Having Trouble Earning Passing Scores on Nursing Exams

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Hello,

I always was successful in my Nursing fundies class as well as my pediatrics's class, and maternity class. This summer I started Med Surge and I study the same way I did for previous nursing classes and I am having such difficulty. With this Med Surge class is considered Med surge Part 1 (out of 3 parts) and because it is a summer semester it has been fast pace, only 6 weeks. So we have 2 Unit exams and 1 Final exam. My unit 1 and unit 2 exam are worth 30 and 30 % of our grade so our Final exam is worth 40%. Passing in our school is considered a 77. My first exam I got a 70, My 2nd exam I got a 78 (but originally it was a 75 until they threw out a question) ...so next week is the final and I am terrified because Ive done so much studying and it just doesn't seem to be good enough, I have met with peer tutors, also the professors for extra help. The professors have suggested I be tested to see if I need accommodations for while I take my tests. However I still can't grasp why I was successful before and now having such difficulty. I was never an A+ student but I never seemed to "fail" at things.

Any Advice, tips is greatly appreciated. I struggle with anxiety and this class has effected my performance at my job so much, I use to never have panic attacks and now I just seem to worry about not making it through to the Med surge part 2.

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How do you study? I used NCLEX books that are broken down into content areas because that is how our material is broken down to. For example we learn GI, I study NCLEX GI questions, and take my GI exam. I get 90's+ on all my exams. Other students picked up on the fact I was doing well and I told them my trick. Many other people have started using them to. The Q&A ones are great. Saunder's comprehensive comes with a CD with at least 100 questions on every topic. The CDs from my Q&A books don't break down into content area though so you can't use them to study for a specific exam.

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What worked before is bound not to in the future. The key to life, nursing, school, etc. is adapting to the present and learning to manipulate new tools, in my opinion.

Fundamentals, Peds, Maternity all deal more with the Health Promotion aspect of nursing. Now that you are in Med Surg, you are focusing on Physiological Integrity and Safe Care. You are probably quite strong at the HP aspect, but missing out on the key elements of the other two I mentioned. In my experience, 75% of question on MedSurg tests marry those two concepts. If you can figure out immediate steps that you as a nurse must take to keep your patient in the same or elevate to a better state of health...and how to do that safely...you've got the tools for MS.

To help you more, I'd like to know how you study. That way I can see if there is anything that I do that is different or anything that you could change that sticks out.

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Specializes in Nursing Assistant.
How do you study? I used NCLEX books that are broken down into content areas because that is how our material is broken down to. For example we learn GI, I study NCLEX GI questions, and take my GI exam. I get 90's+ on all my exams. Other students picked up on the fact I was doing well and I told them my trick. Many other people have started using them to. The Q&A ones are great. Saunder's comprehensive comes with a CD with at least 100 questions on every topic. The CDs from my Q&A books don't break down into content area though so you can't use them to study for a specific exam.

Is there an NCLEX book that does a topic breakdown? I have only ran across ones that have general questions that have mixed topics...

Please let me know if there is!!!

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Reviews and Rationales by Mary Anne Hogan are dedicated books by topics, Pharm, Physio, Med Surg, Maternal, Child, etc. They come with 30 ?'s per chapter.

The Saunders Comprehensive NCLEX is broken down by subject and truly amazing. Also comes with 3500 ?s total.

I use the Reviews and Rationales for subject review, in depth. And the Saunders for ?'s and quick review.

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Specializes in Nursing Assistant.
Reviews and Rationales by Mary Anne Hogan are dedicated books by topics, Pharm, Physio, Med Surg, Maternal, Child, etc. They come with 30 ?'s per chapter.

The Saunders Comprehensive NCLEX is broken down by subject and truly amazing. Also comes with 3500 ?s total.

I use the Reviews and Rationales for subject review, in depth. And the Saunders for ?'s and quick review.

Your too awesome!! Thanks!!

I will most def be checking those out!!

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just a wee bit of a suggestion: if your test is tomorrow, (looks like that would be...today) it's a little late to be seeking this kind of help. have you spent any time trying to talk with your faculty? i am sure that they would have been able to help you refocus your attentions in the excellent way katepasa describes. do not fear your faculty-- they really do hope everyone passes this year.:idea:

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hi, thank you for all the replies, just for the record I have been meeting with a tutor and a faculty member every week, They are so great to me, and my exam is not tomorrow its in two weeks. This is how I study... For example my instructor gives us the disease Angle Closure Glaucoma, I make a chart that looks just like a care plan, What is it?, What are the symptoms of it? How will I treat it (pharm wise) and What nursing interventions need to be done and what are possible outcomes, what are possible complications? So while making these charts I learn it inside and out, I just seem so get stuck between two options on the test for an answer. Today was my last day of clinical for the class and during my eval my instructor told me I have improved so much since the first day of clinical as far as being prepared and what information to bring with me to the table, as far as that in class exams she thinks I need testing accommodations, I told her today a few other people had suggested that but unfortunately my soonest appt I could get with the appropriate doctor that tests for that was not until July 18. For Now Im just trying my best.

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Give me an example of a question that stood out to you that had two good answers.

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Hi, off the top of my head these keep sticking out.... Your pt begins to vomit coffee ground emesis your first intervention for this patient would be..

A. Asses bowel sounds

B.Asses vital signs

C. Insert a NG tube

D. Contact the physician

You are a nurse in the emergency room and you know a young adult has just come in dead on arrival from a drowning incident at the local beach, his wife comes in hysterically crying what do you do?

A. Encourage her to express her emotions

B. Leave her be, she needs time to take this all in.

C. Establish a rapport

D. Encourage the woman to check into the E.R. To be observed and assesed for suicide risk.

Those are just two questions for example I had trouble with but im sure if I keep thinking I could remember more. :-) I am going to also look into the reading material you suggested, I have the 'success books' but I Obviously need more then those.

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hi, off the top of my head these keep sticking out.... your pt begins to vomit coffee ground emesis your first intervention for this patient would be..

a. asses bowel sounds

b. asses vital signs

c. insert a ng tube

d. contact the physician

you are a nurse in the emergency room and you know a young adult has just come in dead on arrival from a drowning incident at the local beach, his wife comes in hysterically crying what do you do?

a. encourage her to express her emotions

b. leave her be, she needs time to take this all in.

c. establish a rapport

d. encourage the woman to check into the e.r. to be observed and assesed for suicide risk.

those are just two questions for example i had trouble with but im sure if i keep thinking i could remember more. :-) i am going to also look into the reading material you suggested, i have the 'success books' but i obviously need more then those.

i'm going to take a stab at this. for the first question, i would pick'b.' for the 2nd question, i want to choose 'c" or d". going out on a limb, i'll choose c because there is no immediate reason to believe the woman is contemplating suicide.

i'm taking general education nursing coursework at this time, as i am not in nursing school (yet??), but i hope someone will come along and provide the correct answers!

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i'm going to take a stab at this. for the first question, i would pick'b.' for the 2nd question, i want to choose 'c" or d". going out on a limb, i'll choose c because there is no immediate reason to believe the woman is contemplating suicide.

i'm taking general education nursing coursework at this time, as i am not in nursing school (yet??), but i hope someone will come along and provide the correct answers!

bumping this thread to find out the correct answers!

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