Help, Didn't pass my nursing class

Simplistic · May 28, 2017

It sounds like you were putting in the time to study, BUT you weren't studying EFFECTIVELY. My best suggestion is to do QUESTIONS. Yes, nursing tests are totally different then what you are probably used to. But doing practice questions will help you figure out how to answer these types of questions!

vasedavid · May 28, 2017

any recommendations where I can do practice questions, I know there's a ton of nclex resources out there, some classmates were talking about quizlets but I can't verify the accuracy of the material so just stuck with my text book which i may not be able to use again since i've already seen and answer those questions.

Simplistic · May 28, 2017

any recommendations where I can do practice questions, I know there's a ton of nclex resources out there, some classmates were talking about quizlets but I can't verify the accuracy of the material so just stuck with my text book which i may not be able to use again since i've already seen and answer those questions.

What textbook are you using? For a bunch of my textbooks, I was able to buy something called PrepU. And that contained THOUSANDS of questions. I also recommend buying the davis success books. They contain HARD questions, but the rationales are awesome.

vasedavid · May 28, 2017

using the potter and perry fundamentals which came with an elsevier learning program but I found the practice questions there much more easier since they're more definitional and not situational like the school exams.

Simplistic · May 28, 2017

using the potter and perry fundamentals which came with an elsevier learning program but I found the practice questions there much more easier since they're more definitional and not situational like the school exams.

I HIGHLY recommend this book http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/fundamentals-success-patricia-nugent/1110798576/2689914193930?st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_Marketplace+Shopping+greatbookprices_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP24199&k_clickid=3x24199

vasedavid · May 28, 2017

I'll be checking that out, thank you so much for the help

ProperlySeasoned · May 28, 2017

One of my favorite study tips is to write questions MYSELF as I go along, using the material I am studying. It's really helpful, and you can begin to see how answers break down into a "good," "better," "best." I also find it helps me organize the information and see the bigger picture.

xnursingstu1995 · May 28, 2017

So my suggestion is to not only read and study because you can only do so much. But once you are comfortable with the material it is best to practice the questions. Figuring out what they are exactly asking of you is HUGE! Download some of the NCLEX apps and do the fundamental sections. I use to do 30 a day just so I could get practice in! It helped alot.

NuGuyNurse2b · May 29, 2017

Alls fundamentals is doing is telling you to know your ABC's - airway, breathing, circulation. Despite all the volumes of knowledge they are throwing at you, they're just testing your clinical judgment and your content knowledge. So if you are getting the questions wrong, you are having issues with either one or both of those. And to be honest, when I was a student and got a question wrong, it was usually because of the content. I will always remember the question that had Cheyne stokes breathing as an answer. I'm thinking my ABC's, so of course that would be the correct choice, right? Well, someone who is actively dying is not a priority. It sucks to think like that, but remember, you can only save one of those patients. And at that time, had I known what Cheyne stokes respirations were really indicative of, I wouldn't have answered that question incorrectly.

FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN · May 29, 2017

NCLEX style questions take practice, even if you know the content.

I second what everyone else said about practicing NCLEX style questions. Elsevier has something called adaptive quizzing. I used prepU also and HESI.

You absolutely need to develop strategies for your questions. You will very often not know the answer, and that's ok. My mantra is that I don't have to know which answer is right, I only have to know which ones are wrong. I answered probably half my NCLEX questions this way and I passed in 75, which means I did very well.

Mostly, NCLEX style questions are about prioritization. Knowing what is most important in a situation. In this way, they are teaching you to think like a nurse.

Use the process of elimination. Cross off any questions that have bad info, that you know are wrong. Cross off any 2 questions that are essentially saying the same thing, if its a one answer. In every question, look for the most pressing issues. This goes according to Maslovs hierarchy. Survival first, then safety, then the psychosocial stuff.

Hang in there and practice those questions. When you get them wrong, read the rationales for why you got them wrong.

3peas · May 29, 2017

In nursing you have to know the material well and be able to apply it. Work smarter not harder. If you read the material what do you do with it? Do you discuss it? Make study guides? Write it down? I read/highlighted then I would make a study guide with condensed info. Time consuming? Yes! But I graduated with honors. I wish I had started doing NCLEX questions earlier in nursing school than my last semester. Kaplan saved my life! It taught me how to take boards and I highly recommend it. I didn't need content I needed test strategies. Figure out what you need to change in your strategy and do it. Leave the past in the past and move on. You can do this!