Help test taking skills

Nolli · May 10, 2012

1)Take your time and fully read the question

Break it down into components and see what it is really asking; ex if it asks what the nurse should do for someone should is one of the key words and generally implies doing an intervention.

2)Look through the answers and eliminate the ones that don't make sense

say it is a question that is asking for an intervention 1st eliminate all the answers that are not actual nursing interventions

2nd prioritize the patient's needs; remember ABC always come first and so on

3) If you still cant get it make a mark next to that question and come back to it later; answer all the questions that give you no issues first so that when it comes down to the end of the time limit you don't run out of time or worst case scenario can guess on the problem questions rather than rushing to to fill in the easier ones

4) Don't change your answers

Unless you are absolutely 100% positive or in a scenario where you rushed and misread the question don't do it. Majority of the time your first answer is right and you will kick yourself later.

5) Don't panic; if you feel like you know the material and studied your butt off try not to freak out when its the umpteenth question in a row you have to come back to because you can't narrow it down. Take a deep breath let it out and let it go. Don't think about that question until you come back to it.(I obsess if I don't let it go, which means I'm not focused on the other questions and I make silly mistakes.)

Shorty11, BSN, RN · May 10, 2012

Don't just read the material, take the time to actually learn and understand the concept and/or function. I read the material several times and then I give a pretend lecture at my house. I have a little dry erase board and I talk aloud and pretend I'm teaching the material to an imaginary class. I have made straight A's in my first 3 nursing courses learning like this (Intro to Nursing, Patho., & Health Assessment). Take your time reading the questions. Look for key words that steer you in the direction of the answer. Good luck!

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · May 11, 2012

question in nursing exams are unlike any you have ever experienced. if you have always been a decent student and memorized facts well, this skill will only be of marginal help to you. nursing test questions are largely (though not entirely) trying to get at the essence of what it takes to be a nurse-- and that means considering the data you have, what you already know about a situation or disease or whatever, and then coming up with the answer that is best for the patient. what would the good nurse know/do?

sometimes two of the answers are factually right, but only one is the best answer from a nursing standpoint. what is it about nursing process that is involved here? did it make the patient safer, mover her down the path to better decision-making or healthier behavior, facilitate undertanding about a med or a condition? it is very likely that the question won't ask it that way, but you need to consider it that way.

nursing questions are often in nclex style, for the obvious reason. nclex items are developed in part from knowing what errors new grads make and how. they tend to be of two kinds: inadequate information, and lack of knowledge (these are not the same thing). the goal of nclex (and all nursing school testing) is to pass candidates who will be acceptably safe in practice as nurses. so-- they want to know what the prudent nurse will do.

1) when confronted c 4 answers, you can usually discard 2 out of hand. of the remaining two,

-- always choose the answer that (in priority order) makes the patient safer or gets you more information. "can you tell me more about that?" "what do you know about your medication?" "what was the patient's lab result?"

-- never choose the answer that has you turf the situation to another discipline-- chaplain, dietary, md, social work, etc. it's often tempting, but they want to know about what the nurse would do. see "always..." above.

2) "safer" might mean airway, breathing, circulation; it might mean pull the bed out of the room and away from the fire; it might mean pressure ulcer prevention; or improving nutrition; or teaching about loose scatter rugs ... keep your mind open.

3) read carefully. if they ask you for a nursing intervention answer, they aren't asking for an associated task or action which requires a physician plan of care. so in a scenario involving a medication, the answer would not be to hang the iv, regulate it, or chart it; it would not be to observe for complications. it would be to assess pt knowledge of the med/tx plan and derive an appropriate patient teaching plan. only that last one is nursing-independent and a nursing intervention.

again, they want nursing here.

4) the day before the test, do not study. research shows that your brain does not retain crap you stuff into it at the last minute-- musicians learning a new piece play the first part on monday, the second part on tuesday, and the third part on weds. then they do something else entirely on thursday; meanwhile, behind the scenes, the brain is organizing the new info into familiar cubbyholes already stuffed with music, putting it ready for easy access. on friday, the whole piece works much better.

what this translates for in test-taking land is this: the day before a big test, you go to a museum or a concert, go take a hike, read a trashy novel, make a ragout, do something else entirely. take a small glass of wine, soak in a nice hot bath in a darkened tub with a few candles on the sink, get a nice night's sleep.

5) read the mayonnaise jar and do what it says: keep cool, do not freeze.

avinator · May 12, 2012

I appreciate all the tips given! Thanks so much!