NCLEX Failure?

Do those books have test taking stratagies in them? I just got a

Kaplan NCLEX-RN with Cdrom

AllDirect.com $25.85 6th ed ISBN: 074323295X

Pub. Date: February 2002 Edition Desc: BK&CD-ROM

Kaplan NCLEX-RN with Cdrom

AllDirect.com $25.85 5th ED

ISBN: 0743205316

AllDirect.com is the cheapest place online, that price include s&h, you can get it for less on e-bay, just wath the edition. I got the 5th Ed, but wouldn't go any older than that.

That Kaplan book REALLY, REALLY explains how to read the questions. I will repost my quiz questions from the book, out of about 40 folks that played along only 1 person got all 5 correct. I have been using the Kaplan stratagies in class since getting the book, it has even helped on those tests. How old are your other books?

Do NOT read into the question, you have all the info & resources you need, this is the NCLEX hospital. These are from the beginning of one of my NCLEX study guides, so they are made to make you think about how to READ the questions.

1. The nurse is caring for a 56 y/o man receiving Haldol 2 mg PO BID. The nurse assists the patient to choose which of the following menus?

A. 3 oz roast beef, baked potato, salad with dressing, dill pickle, baked apple pie, & milk.

B. 3 oz baked chicken, green beans, steamed rice, 1 slice bread, banana & milk.

C. Cheeseburger on a bun, French fries with catsup, chocolate chip cookie, apple & milk.

D. 3 oz baked fish, 1 slice bread, broccoli, ice cream, and pineapple drink taken 1/2 - 1 hour after the meal.

2. The nurse describes the procedure for collecting a clean catch urine for culture and sensitivity to a male pt. Which of the following explanations, if made by the nurse, would be most accurate?

A. The urinary meatus is cleansed and then a urinary drainage catheter is inserted to obtain urine.

B. You will be asked to empty your bladder 1/2 hour before the test; you will then be asked to void in a container.

C. Before voiding, the urinary meatus is cleansed and urine is voided into a sterile container; the container must not touch the member.

D. You must void a few drops of urine, then stop; then void the remaining urine into a clean container, which should be covered immediately.

3. The physician orders an ABG for a 50 y/o man receiving oxygen at 6 L/min. Results show pH 7.37, HCO3 - 26mmHg, pCO2 - 42 mmHg, pO2 - 90 mmHg. The nurse should

A. Increase the rate of oxygen flow the patient is receiving.

B. Elevate the head of the bed.

C. Document the results in the chart.

D. Instruct the patient to cough and deep breath.

4. The nurse is caring for a 41 y/o woman immediately after a paracentesis. It is most important for the nurse to ask which of the following questions?

A. Do your clothes still feel tight?

B. Do you need to void?

C. Are you feeling dizzy?

D. Do you have any pain?

5. An 84 y/o man is admitted with a diagnosis of dementia. He attempts several times to pull out his NG tube. An order for cloth wrist restraints is received by the nurse. Which of the following actions by the nurse is the most appropriate?

A. Attach the ties of the restraint to the bedframe.

B. Perform ROM to the restrained extremities once a shift.

C. Remove the restraints when the patient is up in a wheelchair.

D. Explain the need for restraints only to the family since the patient is confused.

Juile the book Sandra mentioned is a truly wonderful book. I recommend it to those who are about to start nursing school or still in nursing school and have a few semesters to go, or even those who are getting ready to graduate and take boards. It is a very wonderful book. IT teaches you how to look at a standard test question. I wished I knew about the book a long time ago. It has really, really truly helped me out this semester. My grades have significantly improved because I am able to look at the question from a different perspective than before.

(Sandra) I would have played but I did not think it was fair since I already had the book, I knew exactly where you got the answers from and I have already been through them and knew them. So I said that won't be fair.

Julie:

do you have trouble on all tests or just the nclex review? Although when I first started school I *hated* nursing tests, now I can see the value because the nclex questions seem almost easier than the ones on our exams.

A book you may look into is one called "Test Success", its just for nursing students and shows how to identify the stem of the question, what the question is truly asking, the options you can eliminate from jump street, how to figure out the other distractor, etc.

I'd also take advantage of a review course after graduation, if your school offers one. I'm definitely going to take one after next year, just to be as comfortable as possible when I go to take the test.

The book is written by Patricia Nugent and Barbara Vitale and the ISBN is 0-8036-0524-2, if you are interested. I bought it at the college bookstore; can't remember how much it was, but I don't think it was terribly expensive.

Another tip: breathe. (In through your nose, out through your mouth, there you go, you can do this..... :roll )

You know I had a classmate who failed out the first semester because she equated answering questions on a computer disc with studying.

The questions are designed to test your readiness for the NCLEX. i. e. do you know and understand well enough that you can apply the knowledge.

The questions that you get wrong are directing you to go back to you basic text and study that areas you missed. If you are having trouble identifying the areas you need to study from the test qustion get with another student or teacher who can help you identify your weak areas.

maby you need to learn some test taking stradigies. but just taking tests without following up with real study does not do much. I took the test then studied then retested to see where I improved and where I still needed to work. then studied some more then took a test and so on. Eventually I was getting >90% but I did not start out getting that. Just keep working away it will come.