Korean Nurses' Experience of Preparing for and Taking the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses

PurposeThis study explores the Korean nurses' experience of preparing for and taking the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) in order to provide a deeper understanding of their experiences.MethodThe study utilizes the qualitative research method, Colaizzi's phenomenological methodology. Twenty-six Korean nurses were interviewed using semi-structured research questions and their interviews were analyzed.ResultsSeven clusters of themes emerged: (a) motivation; (b) flow in studying, (c) expansion of nursing knowledge for nursing practice; (d) reflections of nursing practice and attitude toward themselves; (e) time management struggles; (f) increased self-confidence and self-esteem; (g) setting a new life direction and new challenges. In general, our analyses demonstrated that the nurses' experiences of preparing for and taking the NCLEX-RN showed positive impacts on the nurses, psychologically, intellectually and interpersonally.ConclusionThe results suggest that developing NCLEX-RN preparation programs is needed to promote global capabilities for nurses and nursing students. Further studies on the effect of exposure to the NCLEX-RN exam while nursing school for nurses is recommended.