Assume you have doctors order???

Gold2010 · Mar 27, 2010

Hi everyone,
Im new to allnurses and just love this site! I have 6months left of nursing school and am already trying to prepare for nclex! Its all I think about....I have a hard time on tests and wonder if on the Nclex, when given a list of options to choose from, is it implied that we have a doctors order or does will the question state it? For example if someone is in Respiratory Distress and the answers include give Oxygen....do we assume we have the order to do it?
Thanks in advance for the help!!:)

Hello

In nclex we never assume.

nicenrse · Mar 27, 2010

Thanks Gold2010, That exactly what I say! I got a question wrong on a test because the insructor said the "best" choice was administer oxygen....but the question didn't say "you have a doctors order for...." so then I start thinking, Will NCLEX state in their questions that I have orders for xyz....?

april31099 · Mar 27, 2010

I remember seeing that question in the Saunders book. The rationale stated that administering oxygen would be wrong because you have to have a doctor's order. The above poster is correct...never make assumptions with NCLEX questions! :)

lobelin2004 · Mar 27, 2010

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In NCLEX questions you have to consider a perfect hospital.....but you will do first independent fuctions as a nurse then notify the doctor.

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Mar 27, 2010

I was told by HURST Review, if I remember correctly, that if the answer is a option on the test then you have a doctor's order.

caliotter3 · Mar 27, 2010

Read that you have to read the question exactly as written, don't read into it. Based on that info, you have to look for whether or not there is a doctor's order. Yet, as posted before, two resources give conflicting info. I would think that if you are given four choices, but there is no phrase about a doctor's order, then you would have to assume one is given, unless of course one of the options specifically mentions the doctor's order and the other options do not. Since you are still in school, this would be a good question to bring up to your instructor.

Gold2010 · Mar 27, 2010

Thanks Gold2010, That exactly what I say! I got a question wrong on a test because the insructor said the "best" choice was administer oxygen....but the question didn't say "you have a doctors order for...." so then I start thinking, Will NCLEX state in their questions that I have orders for xyz....?

no it won't but sometime in some questions they write administer prn order sometime give oxygen ....So as I have learned will have read it carefully and use if its needed in the question they will not say docoter order.

nicenrse · Mar 27, 2010

Thanks for all the input! It's been helpful! Im def going to ask my instructor about it too!

caliotter3 · Mar 27, 2010

A safe way to look at it is if a doctor's order is mentioned anywhere in the question or proposed answers, then it is a factor. If it is not mentioned at all, then it is not a factor and can safely be assumed.

chevyv, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2010

Be sure to look at the question. Is it an emergency type of situation? Many places have standing orders. We learn MONA for heart attack. I just took nclex and the questions are not meant to confuse you. Other posters are right when they say don't read into the question. Maybe start doing some questions from nclex 3500. I found a thread here for the site, it's free, and it worked for me! This will help you get into the way the questions are. They are not exactly but the give you the means to get used to the style. Good luck!!

nicenrse · Mar 28, 2010

Thanks Chevyv, I actually have the 3500 disc, it came with one of my med surge textbooks!!! will def start doing them!