by munkee4me

Ooook, so here's my deal:

Took the NCLEX-RN a couple of weeks ago and failed. Half the questions were about things I had never even heard of, not even during school. I know that anything is game for the test and there's sooooooo much to study for. I hit the big things that we had in school and during the blasted HESI:
-anatomy
-lab values
-more common medications
-CAD, heart disease, arrhymthmias, most common procedures
-diabetes, hormonal disturbances...

Yada yada, I think you get the idea. I also used the Kaplan NCLEX-RN strategies guide book and the CD in the back of the book. Can't afford to take class. So my question is... how do I or anyone answer a question when you have no idea (because you've never heard of it, so how study for it?) what the medication/disease process/condition/whatever is? Even using the Kaplan strategies?

Any ideas/thoughts/advice would be helpful

Re: Failed NCLEX - study/answer tips?

There is no magic to that unless you know what the question is asking. At time educated guess might work but not in all cases. Try understand what the question is asking and known what is the best response to such question. Take an example

You're caring for a pt with newly diagnosed COPD. what activities is the best for these pt
1- isometric leg exercise
2- lumbar sacral exercise
3- purse lip breathing
4- intercostal muscle expansion

Look @ the 4 option and see which intervention will benefit the pt. Also the stem question is asking about a pt with COPD. what do you understand about COPD will lead you to pick option 3, WHILE other option is of no benefit to the pt. The question is asking what activities can be done by the pt to improve breathing.

what action will you take first when a see a pt with right pneumothorax
1- assist the pt to cough and deep breath
2- administer sedative
3- prepare to insert chest drainage system
4- prepare the pt for CT

What do you know about pneumothorax first, will give you clue on how to answer these question. what is the best priority in these situation? A pt with pneumothorax has air trapped in the pleura space. What can you do to remove the air? preparing for CT can no remove the air, or administering sedative is of no use and importance but can be given before inserting the chest tube and also encouraging the pt to deep breath and cough can be done after chest tube to expand the lungs. The correct answer is insert chest tube to remove trapped air in the pleural space. This type of question is asking for Nursing process which is implementation.

what teaching will you give a pt with asthma to reduce exposure to allergy
1- maintain indoor humidity @ 80%
2- working outdoor early in the money only
3- cover pillow cases with plastic
4- washing sheet & pillow case in cold water

what do you understand about pt with asthma? These pt always have allergy to dust, dander, pollen because all these triggers asthma attack. Indoor humidity is too high, normal humidity shld be btw 40 -50%, washing sheet and pillow shld be with hot wter not cold water and working outdoor early in the morning shld be avoided because allergy are @ there highest in the morning. The correct answer is to cover the sheet and pillow case with plastic to reduce allergy exposure.

Hope that answer your question.

Re: Failed NCLEX - study/answer tips?

Hi, I like the kind of questions and rationales that you gave as advice. Is there anyway that you can send me some of those answers and rationales? Question, I'm studying Kaplan 2010, is it true that if you want to do the 1000 Q-Bank you have to purchase it? Please answer back, thanks, Evelyn Pearson

Re: Failed NCLEX - study/answer tips?

HairdoI:

Unless you have a friend that has the "old" Kaplan CD (which used to be distributed to paying students) or someone who still has time remaining on their current Kaplan account, you will need to purchase the Qbank from Kaplan if you want to keep track of your percentage wrong/right and info about what your weak areas are. It is not cheap--but it is cheaper than the $499 full price (online videos, Qbank, etc.). I think the Qbank alone is $299.00.

There is a nursing website (organization) that contains the information you are looking for. I would suggest that you do a search of "NCLEX Question Trainers" or "NCLEX Question Trainer Explanations" on the internet. When you locate the site, you will find that it contains ALL 7 Kaplan Question Trainers and it is FREE!!! Although the site will not tell you what your percentages are for each test you take (you can calculate that on your own anyway...), the site will provide you with ALL 7 Question Trainers (about 1,050 questions!!!) along with the rationales. The site also has lots of Kaplan study tips, "questions of the day" and other study material...

...not allowed to place the web address within the AllNurses.com site so Good Luck with the search!!...

Re: Failed NCLEX - study/answer tips?

Is not being able to post web addresses a new thing? Last i knew we could not post our email addresses or post websites that are soliciting or promoting something. Just curious because people post links to helpful websites all the time.

