I don't get it

Nursing Students General Students

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I'm starting nursing school in the Fall, and have been looking at my copy of Saunders Comprehensive Review. So many people say the NCLEX style critical thinking questions are very difficult, but from what I have found they are not hard at all if you just know the info well. Another thing I don't get is how classmates of mine did mediocre in the prereqs and were accepted into the NS. If NS is so much harder than the prereqs, how will these students possibly pass the classes

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NCLEX questions are challenging because there can be more than one right answer there and you have to pick the most appropriate nursing intervention and sometimes it can be deceiving. I wouldn't worry about how other people are going to do or how they got into NS, just concentrate on yourself. BTW, I though Saunders was a good book to review content but was too easy to review the harder question types. My favorite was the Q bank through Kaplan. Good luck to you.

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Josh... you're absolutely right. NCLEX is not that hard of an exam. For the most part, NCLEX tests your "nursing critical thinking skills". That's not something you can really study for persay... you either think critically or you do not.

I'm going to be quite honest and upfront here (this is MY opinion, people, so please don't attack me). I think that most people say it's hard to sort of lift themselves up and trick themselves into believing they're smarter than they really are (and also "impressing" other people). It's a pretty basic exam. Don't let all the hype you've been fed about nursing school being brutal get to you either. (I love the "if you can do nursing school, you can do anything!" line. puuuuhleeeeeze). It's like any other class. Show up, study in a way that works for YOU, and you'll pass with flying colors.

As far as I'm concerned, all of the answers that I saw on the NCLEX had only one right answer (There were a few that I didn't really know, but that's with any test).

I'm really not trying to discredit nurses. I'm a nurse. I just think our group goes to great lengths to prove we're just as smart as any other profession out there. MANY of my former fellow nursing school associates could never pass an advance math course or write an analytical essay at the college level.

I've seen many below average IQ students become RNs. You never get a below average IQ that becomes an MD or an attorney. I think we must come to terms (as much as that might hurt our feelings), that RNs are pretty much blue collar.

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I'll second the first response, that the Saunders review questions are too easy and Kaplan is better.

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I have the Kaplan as well. The questions do not seem to be significantly more difficult.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.
josh... you're absolutely right. nclex is not that hard of an exam. for the most part, nclex tests your "nursing critical thinking skills". that's not something you can really study for persay... you either think critically or you do not.

i'm going to be quite honest and upfront here (this is my opinion, people, so please don't attack me). i think that most people say it's hard to sort of lift themselves up and trick themselves into believing they're smarter than they really are (and also "impressing" other people). it's a pretty basic exam. don't let all the hype you've been fed about nursing school being brutal get to you either. (i love the "if you can do nursing school, you can do anything!" line. puuuuhleeeeeze). it's like any other class. show up, study in a way that works for you, and you'll pass with flying colors.

as far as i'm concerned, all of the answers that i saw on the nclex had only one right answer (there were a few that i didn't really know, but that's with any test).

i'm really not trying to discredit nurses. i'm a nurse. i just think our group goes to great lengths to prove we're just as smart as any other profession out there. many of my former fellow nursing school associates could never pass an advance math course or write an analytical essay at the college level.

i've seen many below average iq students become rns. you never get a below average iq that becomes an md or an attorney. i think we must come to terms (as much as that might hurt our feelings), that rns are pretty much blue collar.

great post, except the last line.

i got through nursing school, teach nursing school, and i know i can not do anything!!! :)

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

I wouldn't be so quick to judge. You haven't started nursing school yet and you haven't had your first nursing school exams. You don't know that your instructors are going to give questions exactly like those in the Saunders book. Making 100% on a nursing exam is very hard. Even I get questions wrong that are asked on the forums and I know everything there is to know about critical thinking.

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