I am writing my exam in 4 weeks. I have gone thro most of the Saunders comprehensive book (minus med chapters).
My pharm knowledge is very low. I feel that if I focus on that it will take up a large chunk of the 4 weeks. Plus I have heard from multiple ppl that they only got around 5-8 pharm qs. The highest number I have heard was from a friend who had 240 qs and got 13. Thats still a pretty low number.
Anyone who wrote the exam have some insight into this? I feel like it is a gamble to do this but I am in crunch time and would like to focus on larger topics.
just know basic/high level stuff, emphasizing life/death here... i didn't have a pharmacology class or even practiced questions, period. i had a couple of drugs on my exam and i had no idea what they were. i still passed in 75 on try #1. get a solid content review and focus on those meds. these questions show up over and over again. some hospitals have drug guides on the unit and even go as far incorporating this into the charting/computer system. you're not going to remember all of it.
just know basic/high level stuff, emphasizing life/death here... i didn't have a pharmacology class or even practiced questions, period. i had a couple of drugs on my exam and i had no idea what they were. i still passed in 75 on try #1. get a solid content review and focus on those meds. these questions show up over and over again. some hospitals have drug guides on the unit and even go as far incorporating this into the charting/computer system. you're not going to remember all of it.
Because I am a beginner could you give me some suggestions of where to start?? What is "high level stuff."
Anyone else want to give me a place to start. Now that I am understand more of how the test works, I think I will go to the bookstore and rent out a pharmacology book. I am nervous and feeling stressed about this
Review the chapters you skipped in your Saunders book.
I don't like the way it is layed out. Goes through each med separately. I like the suggestions in this thread to know the class of drugs, the endings and common side effects.
I don't like the way it is layed out. Goes through each med separately. I like the suggestions in this thread to know the class of drugs, the endings and common side effects.
The only thing I will suggest to you is to either search here on AN for "pharmacology cards"; a poster developed pharmacology cards that have been helpful to many posters or PharmPhlash cards by Davis.
Well I took my NCLEX first time on Sunday 6/7/15 had 75 questions and it cut off.. Found out today I am an official RN on the BON website.. I did have pharm questions but the purpose of the board is to make sure you are a safe nurse so you won't get info you have to regurgitate like in nursing school. I studied all the major drugs lol, prils, antipsychotics, arbs, aces and the major effects. But do study them even if you get only ten and you get them right it could be the difference in keeping you above the line....
Out of 75 questions I had in NCLEX, I only received 2 questions from pharma. Piece of advice, DO NOT EVER SKIP PHARMACOLOGY CONCEPTS especially if it's the area or subject you hate the most or seemed to be weak in. Do not fall for the thought that just because people who took the NCLEX had a few questions about pharma that you are going to skip it. Questions that may appear in NCLEX are ramdom and differ from one person to person.
See if you can score an ATI pharmacology book online. Should be relatively cheap, used on Amazon. Sort of redundant but the meds are arranged by class as well as by physiological alteration/disease process. That's what I used but it was included through my program.
Please study pharm, its your overall knowledge of pharmacology not just meds. I personally only had 5 meds, but their were about 10 other pharmacology questions that i had to answer for instance, what is the first action you should take for a patient showing signs of a hemolytic reaction. Or that can put that question in an sata. What are the steps you would take? Either way, its all pharmacology and you must show minimum knowlege of the topic chosen. Good luck!
Ok thats what I will try and do. But see out of 75 you only got 5 that is nothing. Even if I got all 5 wrong I could still pass the NCLEX. But I will try and study pharm for a week and if that is not enough than so be it.
You are so mistaken. The test isn't scored like a normal test. You don't get a certain amount of points off your score for a wrong answer.
The test is broken up into catagories, you have to pass all the sections. Each of those sections have a predetermined percentage of the test. Those 5 pharm questions you hypothecially get wrong can cause you to fail the entire test. Do you really want to play Russian Roulette with your NCLEX?
Like the others have said, if you KNOW pharm is your weak point, its best TO study it. Since the NCLEX test requires you pass the pharm portion of the test..you would do yourself a huge favor by studying it. I'd suggest backing off a little in study time in an area you are very comfortable with and take that extra study time and add it to your pharm studing.
toERortonot
41 Posts
just know basic/high level stuff, emphasizing life/death here... i didn't have a pharmacology class or even practiced questions, period. i had a couple of drugs on my exam and i had no idea what they were. i still passed in 75 on try #1. get a solid content review and focus on those meds. these questions show up over and over again. some hospitals have drug guides on the unit and even go as far incorporating this into the charting/computer system. you're not going to remember all of it.