help with the NCLEX

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2007

TESTING STRATEGIES

1. Restate/ Reword the question. Be clear on what is being asked

If there is a lengthy client situation or case study, read the stem question before reading the case study.

2. Read ALL distracters before answering. Evaluate each distracter for ability to answer the question asked. It may give correct information but not answer the question.

3. Focus on eliminating responses instead of seeking the “right“answer. In the NCLEX there may be more than one answer that is correct. You are looking for the BEST answer. Focus on eliminating responses and the best answer will surface.

4. Priority Setting – use the frameworks of Maslow Hierarchy, ABC , “unstable before stable” as priority setting guides.

5. Use nursing process sequence – Assessment should occur before intervention. Even in a code you assess breathing and pulse before “911”

6. Safety – do no harm. Err on the side of promoting physical safety for pt .

7. Take care of patient before you take care of equipment.

8. Consider and uphold the 5 Rights of Medication administration standards

9. Don't spend alot to time on questions you don't know, and realize that there will be questions you don't know. Don't panic - try to eliminate responses - then make an educated guess.

10. If part of the answer is incorrect, the whole answer is incorrect.

Although very few, you may find negatives in the question stem. Be alert to these.

11. If you really have to guess - look for responses with

broad focus ("multiple aspects of the child's life are affected" rather than "frequent fights with peers") and average length of answer (not shortest, not longest)

12. Be wary of answers that have absolutes (always, never, only, etc) in them. Be wary of answers that make the client seem inferior, unworthy or ignorant. When asked about numerical values or dates, the one in the middle range is more often correct.

jedimasterr · Mar 2, 2007

I just passed last week, and what commuter said is exactly what you need to know. If you keep that list in your head as you go through each question, you will do fine. My experience was that the test was almost entirely about prioritization and delegation. In preparing for it, I did nothing but practice questions from Saunders and Kaplan and absolutely no revisiting of textbooks from school.

Something that helped to chill me out before and while taking the test was to remeber that 85% of all takers pass on the first try. Those are pretty good odds.

Good Luck.

cristicdc · Mar 2, 2007

Congratulations !!!

Thanks for the advices to both of you :) The thing is that I have graduated in 2001 and I didn't have any connection with nursing since then. That makes me a little bit concerned but I hope everything will come back to me once i start studying.

Jedimasteer, would you sell your books to me?

Buggy087 · Jun 1, 2009

Try getting the Kaplan NCLEX strategies book. It costs like 30.00 and you can get it from any book store.

Hope this helps!

Good Luck!

prinsessa · Jun 2, 2009

I haven't taken the NCLEX yet but these are some things I remember from my Kaplan course....

Remember never ask "Why?" questions.

Know the basic drugs like Lasix, blood pressure meds, pain meds, etc

Know drug and alcohol withdrawal

Electrolytes

Good luck!!!