ABOUT RHODA
Nurse. Educator. Mentor
More than 40 years of nursing experience—and a passion for helping the next generation of nurses succeed.
I'm Rhoda Sommer, RN, MSN Ed,
Founder of One on One Tips.
I've spent my career caring for patients, teaching nurses, and helping nursing students and new graduates find their confidence.
I believe nurses deserve more than information. They deserve someone in their corner.
I Know What It Feels Like to Struggle
There's something I want nursing students to know about me.
I didn't pass the NCLEX on my first attempt.
I remember the disappointment. I remember questioning myself. And I remember wondering whether failing an exam meant I wasn't meant to be a nurse.
It didn't.
I went on to build a nursing career spanning more than four decades.
That experience has stayed with me throughout my career, especially when I'm working with a student who tells me:
"Maybe I'm just not smart enough to pass this test."
I understand that fear.
But I also know that sometimes the problem isn't how much you know.
Sometimes you need someone to help you understand how you're thinking.
That's why my approach to NCLEX preparation focuses on clinical judgment, prioritization, understanding your individual testing patterns, and learning how to think through the question—not simply memorizing more information.
One of the core strategies I teach is the One on One Tips Three-Question Method:
Who is my client?
What is the condition or procedure, and how does it affect the body?
What does the question want?
These three questions help students break down NCLEX questions, strengthen clinical judgment, and make safer nursing decisions.
I use Saunders Ninth Edition resources for both RN and PN students, along with worksheets and learning tools I've developed to help students build the clinical judgment skills required for today's NCLEX and for real-world nursing practice.
You are not your study group.
What you struggle with, what makes sense to you, and what you need to practice is different from every other student.
That's why we work one-on-one.
My goal isn't simply to help you pass the NCLEX.
My goal is to help you become a confident, safe, and competent nurse.
You've worked too hard to leave your success to chance.
Let's create a plan that gets you across the finish line.
Then I Watched New Nurses Struggle With Something Else
Passing the NCLEX is an enormous accomplishment.
But then something happens that nursing school doesn't always prepare you for.
You become the nurse.
Suddenly you're responsible for several patients.
You're prioritizing competing needs.
You're calling providers.
You're delegating.
You're giving report.
You're trying to finish everything before the end of your shift.
And sometimes you're wondering:
"Am I really ready for this?"
Throughout my career, I've watched talented new nurses struggle during this transition—not because they weren't capable, but because they needed someone safe to ask.
Someone who wouldn't say:
"You should already know that."
Someone who would instead say:
"Let's look at it together."
That is the kind of mentor I want to be.
Why I Created One on One Tips
One on One Tips grew from something very simple:
People learn better when they feel safe enough to ask questions.
I don't believe in embarrassing students.
I don't believe everyone needs the same study plan.
And I certainly don't believe passing the NCLEX means you'll magically know everything on your first day as a nurse.
I believe in meeting people where they are.
Sometimes that means analyzing an NCLEX practice test and discovering why a student keeps missing priority questions.
Sometimes it means helping a new nurse figure out which patient needs to be seen first.
And sometimes it simply means listening when someone says:
"Rhoda, I had a terrible shift."
Then we figure out what happened and what they can do differently next time
My Approach
When you work with me, I want you to understand the why, not just memorize the answer.
That's why my teaching focuses heavily on:
Clinical Judgment — recognizing what matters and making safe nursing decisions.
Prioritization — learning to determine what needs your attention first.
Individualized Learning — identifying your strengths, weaknesses, and patterns instead of giving everyone the same plan.
Confidence Through Competence — because confidence doesn't come from someone repeatedly telling you, "You've got this." It grows when you begin to understand what you're doing and why.
Honest Guidance — I'll encourage you, but I'll also tell you when I believe you're not ready or when something needs more work.
That's part of being a mentor.
From NCLEX to the First Shift
—and Beyond
Today, One on One Tips supports nurses during two of the most vulnerable transitions in their careers:
Preparing for the NCLEX
and
Becoming a new nurse.
Whether you're trying to earn those two letters—RN—or you're standing at the nurses' station wondering how you're going to manage your first assignment, my goal is the same:
To help you become a safe, confident nurse who knows how to think through what comes next.
Because nursing doesn't need perfect nurses.
It needs nurses who notice changes, ask questions, think critically, speak up, and continue learning.
A Little More About Me
When I'm not teaching or mentoring nurses, I'm a wife, grandmother and great-grandmother.
And if you've spent any time reading my blog, you've probably noticed something else:
I like having conversations over a cup of coffee.
That's why you'll often see Coffee with Rhoda throughout One on One Tips.
It's how I want this entire space to feel.
Pull up a chair.
Bring your questions.
You don't have to pretend you already know everything here.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you're preparing for the NCLEX, explore my NCLEX tutoring and support options.
If you've already passed and you're beginning your nursing career, visit the 90-Day New Grad Survival Program.
And if you're not sure which direction is right for you, that's exactly what my free 15-minute Discovery Call is for.
Interested in NCLEX
90-Day New Grad Survival Program
[Schedule a Free 15-Minute Discovery Call]
