Anoyone feel like they are studying the wrong stuff?

Published

Specializes in Currently: Certified School Nurse.

My classmate took Nclex yesterday and totally felt like he studied the wrong stuff. FOr example, he spent soooo much time studying OB and Psych and did not get ONE SINGLE question on either topic.

He told me I should take one week, study, and then just take it. He said no amt of preparation can prepare you for the questions he got. He said, when you think about it - - they are testing your *minimum competency* and you can pass with only 75 questions! That means the vast majority of what you study will never even be there. Also, he's not saying he thinks he failed, he just said he thinks he studied ooodles of stuff that has like a 1% chance of actually showing up on test. He felt the questions were more "general" with a tendency towards prioritizing them and not so much specific disease process type questions.

Thoughts? :confused:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Currently: Certified School Nurse.

P.S. I should add that *my* mode of study has been doing question after question and making note cards on the ones I get wrong. Good? no Good?

TIA!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

You know your stuff from nursing school, this is the time to be practising questions and understanding what they are looking for. The test is so big that there will be subjects you don't get

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg/ICU.

I felt that way after the first time I took the Nclex. I focused on what to teach the pts regarding their diseases and knowing the diseases themselves and yet on the test it was all Infection Control, priority questions, or meds that I'd never heard of. When I studied for the second time, I still refreshed myself on diseases, but tried to focus more on the IC, priority, and meds. Although you can never predict what drugs they ask about because most of mine, I'd never heard of.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I strongly agree with your friend. I don't think it does much good to try to memorize every fact that might relate to some aspect of nursing. The NCLEX is trying to test your ability to think along with your general nursing knowledge of basic principles. Memorizing a bunch of facts won't help that. But you should have developed those abilities in school.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology, Emergency Department.

I must say that I agree with that statement in regards to the nclex test I took yesterday, (my second attempt). There was absolutely nothing about what I considered to be important. No major disease processes, no positioning, no OB, 1 Peds that consisted of a really stupid question about poop for a 6 day old infant being bottle fed...had to be one of those 15 that didn't count. I studied for absolutely everything I could just in case but it seemed as if the test was on the most small pickiest points that could have been easily overlooked. I just hope that I passed this time around.

I still would recommend just covering content on which you believe you are weak in. Don't waste time on stuff you know well. I do however believe that you have to do alot of questions and read rationales, the more the better.

Please pray for me as I will for you and anyone else that is waiting for results.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Currently: Certified School Nurse.

SPRKLE - - Good luck to you!!! I hope you passed!!!!! Pray for me!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in orthopedics, med/surgery.

sprklplnty

Yes Let us all know how you do. I really enjoying hearing a person's journey of studying and worrying and so on to know how they did and if their emotions were right on or not.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology, Emergency Department.

Thank you for all your kind words. I will pray for you as well!!! We deserve to pass, we are just as smart as anyone else is what I keep saying to myself everytime I look on Pearson Vue to see if my results are available yet. I sound like a complete looney tune sitting here at my desk talking outloud to no one!! I am so nervous, but I am hoping by keeping a somewhat positive attitude that maybe, just maybe, I will pass and be rewarded for all my hard work. I have waited 53 years to finally decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. Time's a wasting :). I hope everyone who has tested recently passes and we can all move on with our lives.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in orthopedics, med/surgery.

sprklplnty

We have something in common. I, too, am 53. But unlike you, I entered nursing right out of high school. graduating in "77. I practiced for about 13 yrs then left to goget an engineering degree, worked as an auto engineer. Now that workforce has shrunk due to foreign competition. So have decided to go back to nursing. But I let my license lapse, sooooo have to take NCLEX. I have scheduled Sept 25 and have been studing Saunders, Suzanne's plan and doing questions. I am really rust on some content but the fundamentals never change. Plus I have a mother with health problems, diabetes, atrial fib. Anyway say a prayer for me that day.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology, Emergency Department.

I will definately pray for you. Good luck and Im' around if you need to talk.

:redbeathe

Up Vote Up Vote ×

um, yeah? lol ;)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion