What is happening?

FDW630 · Oct 6, 2012

Also, in most nursing text books...the information in the boxes is important! Learned that the hard way!

Oh yes!!! LOTS of test Qs come from boxes! Taking tests in nursing school is a totally different way of testing than in prereqs. They make you think and work things out. It requires understanding the material, not just cramming info. I outline my textbook chapters in a notebook. I find that writing it by hand, paired with reading it, really helps me notice little details and understand the concepts more than just reading it or trying to use multiple resources. Focus on only what you will be tested on...it certainly is enough work in itself! :/

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Oct 6, 2012

We get questions that are related to the topic, but never covered. So unless you are really lucky, or happen to know from random life, you are out of luck. For example we are studying general respiratory principles (semester 1)
We get this test question: A COPD patient is sat-ing at 87% what do you do? A. apply O2 and get an order from the doc for it, B. Call the doc for direction, C. Check the chart, D. Draw an ABG
Well, we had been told that if someone needs O2 we give it and not wait for the dr's order. It is more important to get them oxygenated (ABC's) before calling the doc. So, we all learned after the test that giving a CO2 retainer oxygen can kill them. Great, now I won't forget that. But was it a fair test question when we never covered COPD treatment or CO2 retainers? BTW, the correct answer was to check the chart to see if 87% was normal for them.

But was the question fair under general respiratory principles? Is this normal for them, check the chart? (not everybody has a "normal" value yet they are just fine) How does you patient look, sound, feel, complain of....... What other things should you do to help the patient? (Hob elevated) Should you give oxygen with out an order or checking the chart..... If they aren't blue and apnec?

I do see your point and getting used to this line of questioning is teaching you to be a nurse, and it is challenging.

You have to look at all aspects of the patient. There is a ton of lateral thinking when dealing with a patient.......O2 sat 87%...... while concerning is not that bad.....is the patient complaining of SOB? Are they using accessory muscles? (working hard?). Is the O2 Sat accurate? Are they in more distress than usual? What is the patient saying? What is their complaint?

Nurses Train of thought.......COPD....that stands for CHRONIC Obstructive LUNG Disease.......I don't know that means but if it is chronic......that means they have had this a long time if it is chronic. Have they done this before? What is their normal? where is this information stored...... Check you patient check your chart. Then if it is new AND if the patient is c/o SOB .....place some low 02 and call the MD.

It will make sense. Eventually but it is a new way to study and learn. That is what makes it so hard.

Stephalump · Oct 6, 2012

I'm sorry you are struggling:-(
One thing I have noticed from my tests is the way the answers are worded. There are two that are definitely wrong and you can easily recognize those. So your odds of choosing the right answer get better. Read on test-taking strategies. I did it an it helped me a lot. Also, read every single word in the chapters, and as you are reading, highlight what you think would make a good test question. Also, keep in mind they are testing your knowledge on the nursing process all the time, so become an expert in ADPIE.
I really hope your grades get better! Keep working hard! :-)

I agree that learning how to test is over half the battle. Have you read Test Success OP? I've found that I can normally do exactly what Dayanara said....eliminate 2 of the answers based on logic and then knowledge comes in on the last two. Ups your odds of getting them all right.

Our set up is similar to yours and it can be overwhelming. We have three different teachers for lecture and they don't cover everything. For instance, I'm studying the eye and vision problems for a test right now. Lecture covered glaucoma and cataracts. I open my book and see the reading covers 11 other problems and I have no clue which ones I have to know and what I need to know about them. So I'm just doing it all AND the powerpoints.

OB-nurse2013, BSN, RN · Oct 6, 2012

I want to be as helpful as I can possibly be. So I'm curious if you could maybe tell me what subjects or chapter titles that say your next test covers? I can offer better guidance if maybe I knew more details. Thanks!

Also what book are you guys using?

justinpark09, MSN, RN · Oct 6, 2012

I want to be as helpful as I can possibly be. So I'm curious if you could maybe tell me what subjects or chapter titles that say your next test covers? I can offer better guidance if maybe I knew more details. Thanks!
Also what book are you guys using?

Hi there,

I'm really struggling to pass my first 8th week.