Originally Posted by smn2009

HairdoI:

Unless you have a friend that has the "old" Kaplan CD (which used to be distributed to paying students) or someone who still has time remaining on their current Kaplan account, you will need to purchase the Qbank from Kaplan if you want to keep track of your percentage wrong/right and info about what your weak areas are. It is not cheap--but it is cheaper than the $499 full price (online videos, Qbank, etc.). I think the Qbank alone is $299.00.

There is a nursing website (organization) that contains the information you are looking for. I would suggest that you do a search of "NCLEX Question Trainers" or "NCLEX Question Trainer Explanations" on the internet. When you locate the site, you will find that it contains ALL 7 Kaplan Question Trainers and it is FREE!!! Although the site will not tell you what your percentages are for each test you take (you can calculate that on your own anyway...), the site will provide you with ALL 7 Question Trainers (about 1,050 questions!!!) along with the rationales. The site also has lots of Kaplan study tips, "questions of the day" and other study material...

...not allowed to place the web address within the AllNurses.com site so Good Luck with the search!!...

Re: Failed NCLEX - study/answer tips?

TessaMae:

Posting "helpful" websites is one thing. Kaplan and any otherpay-to-use website/company that has you sign a confidentiality agreement, is completely different. Even though my post does not refer to the Kaplan website, it is providing information about how you can obtain the expensive Kaplan information for FREE.

There are a few AllNurses.com threads that discuss the same website that I mentioned. AllNurses.com does not allow you to incorporate the web address into your post. If you do, it (your post) will be removed. For this reason, I did not even bother to incorporate the web address into my response. I can't remember the exact words used to explain the deletion; but, it's a definite "no-no" on this site.

...But, it's no big deal...just search for the "organization" using the search tips I provided and you will find the website. It is a good site if you are studying for the NCLEX-RN because, as I previously stated, it contains all 7 Question Trainers along with a lot of study material that you may have forgotten from your early years/months of nursing school.

Is the placement of the website about Kaplan information a solicitation??...or a promotion??....as you describe?? You decide. A "helpful" website is really much different than a website that contains Kaplan information for free.

Think about it. If everyone used the free site with 1,050 NCLEX-RN style questions, who would need to/want to pay for the Kaplan Question Trainers??!!!

Re: Failed NCLEX - study/answer tips?

OOPs! I am so sorry, obviously slow today I thought you were saying we can't post web addresses in general. I totally get what you are saying, I am so sorry for the confusion. Been a long week!

Originally Posted by smn2009

TessaMae:

Posting "helpful" websites is one thing. Kaplan and any otherpay-to-use website/company that has you sign a confidentiality agreement, is completely different. Even though my post does not refer to the Kaplan website, it is providing information about how you can obtain the expensive Kaplan information for FREE.

There are a few AllNurses.com threads that discuss the same website that I mentioned. AllNurses.com does not allow you to incorporate the web address into your post. If you do, it (your post) will be removed. For this reason, I did not even bother to incorporate the web address into my response. I can't remember the exact words used to explain the deletion; but, it's a definite "no-no" on this site.

...But, it's no big deal...just search for the "organization" using the search tips I provided and you will find the website. It is a good site if you are studying for the NCLEX-RN because, as I previously stated, it contains all 7 Question Trainers along with a lot of study material that you may have forgotten from your early years/months of nursing school.

Is the placement of the website about Kaplan information a solicitation??...or a promotion??....as you describe?? You decide. A "helpful" website is really much different than a website that contains Kaplan information for free.

Think about it. If everyone used the free site with 1,050 NCLEX-RN style questions, who would need to/want to pay for the Kaplan Question Trainers??!!!

Re: Failed NCLEX - study/answer tips?

hi i failed my nclex a few weeks ago too. i am just gaining the confidence to start studying again. can someone please tell me how to get suzanne's plan. i know it's something to do with the saunders book. i have it. now what do i do???

Re: Failed NCLEX - study/answer tips?

Originally Posted by hair2do1

Hi, I like the kind of questions and rationales that you gave as advice. Is there anyway that you can send me some of those answers and rationales? Question, I'm studying Kaplan 2010, is it true that if you want to do the 1000 Q-Bank you have to purchase it? Please answer back, thanks, Evelyn Pearson

Hair2do1

Did you see the kaplan trainer website i sent to you?

Re: Failed NCLEX - study/answer tips?

Suzanne's Plan is no longer available.... There is a main thread about this. As an FYI, I was told that those who have used her plan are not allowed to discuss her process with others.