Fundamentals of nursing test

Catys_With_Me · Aug 27, 2006

YOu should look for everything they taught you or assigned you to read for this exam.

shellsgogreen · Aug 27, 2006

i agree with what that last poster said...definitely go over your lecture notes and the chapters that were assigned; from what i recall in my school - there was a lot of legal & communication on our test.

good luck!

GeminiTwinRN, BSN · Aug 27, 2006

Fundamentals in our program was the easiest test material, in my opinion. The focus was on just that, the fundamentals. I did very well that semester by taking copius notes and listening to the lectures over and over again. I reviewed my notes every day, and a lot of the tests came from those.

The more difficult critical thinking test questions didn't come until 2nd semester for the most part, if I'm remembering correctly.

Good luck, and go to the test reviews prepared so that you can ask relevant questions that will help you understand the things you need help with!

Also, I have a study group that has been great all 4 semesters (actually, we started in pre-reqs together, A & P and Micro, etc). We have 3-4 members, depending on who can attend, and that helps too. Don't get bogged down in a social group that doesnt' study. That will only distract you and you won't make any progress.

Good luck! :)

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Aug 28, 2006

Hello everyone,
i was wondering if anyone knows or remembers what the fundamentals tests are like. i have my first test on Monday and I am wondering what kind of things to look for.?

Well, the best advice I can offer is to know the material as well as humanly possible. That means even if it's a small box or table in the assigned text, KNOW it. I had an instructor that I swear specialized in finding a tidbit of info amongst chapters of reading and using it directly in a test question. GREAT if you read chapters, bad if you did not.

Also, keep in mind the kinds of questions are likely to be different from other coursework. For instance, in A&P, if I knew what a part was and what it did in the body, I could answer the question (sheer memorization). For nursing questions, that is not enough: you must know what happens when that part does not function normally, what other systemic reaction might you see, and what should you do about it. Nursing questions want you to "think outside the box", not spew out memorized material. You'll need to know normal functions, of course, but how to think your way through abnormal reactions.

I remember being blown away by how different my nursing tests were from my pre-req science tests, even including fundamentals. These tests measure your ability to judge as well as your ability to recall facts.

Good luck to you!

sddlnscp · Aug 28, 2006

Good luck! It is important to both know the material and be able to apply it. For example: knowing Maslow's is very important, but a typical test question for us was asking you to match up a patient with where they are at on Maslow's. Use good critical thinking skills and be sure to understand the stem of the question before you pick your answer. Many times, there will be more than one right answer, so you have to pick the BEST answer.

Best of luck! Study hard and do well! :)