Author · 64 posts
RN · Medical-Surgical nurse & health writer
Meet Nathan, a registered nurse with over five years of experience in Medical-Surgical care, based in New York City. Having worked with a wide range of patients through some of their most vulnerable moments, Nathan brings a grounded, real-world perspective to his writing on healthcare. His goal is simple: to bridge the gap between medical knowledge and everyday understanding, making health topics feel less intimidating and more empowering for everyone. When he's not caring for patients, Nathan channels his passion for medicine into writing that educates, comforts and inspires.
The TEAS and NCLEX are not competitors — the TEAS is the entrance exam before nursing school, the NCLEX is the licensure exam after. Here is how they actually differ in format, content, and difficulty, plus an honest answer on which one should scare you more.
ATI writes the TEAS, so its official prep mirrors the real exam. Testavia is a focused third-party question bank with rationales, timed sets, and a free trial. Here is an honest, feature-by-feature comparison so you can pick the prep that fits how you actually study.
The cardiac cycle is just one squeeze and one release, repeated about 100,000 times a day. Learn the sequence first — diastole then systole, valves opening and closing on pressure — and the pressures, volumes, heart sounds, and NCLEX questions all fall into place.
Generic "make a schedule, prioritize self-care" advice falls apart the first time a clinical runs long. This is time management built for real nursing-school pressure — specific systems, study blocks, and the tradeoffs you will actually have to make.
Chicago has some of the best clinical training in the country, but not every nursing program uses it well. Here are six standout schools — UIC, Rush, Loyola, DePaul, Saint Xavier, and Chamberlain — what each is actually strong at, and how to pick the one that fits your starting point, budget, and goal.
A free TEAS practice test simulates the ATI TEAS 7 across all four sections — Reading, Math, Science, and English & Language Usage. Here is where to find quality free practice, how to focus by section, and how to read your composite score so you know exactly when you are ready for the real exam.
The NCLEX is 85 to 150 questions for both RN and PN — the exact number depends on how the Computerized Adaptive Testing algorithm reads your performance. Here is what the range means, why stopping at 85 is not a pass signal, what hitting 150 really tells you, and how many practice questions you actually need first.
A compact (multistate) nursing license lets eligible RNs and LPN/LVNs practice across 40+ NLC states on one license. Here is how to qualify under the 11 Uniform Licensure Requirements, apply through your Board of Nursing as a new grad or by upgrading, and protect your privileges when your home state changes.
An NCLEX practice test is a timed, full-length simulation of the real exam — NGN case studies and all — and it is not the same as a QBank. Here are the best free options that actually include NGN items, how to simulate test-day conditions, how to read your score by content category, and whether you need the RN or PN version.
You can take the NCLEX up to 8 times per calendar year with a mandatory 45-day wait between attempts, and there is no national lifetime cap — but your state Board of Nursing may impose stricter limits. Here are the 2026 retake rules, the step-by-step retake process, what it costs, and what to do differently next time.
The first-time, U.S.-educated NCLEX-RN pass rate is 86.7% (2025 NCSBN data), but the all-candidate rate is 69.1% and repeat testers pass at just 52.7%. Here is what the current data shows by candidate type, program, and state — and the five factors that actually predict whether you pass on your first attempt.
Free NCLEX-PN practice questions with full rationales — six samples across the Client Needs categories, including NGN bow-tie and highlight formats. Plus the 2026 PN test-plan breakdown, how the PN differs from the RN, and the study habits that separate first-time passers from retakers.