Published Jan 12, 2012
RNFinally12
243 Posts
Just looking for a starting point on how to prepare for the NCLEX. I took my last EC exam last year and passed CPNE 3 weeks ago. It feels like so long ago that I looked at diseases/disorders and signs/symptoms. Where should I begin. Thank you.
LoopsRN2
692 Posts
I remember feeling the exact same way! I started with review acidosis/alkalosis/electrolytes and lab values. I used my Saunder's book mostly for that review and I also did a quick search on the main lab values on
http://www.quizlet.com
I found one set of flash cards that I used on my iphone there of about 60 cards, and started to re-memorize those immediately. I used Kaplan's test taking strategy and review, and read through the book and did a few sample questions. I purchased 3 weeks of NCSBN for $50.00 and worked my way through the content and the qbank questions. The outline is very dry but gets the job done, lol...There is also notes on allnurses that I just loved, 35 pages and has some infection control mnemonics that I printed off and I found to be just wonderful. Happy Studying!
frankie,RN
392 Posts
Hi. i passed the cpne a little over a month ago. i mainly use Saunders comp review. it seems very good. its an easy reader too. i have other books too but saunders is my favorite. its hard for me to study everyday because im still feel funny and lost not having to prep for cpne but i suggest to try and do as many questions a day as u can and read the rationales. good luck to you.:)
Thank you for the responses.
LoopsRN2.. how much time per day did you study..
Frankiebooboo.. I feel really weird too, not doing CPNE studying. It doesn't even feel like I did it. That weekend goes by so fast.
I studied for about 4-8 hours a day for 3 weeks, and that was almost all content review. I did very little test questions/qbank/etc. After review the Kaplan strategies/review book, I was pretty confident that I had been using good critical thinking skills in my exams already and wanted to focus more on reviewing the data to help me use those skills
Lunah, MSN, RN
14 Articles; 13,773 Posts
Saunders and the NCLEX 3500 practice CD-ROM ... there is something newer now, like NCLEX 4000. EC prepared us well. Good luck!!