[Funnygrl]

I'm taking the NCLEX-RN exam soon to get my license now that I've graduated school. I've been told they're very strict and NOTHING is allowed in the exam room. So I started the process thinking this would be very simple and straightforward.

Noooooooo

So first I call the people that make the exam. I get a guy in another country who can't understand a word I say. I mean like, nothing. So I call back and get a guy with a similar accent. This is after being on hold for like 30 minutes mind you.

Guy With Accent: "What is your inquiry?"

Me: "I'm diabetic, I need to bring my pump, meter, and snacks into the exam. The pump may look like a cell phone or pager."

GWA: "No snacks, no cell phone, no pager."

Me: "I didn't say cell phone or pager. But I"m diabetic..."

GWA: "No means no!"

Me: "But it's a medical condition!"

Him: "Oh, call this number to talk to state board."


So I call that number, and I get a transferred 3 times after 15 minutes on hold. Finally I get a lady who seems to know what she's doing. She gives me an address to send a doctor's note to. "A doctor's note, you need, as in, signed by your healthcare provider. Gee, thanks for specifying that for me lady.

In an efficient manner (holy cow! efficiency?) my doctor's office got me a short, sweet, and to the point note. "She is a patient here and MUST keep her INSULIN PUMP, glucose meter, and a source of sugar for treating and preventing hypoglycemia on her person at ALL TIMES!"

That should clear up an issues, right?

Noooooooooo

So I send this note in, and play phone tag with this lady for awhile. She tells me there's a request for reasonable accommodations form I need to fill out. Okay... She tells me she'll e-mail it to me (I got the e-mail, she forgot to attach it).

Then she tells me my stuff still won't be allowed in the room. It will have to stay in a different room, during the specific allowed breaks (that everyone gets). I tell her that if I need the stuff, I need the stuff. It would be a medical emergency, and I can't wait until a scheduled break.

So then she says I can raise my hand, wait for a proctor to notice, and a person will escort me at any time

What?

I tell her that's unacceptable, I need it with me. She tells me I'll need more documentation from my doctor relating to that. What? The original note said "on her person" I tell her.

Oh.

"Well", she says "In that case you can take your 'glucometer' and pump in, but food is still not allowed and we never make exceptions. You might get the computer dirty." What? Okay, now I've heard it all.

So I ask her if when I go to this separate room, the time for the test will pause. "No! There's no need for that!" Granted, I'm sure I would still have plenty of time, but geez!

I tell her that it's really not fair if I don't get the same amount of time as everyone because I need to take time out to treat my medical condition.

She tells me that she will consult someone else and see what they say, "But she's never heard of exceptions being made."

I just can't believe this bull.

[xMenace]

[fgummett]

ARRGH! This exam is to do with Nursing right? And they don't have any flexibility for a medical condition?!? Can you go over the head of these people? Can you get away with glucose tablets instead of a snack? Can you go in and show them what you are talking about ahead of time? They're probably worried about someone crunching on chips and slurping juice all over the keyboard.

As for eating at the computer:

A British magazine did a study of 33 typical office keyboards vs the office toilets. It was found that the Keyboards had five times filthier than the swabbed toilet seat. So makes you want to go check out that computer at the library huh.

[Funnygrl]

It's for nursing, but it's done through the board of education. I told the lady on the phone I would be taking in gummy fruit snacks.

[JediSkipdogg]

How long is the test?

Personally if it were me, you've already gone too far. LOL I would have just taken it in and when they tried to deny me on the day of the test then that would be a great suit. For the snacks, just keep them in your pocket and try not to eat them unless needed.

A few years back (well 4 to be exact) I took the Ohio Graduate Test for Grad School and that was a miserable test. It was 6 straight hours in front of a computer answering questions that once you hit submit you can't go back on. They gave us one break at the 3 hour mark.

Needless to say, the test didn't get me into law school but would allow me into grad school. However, I didn't go, lol. Waste of money I guess, but I wanted my options in case I didn't get my current job.

[Funnygrl]

The test can be anywhere from 15 minutes to 6 hours. It's like you describe, on the computer, can't go back once you hit sumbit.

Honestly, I'm already nervous enough about it, I just want things to go as smoothly as possible that day.

I've had profs for months telling us how if they catch us with anything as any time they'll cancel our scores. It's just not worth risking.

