Critical Thinking for Tests

[luv_o_so_much]

Help with taking med surg tests.

First, I am positive someone (if not many) have asked, but I don't see the posts and need some SERIOUS help. I wasn't sure where to post it either so please bump this to the best place!

I need help with taking my Med Surg tests. Here is the process for our learning the first semester of Med Surg: Read the book, read the power points (usually 3-6 of them), go to class (lecture is 3 hours), class starts with a student group presentation slightly related to the reading, we are then handed a paper with a case study (scenario) and list of questions (4-6) to answer, we work on it a few minutes then class is done. No dialogue, no follow up, no question-answer session, no lecture. Then our tests are NCLEX questions. I am a 4.0 student - yes even in my nursing courses - and I am FAILING. I earned a 68% on our first test. I have asked the professor for help several times (4 to be exact over the last 8 weeks). I asked her how to improve my studying, how to improve my test taking, how to improve my understanding. I have summarized that I need more interaction and dialogue. It is why I chose my school over other private schools. I wanted the traditional in the classroom structure. Now.... I have been in school for over a decade. This is not my only degree. I have also worked in healthcare for almost two decades. I believe that the knowledge I have that even allowed me to get a 68% comes from a combination of work experience, previous school experience, and my patho professor. I feel I have done everything I can to ask my professor to help. The other students feel the same but are unwilling to say anything. Most are getting mid 80's% on their tests and said they don't want to "**** off the professors".

So I am asking for ANY help. I don't know if its just me and I don't have the skills to answer these questions, or what is going on. I know a lot of facts. I know application. I do feel I am not confident because I can't verify if my knowledge is on target, but do not know what steps to correct that since my professor says "I know more than I think I know"...... O.o what? PS... off the record. The one time someone besides me asked a question in class her response was "Just let it go... just let it be what it is". She was asked about placing hot verses cold on an infiltrated IV. She has told me that she appreciates me because I am the only one engaged in the class and I ask thoughtful and appropriate critical thinking questions.... but that doesn't help me pass the test.

Thank you so very much! I hope you all can give me some insight!

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Have you tried doing NCLEX review books? I took a different style of testing...I have been a nurse a LONG time. But I see here that many of them start doing NCLEX questions and studying the rationale right away to get how the questions are asked and answered.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

There are any number of threads here that discuss which NCLEX study guides are helpful-- search them and see what resonates with you. You want one that gives you not only the reasons for the right answers, but also the rationales for why the wrong ones aren't the best answers even though they may sound reasonable (and this is a particular pitfall for people with some clinical exposure outside of school, sorry to say).

You are clearly thoughtful and intelligent, so I'm thinking that you need and would learn better from rationales that demonstrate use of critical thinking skills better than, "Just let it go." :) Please don't hesitate to come back here and ask us when something doesn't make sense-- tell us what it is, what you think and why, and let us help, since your faculty doesn't sound too engaged in that part of their job.

[Summer Days]

Doing more NCLEX questions will stimulate your critical thinking. I have in my possession the following books:

Amazon.com: Med-Surg Success: A Q&A Review Applying Critical Thinking to Test Taking (Davis's Q&a Series) (9780803625044): Kathryn Colgrove, Ray Huttel: Books

Amazon.com: Prentice Hall's Reviews & Rationales: Comprehensive NCLEX-RN Review: Explore similar items

http://www.amazon.com/Lippincott-Review-NCLEX-RN-Lippincotts-CD/dp/1451172281/ref=pd_sxp_grid_i_0_1

Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination / Edition 5 by Linda Anne Silvestri | Barnes & Noble

These are awesome resources to practice nclex questions. Do as many as you can it will increase your understanding of the material. Another added advantage is that you will start to familiarize yourself with how nclex questions are phrased/worded. You will see questions being asked on a certain concept in many different forms but you will always arrive to the same answer. Read the rationales even if you get a question right; the rationales are very information-rich.

Lecturer not answering your questions? You have plenty of other resources. Your first stop is your clinical instructor. When I struggled in med-surg I often went to my clinical instructor. I'd compile tons of questions to ask her and what a life saver she was. Next stop would be the primary nurse you are paired with at the hospital during clinical. If you do not know anything or a struggling with a concept ask the nurse. They are very resourceful. Then if your school schedules for open skills lab hours here is another place you can go to with questions.

Cheers, don't give up.