alone NCLEX prep program. The NCLEX review program they offer is designed primarily to help students learn nursing concepts, and students must purchase a plan to access review materials. So, for students who have already graduated, it may be more than they need.
There are also occasional complaints about customer service and difficulty resolving issues about subscriptions when needed. In addition, the cost of the program is “front-loaded,” which means the entire program cost must be paid in the first few months. This can be seen as a pro or con—depending on your financial situation.
NURSING.com Test Prep Products, Options, and Pricing
NURSING.com's plans range in access, duration, and pricing depending on what students are needing. Below is a quick overview of their review plans.
0 SIMCLEX
Their lowest level plan, 0 SIMCLEX, focuses primarily on content review so students have access to all Courses/Lessons but do not have access to NURSING.com's question bank or to SIMCLEX, their NCLEX Simulator. This option is great for pre-nursing students and provides them with over 2,000 lessons, over 2,100 study tools and is accessible via a mobile app. The cost is $29/month billed monthly until cancelled.
1 SIMCLEX
Their most popular level plan, 1 SIMCLEX is great for nursing students. In addition to 1 SIMCLEX exam attempt each month, it gives students access to over 2,000 video lessons, more than 6,500 HESI, NGN or NCLEX practice questions for exam prep, and over 2,100 study tools, including visual aids, flashcards, cheat sheets, sample care plans, and more. This plan provides a 200% NCLEX Pass Money-Back Guarantee and is accessible via a mobile app. The cost is $59/month billed monthly until cancelled.
3 SIMCLEX
The 3 SIMCLEX plan costs $129/month and is billed monthly until cancelled. This plan is great for the last year of nursing school. It provides access to all the tools in the 1 SIMCLEX plan, but 3 SIMCLEX attempts are available to students every month instead of just one.
Unlimited SIMCLEX
The Unlimited SIMCLEX plan offers the same tools as the 3 SIMCLEX plan, with the addition of unlimited SIMCLEX attempts available each month. This plan is great for NCLEX prep and costs $162/month billed monthly until cancelled.
Monthly Plan
- 0 SIMCLEX (Great for Pre-Nursing Students) | $29/m
- 1 SIMCLEX (Great for Nursing Students) | $59/m
- 3 SIMCLEX (Great for the Last Year in Nursing School | $129/m
- Unlimited SIMCLEX (Great for NCLEX Prep) $162/m
NURSING.com Prep Materials
NURSING.com boasts an impressive NCLEX pass rate of 99.86% among a randomized group of 389 product users. In other words, in this group, only 0.14% of those who passed the SIMCLEX exam failed the real NCLEX.
While the SIMCLEX is a key part of the NCLEX review materials, the other components are just as important. Lessons offered are developed and delivered by skilled and experienced educators and subject matter experts with the goal of helping students build a deeper understanding of nursing concepts.
With such a wide range of study tools, students are able to use multiple approaches to help determine what best supports their learning needs. NURSING.com is ultimately designed to support all learning styles and needs to help students meet the standardized requirements of nursing school and the NCLEX.
SIMCLEX Practice Exams
According to the NURSING.com website, the SIMCLEX is the key to NCLEX prep.
Similar to other NCLEX practice exams, the SIMCLEX exam computer adaptive testing algorithm mimics the real NCLEX. It does this by increasing and decreasing test questions' difficulty and offering 75-265 questions based on a student’s performance.
Test questions include image-based questions as well as select all that apply (SATA) to reflect the real NCLEX format further. Once a SIMCLEX exam is completed, the student is able to see detailed rationales of questions they answered and receive personalized study suggestions based on an analysis of their performance.
Access Period for NURSING.com
The access period depends on the plan selected. The monthly plan continues until the subscriber cancels it, and the subscriber retains access through the end of the last month they have paid for.
NURSING.com also offers a free 3-day trial. If a subscriber decides the program doesn’t work for them during that time, they can simply cancel and there will be no other charges.
Refund Policy
There are no refunds offered other than the 200% NCLEX Pass Guarantee.
The 200% NCLEX Pass Guarantee works as follows:
If a NURSING.com subscriber passes at least 1 SIMCLEX exam but fails the NCLEX, NURSING.com offers a 200% money-back guarantee.
This means NURSING.com will refund double the cost the subscriber paid to enroll in the program.
To receive this refund, you'll need to submit a Money Back Guarantee Request Form within 60 days of taking the NCLEX. It’s also important to note that only the 1, 3 and Unlimited SIMCLEX plans offer the pass guarantee.
Is NURSING.com the Right Test Prep Course for You?
If you graduated from nursing school and didn’t find the concepts and exams very difficult and you’re looking for a stand-alone NCLEX prep course, NURSING.com may be more than you need.
However, if you’re currently in nursing school and worried about the NCLEX because you’re struggling with your class exams, NURSING.com could be just what you need to finish school with confidence in your knowledge and ability to pass the NCLEX. It’s also a great fit for students with learning challenges, those who have difficulty understanding certain concepts and content, as well as students who haven’t found an effective way to study for nursing exams.
If you still need to compare NCLEX prep courses before choosing, feel free to browse our other reviews:
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