HELP Med-Surg 1

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I'm a new student and the nursing exams really upset me. I know the material and can easily explain it, but when test time comes thats a different story. The simplest questions I get wrong. I read, read, and read some more everyday. I'm starting to realize I can not just depend on the book. I have to come up with another way. Some of the more seasoned student say practice questions are great, but what books are broken down by system that explain and have plenty of NCLEX questions to follow? I have to make it through this program. Someone please help or give me directions on a good way to accomplish this. Books, resources, or any! Oh yeah, it sucks being the only male in the class...

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I know exactly how you feel, I'm also the only male in the class and must get through the program. The best book I've found is Saunders RN NCLEX review 4th edition. It is broken down by section and has at least 20 questions for each part in the book, plus there is a CD with many more questions also broken down by section, i.e. F & E, OB, Peds etc. Although it is a great book and give you a beet grasp of how the test questions are written and what to look for when answering, it is of no help to my school's tests, my schools exams are at least twice as hard as any NCLEX practice tests I've taken from any book. I attend Midlands Technical College in Columbia, S.C., you almost have to have a couple years experience in the nursing field to answer the school's exam questions. They also appear to have an unwritten rule that NO ONE will pass med surg two or Peds and OB on the first attempt. These courses are in the third semester of clinical course work and have a drop/fail rate of 80%, which the school and instructors are very proud of, for what reason I have no idea, and the school doesn't even have a 100% NCLEX pass rate, only about 95%. I had a 98 average for each course, Anatomy and Physiology I & II, Micro, BIO 240 - Diet and Nutrition, Fundamentals of nursing, Med Surg I until now. I had graduated from my Bachelors degree Magna Cum Laude, but the nursing course I'm in now is eating my breakfast, lunch and dinner. The last test we took last week had an average score of 62 %, which includes everyone who took the test, my school requires an 80% to pass the test. No one passed the first two tests in this third semester. Everyone is failing, which seems to indicate a problem with either the tests or the instructors, not the students.

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i don't know your school,but i can relate to that.my school has a few teachers who tell you pass my call and i know i'm not wothy.

what does that mean?the test we get is bsn type of questions..the highes got 50's..that they had to change the calibration..

something funny...the instructor is so shocked that the highest was in the 50's..she said she expected less.

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No wonder there is a nursing shortage! It seems like the "Gate Keepers", the nurses that teach the courses, do not want any one else in the field. Of course, if you are liked you can do no wrong, conversely if you are not liked you can do no right. My school has developed another method to keep those individuals out that they do not like, regardless of their test scores, they use ED's (Experiencing Difficulty) which is just basically demerits (like you get in a military academy). One can receive an "ED" for any reason at all (listed under the catch all of professionalism), get 3 in a semester and you have failed the course, even if you have a 98% test average and have accomplished all of the skills with perfection! Oh yeah, and even if you arrive early to class, if the class room door is closed, you're considered late and earn an "ED"

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Specializes in Vascular Surgery.

Sign up with the tutor service. I've attached my notes for analyzing NCLEX questions. Gimme a thanks if it helps you.

NCLEXQuestionAnalysis.doc

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saunders nclex study guide does break the material down into the body systems. ( use the newest version if you can it has multiple choice questions and the new style questions you'll want to practice as well).

however:

look at the "contents" in the front of the book as there are seperate chapters that also have information pertinent to many of the body systems as well.

for example:

"perioperative care" may be pertinent to most of the systems.

"positioning clients"

"care of a client with a tube''

"lab values"

"acid-base"

"nutrition" (esp. k+ in cardiac)

nutrition needs for renal problems (uti, dialysis etc.).

nutrition for celiac disease.

there is a very valuable chapter in this book for anyone having difficulty with their tests in school.

my suggestion fully absorb the chapter on "test taking strategies"

my 3rd edition saunders has 12 test taking strategies in it.

1. on one sheet of paper make a list of those strategies.

2. when you start studying a system in class. look at the "contents" list in saunders and determine any relavent chapters.

3. don't read those chapters yet. do read the questions and answer them. in your saunders book (in pencil so you can erase it) put a check or x for if you answered the question right or wrong.

4. look at your list of test taking strategies. beside each question write the number of the test taking strategy that would be useful to answering the question.

5. pay close attention to the questions you got wrong. when you do enough questions you will begin to see a pattern to which test taking strategies you need to improve on.

6. also pay close attention to the specific information being discussed in the questions. read the answers and rationales. (use the information in the questions and rationales as a guide to understanding what are the important points for this system) notice what the questions are asking about. is it specific medications? is it pertinent lab values? is it specific positioning of the client?

7. before you read your textbook chapters. answer any questions in saunders that is pertinent to the body system and to your lectures and notes. glance over the saunders chapters. glance at the boxes, charts, lists, and pictures in saunders and your textbook that pertain to your lectures and notes. depending on how much time you have to study use a little of that time to get a good idea of the big picture first and then read your chapter.

best of luck

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Thank you very much. I have been doing that, but obviously need to re focus on the techniques and methods you provided, it's easy to get tied up in the moment during the test and forget to use the techniques learned from practice and Saunders book. So I guess I need to practice the techniques until become reflex. Any other assistance or advice would be very much appreciated!

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sign up with the tutor service. i've attached my notes for analyzing nclex questions. gimme a thanks if it helps you.

that's an excellent document. thanks for sharing.

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Specializes in Emergency!.

These are the med-surg text books we use and they are helpful. This one even comes along with a study guide with really helpful study questions on each chapter. Then you can go online and look up the answers to the questions.

Check it out on amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Medical-Surgical-Nursing-Critical-Thinking-Collaborative/dp/1416066330/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256169010&sr=8-1

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Sign up with the tutor service. I've attached my notes for analyzing NCLEX questions. Gimme a thanks if it helps you.

Thank you so much for taking the time to post and attach your NCLEX Analysis Document. It is awesome!! Many thanks to you!

jadu1106 :)

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