My finals cover 4 chapters:

Oxygenation

Fluid, acid base, Electrolyte balance

Infection control

And sensory alternation

Would you please give me suggestion. I'm really stressful now. Thx

Sun0408, ASN, RN · Oct 6, 2012

Nursing tests are not 2+2=4.. It is concepts. So if you are going over resp like a previous poster, you will never learn everything you need to before a test and you will not be able to master every resp issue before each test but you can learn the concepts . Resp = oxygen issues, esme was right, what is the question asking, what is the norm for a pt with lung issues, what would be the best thing you can do to help.. It is the same for every other system. Nothing is random but anything in the book or chapter is fair come for a test question, no matter if it was covered or not.

The little boxes are great and do read those. Know the nursing interventions for each chapter you go over. They are testing your knowledge about nursing, very few questions will be patho/ A&P facts, but they want you to know that and apply it in scenario type question without giving too much information.

brillohead, ADN, RN · Oct 7, 2012

You need to learn how to "read" the question to figure out what they are asking and how to determine which of the answers (which might all, technically, be correct answers) is the "most correct" answer.

Get this book:

Fundamentals Success: A Q&A Review Applying Critical Thinking to Test Taking

gatoraims RN · Oct 7, 2012

They give you test questions on a million things because this is how the NCLEX is. You never know what they are going to ask. On my PN NCLEX they asked things I had never heard about. But most of the time you can remove one or two answers. This improves your odds if you really have no idea at least you get a 33% or 50% chance of getting it correct.

*Also always answer with what you know.

*Use ADPIE. If the questions says you have gathered vital signs and done your assessement. Then 9 times out of 10 you are not going to answer it with gather more information.

*If you are totally unsure, go with what will kill the pt fastest. Like the burn pt, if you narrowed the question done to check airway or start IV fluids. I would go with airway because if the pt is not able to get oxygen to his important organs fluid therapy is of little improtance.

*Get to know Maslow's he will be of a great help.

* If you narrow your answers down to two that might work and one of them has always, never, forever, never ever ect... It is usually not the correct answer.

I think you are reading too much. Stick with one or two books and see how those work for you. Look up the 5 day study plan. You pretty much break your test studying down into 5days and you study for example chapters 1 and 2 on Monday, then on Tuesday you review chapters 1 and 2 for an hour and then study chapters 3 and 4 for 1.5 hours, then on Wednesday you review chap. 1 and 2 for 15mins, chap 3 and 4 for 30, and then chap 5 and 6 for 1.5 hours, and every day you pretty much spend the biggest chunk of your time on material you have not reviewed and then review previous material. The idea is that repeated reviewing it makes you remember it and know it.

Good luck! I think the first semester was the hardest because you are getting used to the new way of testing.

Mrs.Priss · Oct 7, 2012

Our next yet covers

Nursing process 5 chapters total

Nutrition

oxygenation

Wound Care and inflammation

Gastrointestinal

The test is scheduled for the 31st of October

PirateArrrNnnn · Oct 7, 2012

I agree about looking at Test Success. A week ago Last Thursday, I read a few chapter from my Test Success book about understanding multiple choice and alt answer questions. Days before I did read my texts and do Evovle lessons, skimmed flash cards. Then I got sick on Saturday. I didn't study at all from Saturday to Monday. The test was Monday. I did mich better on this test than my first. First I got a C last one was an A. I think the concepts in Test Success helped me to understand the questions.

OB-nurse2013, BSN, RN · Oct 7, 2012

Our next yet covers
Nursing process 5 chapters total
Nutrition
oxygenation
Wound Care and inflammation
Gastrointestinal
The test is scheduled for the 31st of October

Okay that sounds about right..What text do you guys use. teh reason I ask is we used Taylor's for my school and I found using just the text and the study guide that went with it very helpful. You also can take a look at your chapters and you can kind of see or maybe you can from class where to concentrate. If I was you I would probably concentrate on wound care and oxygenation, nutrition you probably already know a bit so I would only quickly review, nursing process is hard for me to say because we had already learned about it previously so if you have I wouldnt spend a ton of time on that either, and review GI but GI is usually not that bad. I don't know we had a upper level pathophysiology course as a pre-req as well as a 2 nutrition classes so we had a good base amount of knowledge which made it not as overwhelming.

Mrs.Priss · Oct 7, 2012

We use kozier and erb.