[morrisma]

I guess I'm not sure where you are taking this test but the American with Disabilities Act should cover this regardless of their shenanigans. If I was in a wheelchair or on crutches, they would, by law, have to allow them in the room. Cannot see how a pump, meter and glucose would be any different.
Mike

[Jan B]

Funny (Christine, right?!),

You went about things in a very long and thorough way. I'm a very easy-going person and a "rule-follower". However, I'd likely hurt someone if they denied me my pump and glucose tablets. That's part of me. I don't think I would have brought it up at all; just marched right on in w/tablets in pockets and wearing my pump. I might even leave the meter in my car so as not to risk questions. I've done things the way you did, and got ___ just like you did . . . so I now have a very different attitude.

Your story reads like a joke -- funny if it wasn't true!

[SueM]

Originally Posted by Funnygrl

I've had profs for months telling us how if they catch us with anything as any time they'll cancel our scores. It's just not worth risking.

As the pump is basicaly your life suport, then you can not do without it.
It sounds to me as if you are dealing with a lot of ignorant people. I can just imagine the headline news if you were denied your pump/meter/emergency hypo cure. Just take them with you and if they try to deny you just tell them you will sue.
I was told the same thing re food when I was at school, no food in the exam hall. I sat there and ate my snack infront of the examiner. Not a word was said.

[Janlaton]

I recently had to take the state insurance licensing exam. It took a special exception but I was allowed to take unwrapped hard candies in with me. Did you have an instructor set the test for you? If so they may do the leg work on getting this done, mine did.

Pray things will go well.

[slipperyelm]

I'm not a nurse, but I have taken the NCLEX. Mine was given at a for profit tutoring and test proctoring center. The person who oversaw the people being tested was an employee of the center, not of the NCLEX. She was not a nurse, but a professional educator. She had absolutely no ability to negotiate anything. I'm sure in her job she had to be scrupulous in enforcing the conditions the tutoring center contracted to enforce. Instructors will have zero ability to get any exceptions made.

I'm not surprised you are having this trouble. But just go with your pump, and well nourished ahead of time. Nobody is going to frisk you. In this day and age, it might be possible that they will wand you with a metal detector. So I do think it is good that you are trying to get everything straight ahead of time. Maybe you can ask if you will have to pass though a metal detector--now won't that make them suspicious!

By the way, the test went very quickly. I couldn't believe how quickly it was over. I had thought it would be interesting and fun to go on to some more scenaros, but nope, I passed lickety split....My sister who is a nurse said it was quick for her too. But she went to a nursing school with an exceptionally high pass rate. If you know that your school tends to turn out good nurses, I think you can relax about the test itself.

[duck]

Quite frankly, I can't believe you'd be so callous and uncaring for that poor, defenseless computer. I mean, NO computer likes getting dirty.

[solox316]

Originally Posted by duck

Quite frankly, I can't believe you'd be so callous and uncaring for that poor, defenseless computer. I mean, NO computer likes getting dirty.

As upsetting as the situation is to hear (or go through I am sure), Duck always seems to get a chuckle out of me...

Funny, sorry to hear about it. It sucks that you have to put up with so much about a disease that you cannot control the unpredictability.

[RobiJo]

Originally Posted by Funnygrl

The test can be anywhere from 15 minutes to 6 hours. It's like you describe, on the computer, can't go back once you hit sumbit.

Honestly, I'm already nervous enough about it, I just want things to go as smoothly as possible that day.

I've had profs for months telling us how if they catch us with anything as any time they'll cancel our scores. It's just not worth risking.

This may not help your cause... but every test I've taken with strict rules, I do the bending. (Michigan Test for Teacher Certification for example) I take Levemir for the day and eat before I walk in. I aim to stay around 150 or so, if I go higher I'll correct it when I'm out. I think it's just easier than dealing with the hassle of what you are going through. The last one I took, I only needed about 70 minutes. Hooked my pump back up the second I got in the car, 0% basal for 20 hours, and I could still bolus.

If your concerned about going low, put clear Gatorade in a water bottle. (Unless they'll let you take in Gatorade or something other than water.)

It's irritating that they keep changing things on you though! Best of luck with them and on the test! My sister will be taking it sometime next year and she has a pump too. I'm sure your post will be a concern of hers as well.

[Holly]

I guess their argument could be that they have no idea what drug you could actually be pumping............ I understand your frustration. When I was in nursing school (hospital based in the "dark ages") we had a classmate who was asked to leave on the diagnosis of diabetes. The reasoning was that she couldn't possible have any regulation based on the shift work that was expected of students. No exception or trial allowed. Yet, we were taught to accept with compassion any medical condition.