PBDS test . How to prepare?

AggieNurse2B · Jun 8, 2011

Wish I could! Especially since I see PBDS test on my internship schedule, which starts in a couple weeks, and I have no idea what PBDS even stands for!

Turd Ferguson · Jun 8, 2011

I've got to take it too, they say it's to assess our knowledge.

I thought that's what NCLEX was for.

SammiJoRNBSN · Jun 8, 2011

Speaking of which....I completed this test today actually. It's to assess your knowledge and is supposed to be used to guide the learning process based on experience, etc. It's long and tiresome...it took me almost the entire 6 hours ...and in most cases I was unable to finish because each section is timed. Words of advice...if it asks if you want to take a break and you're able to...DO IT!

As far as preparing....unless you learn by osmosis or have a great deal of nursing experience, the only preparation you can really do is to reflect on your own experiences and what you have learned in the past. I'm a new grad so it was tough for me to "think quick" for the variety of situations.

My understanding is that once you have completed the scenarios that somehow they are broken down into components to figure out where you are in terms of critical thinking, interpersonal relationships and some technical skills. It doesn't give you a percentage or anything like NCLEX and is supposed to be used as a tool to guide your learning experience and development as a professional (or so I was told and have read).

GL! :nurse:

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Jun 9, 2011

Please use "search" - there are multiple threads on PBDS.

You really can't study for this, and there generally are not study books available. As the test is copyrighted, if they even catch inkling of a practice guide, they prosecute and change the test.

It is to test where you are in your critical thinking skills, and where you need improvement. For staff it is to help tailor orientation, supposedly. For travelers/agency, it is a hire or fire issue.

CrazyCatLadyRN, BSN, RN · Jun 9, 2011

I just took it this week on my nursing orientation. I was able to finish it within the time limit, but there were a couple of the patients that I had a hard time diagnosing. I did study for it. I made my own study guide with about 21 possible scenarios(med surg emergencies) that I might see, based on what I found here and when I googled the PBDS. I highly recommend doing this. I did them in the same format as how you type it on the PBDS, so when I got that scenario I had already practiced typing exactly the intervention and rationales. This might have been a little overboard, but I'm a little OCD :-/...My Nurse Manager just stressed the importance of passing this test. We don't lose our jobs, but we do have to remediate and re-test as new grads (sometime during orientation on the floor). There are 3 parts to the test, but I"m sure you can find all about that when you search it. Just focus on studying for the clinical judgment portion......BTW, I'm a new grad, so I didn't have any experience to base my answers on, just book knowledge. Maybe that's why I thought the study guide was so important. Also, there is a flip book that was REALLY helpful...."Nurse Notes" for medical-surgical nursing. It is spiral bound and had almost all of the management of the problems you need to know.

CrazyCatLadyRN, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2011

I passed! I would definitely say the study guide and studying I did really helped! Made it a lot easier to just know what to type when I saw the different vignettes. Took part of the "freak out...OMG what do I put" out in the seconds following the videos.

jrich1002 · Sep 1, 2011

Hi Catlady,

I have to take this test in about 2 weeks. I am so nervous and there is just so much to study in Med/Surg. I did buy nurses notes book and I am studying from that. Are there any emergencies that I should be sure to look out for (renal, respiratory distress, etc.). I am a new grad and I don't know if Broward Health allows remediation if I don't pass it and the nursing supervisor already told me it's important to pass it. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Strive4peace · Sep 16, 2011

I am a travel nurse, with my file out to a hospital that I really want to work at who requires the PBDS test with a MUST pass for travelers! All of the threads are very helpful thus far, but I was wondering if anyone out there who has taken it applying for M/S tele job had to deal with strip interpretation during this test??? Thank you all for your wonderful feedback both pro/con... I have only been a nurse for 2 years, and one of those years is as a traveler, which anyone who knows the nature of the beast... also knows we are floated everywhere and never get our feet too wet in any one place! Plus I have test anxiety!! Help appreciated... Peace to you and much love! :) >strive4peace>

CrazyCatLadyRN, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2011

At my hospital if you are on a tele floor you have to take the basic arrythmias test if have either taken a BA course or you have already worked on a tele floor. There wasn't any interpretation on the actual PBDS for me...I'm on surgical-tele. I just made a study guide on basic m/s emergencies and wrote out what I would do. I think I had a total of 21 scenarios written out and got 12 of them on the PBDS. I passed!

Strive4peace · Sep 19, 2011

Thank you for your reply. Do you happen to still have that study guide? I only have 2 days to prepare for this test and we just had a new grandchild born... NO TIME! Thank you very much in advance..

SENSUALBLISSINFL, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2015

Can you share the scenarios you studied to prepare?