How do I study for NCLEX?

Nursing Students NCLEX

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I've got about 3 weeks until I take the NCLEX. I'm trying to come up with a plan for the most effective studying.

I've got a book by Saunders that is somewhat of a study guide, however, it doesn't have any questions. I'm thinking I'd be better served with a study guide that asked NCLEX-type questions.

My employer has a NCLEX class & once you pass, they reimburse you the cost, but I really don't have the cash to sign up for it right now.

Basically, I'm just overwelmed with the thought of studying for this. There's so much information & so many different areas to cover. I know there's no way to completely cover everything.

What areas would you suggest concentrating on? What type of questions did you see a lot of when you took NCLEX?

Any information would be greatly appreciated!

Hello

Very touching story.Pray,pray and pray because prayer changes things.You can do it you made it this far.

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Specializes in liver transplant, gen med, gen surg, er,.

SteffersRN87 s comment is one of the most practical and reasonable responses i ve read on this website.i took the nclex-rn on may 14th ,having mainly used the saunders book and Q&A CD.i failed the exam cos even tho i was averaging 70% while practising with the saunders qs, when i got to actually taking the nclex qs, i was clueless thruout the whole exam. i knew i was failing as i was taking the exam. saunders is good for basic knowledge but their qs are not the types you will see on the nclex. i m now using the mosby book and cd and i find their qs to be very challenging, they are not the recall type of qs, you have to think thru every response, more like the actual exam itself. the cram book is just as good too. lippincott will provide a very good explanation into issues like the cardiovascular system, respiratory issues just to name a couple.

so yeah, i totally agree with what you say.

i m hoping to retake the exam first week of august.

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This is how I would study since you only have 60 days(maybe less by now). Go out and get the saunders book 4th edition and KAPLAN NCLEX-RN, this book is around 30.00 at a local book store. Study those strategies that they give you and do some practice questions once you have the strategies down. Study those strategies, Study those strategies, Study those strategies, Study those strategies, and fianally, Study those strategies!!! Then do some practice question once you have the strategies down. Pray and believe in yourself, and I gaurantee you, you will pass! Let me know how it goes and good luck! I will also be praying for you!:nurse:

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
When I graduated, I went straight to work. I did not study anything. Thought I'd learn more from getting hands on than to continue to study the books. I passed the boards with flying colors. Of course, everyone learns differently. Good luck!

One thing to consider about that though: the NCLEX doesn't test the "real world" of nursing but the "textbook" world of nursing, where you are only working with one patient at a time, have unlimited time to tend to them, and have unlimited resources at your disposal. So be careful about taking what you learn from work and applying it to the NCLEX--it might not automatically fit the "textbook" world. That's bitten me more than once, when I think about how a question would have played out at clincal and go by that instead :mad:

I also recommend Kaplan's book: the strategies are helping me immensely. I'm also reviewing Saunders. I had started going through each chapter of Saunders--reading it and then doing the questions, but I don't have the time to do that, not if I'm taking the test in July. So now I'm going through each section's questions and those sections I'm scoring less than 80% on, I review that section's content. I also review/look up anything I might have been unclear or confused on, didn't know, or got wrong. If Saunders' doesn't explain it well enough, I look in my textbook.

Also, if you don't know the norms for lab values, learn them. I know norms vary depending on source, but pick a set and learn them so you can recognize what could be abnormal. I've been doing that--I'm using Saunders' translation of normal lab values--and that's helped me with a lot of the questions too.

Now let's see if all of this will still help me when I take the test on the 3rd :)

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Also study your diets, for example>> renal diets, low fat, high protein, low protein, also know the foods in the food catagory. Also study those foods that you normally dont eat.

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It is unfortunate that you put yourself in this position. That is why it is better to seek employment once you are licensed.

Well now that wasn't very therapuetic now was it!

Ok, I just want to tell you that YOU CAN DO THIS!!!! Now is the time to come up with a plan, not dwell on what you have done or haven't done up til this point...

If you can afford a book I would consider Kaplans Review book...there questions are pretty intense and should help you..I haven't taken the NCLEX yet, but I have been using Kaplan and I think it is wonderful...

If you can afford 2 books, get the Kaplan plus the Sylvia Rayfield incredibly easy RN for Nclex book...IT IS Excellent! Plus you need to take questions and lot of them...You can google NCLEX style questions and lots of sights have them, that will help you tremendously if the cash flow is really low...But the one thing I will say, is from this day forward start studying everynight.....You should have atleast done 3000 questions by the time you sit for boards, so better get moving that is approximately 1000 a week...divide them up between days and that is definetly doable...You also need to remember to read ALL rationales, for the right and wrong answers....and last but not least BREATHE!!!!!

I wish you the best of luck, I am testing on July 7th so I am studying too...you can check out a thread we have going on here....STUDY BREAK.....again good luck.....

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I passed! 95 questions/1.5 hours. No OB questions, woo hoo!

Now I just have to learn how to be a nurse. I'm feeling a little overwelmed on the floor.

Thanks for all the input guys !!!!!

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Congrats! Good luck at your newish job!

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:yeah::yeah::yeah:CONGRATS! I think the amount of time you need to study depends on your base level of knowledge and if you are good at answering NCLEX-style questions. Then you can go from there in preparing to take the test. Not everyone needs to study for 3 months though...

And she's proof that it CAN be done! :D With this economy, bills, and rent--it's not easy taking 3 months off, or even 2 for that matter, just to study.

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