Good NCLEX Preparation Material

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Jul 31, 2005

Anyone out there know of good NCLEX preparation material to use to teach students? I am hearing over and over from the new grads that their boards questions were predominantly prioritization, delegation, and management, yet the review books have few questions like this. What I keep seeing in the review books are the same old comprehension-level, fact-based questions I have seen for years, even when the authors claim they are higher-level. I would appreciate any advice!

Saunders Comprehensive review is an excellent resource.

Here are some excellent resources concerning the NCLEX, including test plans:

http://www.ncsbn.org/testing/generalinformation_info_update.asp

http://www.ncsbn.org/testing/generalinformation_info_fact.asp

NCLEX practice question of the week:

http://www.learningext.com/

The NCSBN offers an excellent NCLEX-RN review:

http://www.vcampus.com/ncsbn/catalog/search/?csr.start=20

Also please see previous thread concerning NCLEX passage strategies:

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48306&highlight=NCLEX

suzanne4, RN · Jul 31, 2005

Saunders' Comprehensive Review does the best job out there. I prepare foreign trained nurses, whose primary language is not English, and I have them all passing on the first try.

The key to using any of these books and CDs in how they are used, not that they were used. It is extremely important that they do the questions but also that they take the time to review each and every rationale behind the answers, both the correct and incorrect answers.

Ambubag · Aug 23, 2005

Anyone out there know of good NCLEX preparation material to use to teach students? I am hearing over and over from the new grads that their boards questions were predominantly prioritization, delegation, and management, yet the review books have few questions like this. What I keep seeing in the review books are the same old comprehension-level, fact-based questions I have seen for years, even when the authors claim they are higher-level. I would appreciate any advice!

You may be misled by the so called "books of higher standard".I think saunders is good.

Oliver

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Sep 5, 2005

Without a doubt, the NCLEX-RN is emphasizing prioritization and delegation. In order to better prepare graduates for the NCLEX, we need to increasingly include these types of questions on our tests (even though the students generally hate them). Here is a good template to use in composing prioritization questions:

The nurse (charge nurse) is overseeing care of ___ clients on __________. Concerning which of the following patient-care situations should the nurse notify the physician FIRST?

Using this simple template, here is an exam question I composed:

The charge nurse is overseeing care of 10 clients on a general obstetrical floor. Concerning which of the following patient-care situations should the nurse notify the physician FIRST? (I then gave four client-care choices).

For another variation, compose the question as such: You are the charge nurse on a unit and need to make a bed available for a new admission. Which of the following patients are you going to discharge? (Then give four client-care choices).

For delegation, you can compose a question asking which patient care tasks/ roles can be safely and appropriately delegated to the unlicensed personnel or to the LPN.

Here is a template of the delegation type of question (also, not too difficult to compose):

The nurse has asked the unlicensed assistant to help with admitting an elderly client who has been diagnosed with _____________. Which of the following activities is appropriate for the nurse to ask the assistant to perform? (Then give four choices).

Leda · Sep 5, 2005

Vicky, I could not agree with you more. As experienced educators, we certainly can write appropriate NCLEX-style questions that accurately reflect the NCLEX test plan. Thank you for sharing your question templates.

I'd also like to suggest that we integrate prioritization, delegation, etc. in all areas of the curriculum. Specific examples include, requiring students to organize the nursing interventions on their care plans in order of priority, discussing and considering nursing care priorities in pre and post conferences, and including principles of prioritization, delegation, etc. in lectures and other student assignments.

I'm sure there are other examples that can be shared in this forum. The important point is that the concepts on NCLEX not just be limited to the exams, they have to be thoughtfully woven across the nursing curriculum and lived out daily by the students.

Editorial Team / Admin · Sep 5, 2005

I am a line item writer for a nationally standardized examination, not NCLEX. It is a good idea for all educators to be able to think and write like these exams. It really does help prepare the student for exams like NCLEX. I find that when teaching my students, I try to create exams that are helpful in preparation of NCLEX later. Utilize all material/experience on a daily clinical basis that prepares them to pass my exams and later, NCLEX.

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Sep 5, 2005

Vicky, I could not agree with you more. As experienced educators, we certainly can write appropriate NCLEX-style questions that accurately reflect the NCLEX test plan. Thank you for sharing your question templates.
I'd also like to suggest that we integrate prioritization, delegation, etc. in all areas of the curriculum. Specific examples include, requiring students to organize the nursing interventions on their care plans in order of priority, discussing and considering nursing care priorities in pre and post conferences, and including principles of prioritization, delegation, etc. in lectures and other student assignments.
I'm sure there are other examples that can be shared in this forum. The important point is that the concepts on NCLEX not just be limited to the exams, they have to be thoughtfully woven across the nursing curriculum and lived out daily by the students.

These are great suggestions :idea: Thank you so much for sharing :)