Content review vs Questions and Tips Please

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · May 21, 2015

HOW are you studying?

The issue may not necessarily the source of the review, but how one approaches the NCLEX itself: understanding the four concepts of becoming a competent, entry-level nurse:

1. Safe, effective care;

2.Health promotion;

3.Physiological Integrity;

4.Psychosocial integrity

Will determine WHAT the question is asking you; the question may be Respiratory related-but is it a Health Promotion or a Safety, or a Physiological or a Psychosocial one? Would you know the difference and choose the BEST answer?

Once one understands the concepts of NCLEX, they can do so successfully.

Don't look at content; you know most of the material because you passed nursing school; begin to do questions related to each concept; review all questions and rationales; ANY rationale you struggle with, THEN review content. Lather, rinse, repeat.

When practicing the questions, prepare the questions like a mock NCLEX exam, review the minimum and then work up to the maximum for endurance purposes.

After looking at your report, focus on the weakness and review questions and rationales; make mock NCLEX tests and start with the minimum and gradually until the maximum; you have to have an endurance in answering application questions.

After each "exam", make sure you are reviewing the rationales; any rationales you are not clear on THEN look up for content.

rb18 · May 22, 2015

I used Hurst for content. For questions, I used NCSBN, Kaplan, Lipincott NCLEX 10000 2 week free trial, Saunders CD-ROM for SATA. I would do a topic on Hurst then after reviewing, I'd go over questions on that topic. Best of luck and don't give up! Study ONLY Hurst for a good 2 weeks then combine Hurst with questions and build up your content knowledge with Hurst since Hurst does not cover everything. So what I would do is say, I did Cardiac on my Hurst book. Then do Cardiac questions. If I get questions that was not mentioned in Hurst, I would add the additional info into the Cardiac page on the margins. Hope that helps! Best of luck!

ORGANICS · May 22, 2015

For me, content and questions helped me. I needed content to answer the questions critically.

I was motivated by my family & friends. They were so supportive. And I love nursing, I just love the medical field.

Just make sure you take at least a 15 min break every hour so you dont get so burned out

Natasha A., CNA, LVN · Aug 14, 2015

Ladyfree28 do you have samples of mock exams?

MissyNik · Aug 14, 2015

If you feel pretty comfortable with your content base I would say to do as many questions as you can do and thats what helped me. I tried to keep studying content upon content upon content, but I had to realize that answering questions was what would help prepare me to build stamina first of all to even sit and take the exam, and second to get in the habit of using the test taking strategies to critically think and answer questions. Answering questions is soooooo very important because it helps you to get in synch with the style of questions that may be asked. I was doing probably over 3000 questions a week until I got tired of seeing it. You can sit and read books all day, but if you don't get into the habit of answering lots of questions you will not want to sit and focus to do it in a real setting.

JPGasmin · Aug 14, 2015

If you feel pretty comfortable with your content base I would say to do as many questions as you can do and thats what helped me. I tried to keep studying content upon content upon content, but I had to realize that answering questions was what would help prepare me to build stamina first of all to even sit and take the exam, and second to get in the habit of using the test taking strategies to critically think and answer questions. Answering questions is soooooo very important because it helps you to get in synch with the style of questions that may be asked. I was doing probably over 3000 questions a week until I got tired of seeing it. You can sit and read books all day, but if you don't get into the habit of answering lots of questions you will not want to sit and focus to do it in a real setting.

Seriously? You're averaging more than 400 a day. I'm barely able to do 100 questions a day. But you're right though, answering questions helps a lot. Studying core content only get's you so far. But doing questions helps you focus on what is important and understand what the NCLEX is asking for. I may not know everything and everything, but after doing a lot of questions, i'm ready for whatever the NCLEX might throw at me.

Natasha A., CNA, LVN · Aug 14, 2015

That's good to hear jpgasmin did you write rationales?