First Nursing Exam Next Week and I'm Terrified!

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2009

see the information on this sticky thread: https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/looking-test-taking-224581.html - looking for test taking strategies

a "study guide" usually means getting a nclex review book which usually comes with a cd of practice questions. you look for the subjects that your tests in school are going to cover in these books. also, pay attention to the learning objectives that were handed out to you the first day(s) of class because the things on them are likely to be the subjects covered on the tests even though some of the stuff may have not showed up in lecture.

saunders comprehensive review for the nclex-rn examination by linda anne silvestri is an example of a nclex review book that a lot of students use to study for tests as well as learning how to answer these application type questions (what you are calling critical thinking questions).

HappyMeNow · Sep 17, 2009

Thank you so so so much!!!!!

Isitpossible, LPN, LVN · Sep 17, 2009

hi pandaluck, i too have my first test tonite, and feel very nervous...but in any event, my teachers STRONGLY recommend this book:

Fundamentals Success: A Course Review Applying Critical Thinking to Test Taking (Paperback

i got on amazon used for like $10 bucks...hope this helps....

Lovelymo79 · Sep 17, 2009

Wow..great to have a teacher that's so encouraging.. :no:

I have my first fundamentals exam next Monday night and while I've been studying for awhile..I'm still nervous! However, my book has a website AND a CD that came along with it..so I'm utilizing those..as well as the questions in the book. They are all NCLEX-like, which is exactly how our exam is going to be next week.

Whatever your teacher said you'll need to know..or pay attention to..that's what you need to know AND pay attention to! Especially study those items.

Good luck and let us know how you did! :)

darcicat · Sep 17, 2009

I second the Saunders suggestion, used it all through nursing school. In fact, my teachers often pulled questions directly out of that book.

Fundamentals was one of the hardest classes for most of my friends because it wasn't directly related to any pathophysiology. It is all the nursing version of "common sense." You have to learn to think like an NCLEX nurse. (NCLEX world is ivory tower nursing, not the real thing).

The absolute best suggestion I can make is to practice questions over and over and over again for that course. Do the questions in your book, do the Saunders questions, do the questions in the online portion from your book.

I just took the NCLEX and I have to say that the format of the questions was most like the format of the Kaplan study questions. So I would suggest their book as well (though content wise, Kaplan was too general). For nursing school though, I thought that Saunders was the best.

The main thing to focus on in fundamentals is the nursing assessment and then the implementation. So for example. How do you know someone is having oxygenation problems (and along with that why are they having them?) They are short of breath, they have a tripod stance, pulse oximetry, lung sounds, etc. And then what are you going to do about it? elevate the head of the bed, Chest PT, oxygen, etc.

In this class you are learning the basic problems that nurses deal with, how to look for them, and what to do about them when you see them.

If you can keep that in mind when you are studying, you can study any fundamentals topic. Cultural issues, Heart problems, renal problems etc.

The only way my friends and I got through school was to study together. Take awesome notes and then make study guides before your exam from your power points, notes and reading. When you get your test map from your teacher about what will be on the exam, handwrite or retype all of those notes into a study guide based on the test map. Anything you think that you don't understand well enough, go to your book to flesh it out. You can break up the portions of the study guide between you and your friends, but make sure that everyone in your group gets a copy. Make as many friends in your classes as you can so that you can trade study guides amongst the various groups.

Then take your practice questions. Anything and everything that you can find on the subjects that you are going to be tested on - Saunders, Your book, Kaplan, whatever.

Then, the day before the exam get a study group together of around 3-6 people. Use an empty classroom or someplace that has a chalkboard/whiteboard. Throw a topic up on the board and have the group list everything they can about the topic. Also make up questions to ask eachother. IE: "Billy bob in room 304 has rales when you listen to his lung sounds, what might be the problem and what can you do for him?" Make the questions simple but try to format them like questions that might be on your exam.

Lastly, in notes, on study guides, and in the review make it funny, make it dirty, whatever. Find ways to remember things : acronyms, limericks, songs, whatever. Relate everything to potty humor if you have to. Anything that you might remember on the test.

Good Luck!

examinator · Sep 22, 2009

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