Failed NCLEX 2x....PLX Help with ME priority questions

Nursing Students NCLEX

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Specializes in peds and Geri.

Can someone help me plz...in tears...2nd time I failed Nclex rn cuz priority questions, which one you pick from low B/P or high temp, severe pain...what are they looking for, need tips on answering them. i know ABC's but if theirs no ABC what are they looking for if 2 can cause extreme problems? if wounds one patient, temp on another and extreme pain at 8..what do u pick...please im bout to give up...i have priority book, saunders, 4000...and still failing..please help asap...i have all the books but i keep choicing wrong ones one nclex but correct at home..their diff on boards...please help with websites or something..thanks

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If the blood pressure is lower I would automatically assume shock or circulation... ABC's

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Specializes in peds and Geri.

thats what i was thinking but temp was 102 on other question....but was wrong..IDK...cuz with low bp cud xause kidneys not to perfuse properly as well...if nothing is ABC and its not infection what u pick?

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If there's low bp, bp is the priority, infection comes second. But if there's no ABC, infection is the priority.

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Specializes in Hem/Onc/BMT.

You also have to consider whether the s/s are expected or unexpected for the conditions they have. For example, if a patient is having fever and it is stated he has pneumonia, that is expected. On the other hand, another patient is receiving blood and starts having dyspnea (possible transfusion reaction), that is unexpected and therefore unstable, so you have to see this patient first.

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Or no abc, no infection.. I'll go with acid base imbalance pt.

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Also, the review class I took told us to always cross out pain. "pain never killed anybody"

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Specializes in Hem/Onc/BMT.
Also, the review class I took told us to always cross out pain. "pain never killed anybody"

Except for the pain from compartment syndrome, which is an emergency.

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I feel what helped me the most is taking the course at Kaplan it taught me how to answer the questions.

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The way I learned it was ABC's or Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs with physiological function the most important. Try to determine which patient is in the least stable condition. BP would relate to circulation and is a biggy. A patient in pain, while important to assess and provide interventions, is more stable than a person with difficulty breathing, an abnormal blood pressure, or an abnormal increase in drainage (after surgery for example). NCLEX is a tricky thing. When I got priority questions I had to think through each answer choice and in the end always go with the least stable condition/patient. Good luck. Don't give up. Study, find useful material, maybe try to connect with a professor from nursing class that may be willing to give added information in your problem area(s).

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Hi, did you eventually pass? After understanding how to prioritize patients? I failed the Nclex on yesterday also. The test wasn't hard, I always had trouble with understanding which patient I should see first if all of my patients need me. But The good thing is, I know what I messed up on Nclex and I am practicing more priority questions.

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For prioritization, we were told ABCs, Maslow's heirarchy, change in LOC, acute before chronic, and chest pain were useful in figuring out priorities.

And safety, always!

I found UWorld helpful, it had a lot of SATA and prioritization questions.

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