How important is ATI???

allnurses Guide · Apr 16, 2012

It is definitely not useless when it comes to NCLEX. The questions on ATI closely mirror NCLEX and performance on it is a big indicator of readiness for NCLEX testing. A lack of motivation is understandable and if you don't care about those 20 points there is no harm in that...just recognize that you are making a choice and should it come down to it later that you needed those 20 points, you need to reflect back on the choice you made without blaming the school for "that stupid useless ATI test" causing you to fail or have a substandard grade. It is normal to be tired by this point in the semester. I would encourage you to continue to push yourself. ATI is not "nothing". It isn't everything, but it is useful. Very.

It is also worth reminding that the nursing school world is highly political. If instructors feel you don't care about those 20 points, they will be less inclined to give you the benefit of the doubt at other times. You will get a reputation among them of being too casual about your studies. Which never flies well. There is more at stake here than just 20 points.

Best of luck. Finish strong.

Tuesday17 · Apr 16, 2012

WOW! You get that many points?! My nursing school only gave us 1% AFTER we met our benchmarks on test scores so that is very generous!! I felt the same way about ATI throughout nursing school and rarely studied it (maybe read through the Q & A at the end of each chapter just before a test, etc.). However, now that I am taking the NCLEX next week they have been invaluable to me using the virtual ATI (online tutor).

My suggestion is read through the chapters at the END where is shows the Q & A (rationale) just to get through it. You will have a leg up on the content once you are ready to start studying for NCLEX.

Good luck!

Tuesday17 · Apr 16, 2012

Yeah, that extra 1% actually put me over to graduate with honors :loveya: Which means a lot to me!

FORTHELOVEOF!!!! · Apr 16, 2012

Thanks for your input, I'm sitting pretty with an A in the class, but I know all it takes are a few bad tests to drop me down. I feel like I study Pharma all the time, every body system we study the correlated drugs, so maybe I won't do so bad anyway. I will probably do what I always do and cram, cram, cram for 4-5 hours before the test anyway, lol. Since you said they closely mirror NCLEX questions I'm assuming you are an RN, when studying for the NCLEX would you study ATI or the Kaplan, Saunders, and other NCLEX prep stuff?

FORTHELOVEOF!!!! · Apr 16, 2012

Congrats Tuesday17!! Good luck on your NCLEX. I know I'm not alone on not placing much importance on ATI but I usually study so hard for everything and I guess I just feel bad by neglecting it so I'm trying to reason my way out of studying, lol. But if it is beneficial and helpful for NCLEX I will get on it.

FORTHELOVEOF!!!! · Apr 16, 2012

Yea we do get 20 points, I think it ends up being somewhere around 4-4.5% of our grade in the class I'm in now.

Tuesday17 · Apr 16, 2012

I hated the ATI exams throughout nursing school and looked at the books with pure hate! As if "we" don't have enough crap to do, right? Now, I am wishing that I would have been a little more focused on ATI.

How I am studying for NCLEX:

Using a 2007 Kaplan book my sister gave me (she passed in 2007 with 75)

ATI virtual online tutor with numerous assessment tests (averaging approx. 70-75%)

HURST tests (took a live class during school and now I'm just completing the six tests they offer as study tools)

Reviewing the Cram Sheet and othe info received for "FREE" from All Nurses has been great!

I have done so many effing questions that my head spins each night (probably 500 per day including my assessment/practice tests). I am only giving myself 4 weeks to study for NCLEX. At this point my mind is mush...I will either be put in the State MH Facility or pass the NCLEX.

My nursing school did not have a pharmacology class. We learned on the run with each system, etc. Very disorganized and thus a weak area for most of us. I am sure that you will do fine on the test.

Thanks for the good luck! You too!

PS

I even have a job interview today :-)

allnurses Guide · Apr 16, 2012

I am an RN (yay!). Graduated this past December, passed NCLEX in Jan and did well on it.

I studied ATI and took the Kaplan course. I used Saunders a lot through school to study for exams. The ATI course books were helpful as well in narrowing down all that massive info prior to the exam into what the key bullet points were.

FORTHELOVEOF!!!! · Apr 16, 2012

We didn't have a Pharma class either, and our program is super unorganized too but that seems to be the same from most that I have talked to. Thanks for responses, you two have been very helpful:bow:

anonymousstudent · Apr 16, 2012

When we take ATI it's the other way around - level 3 is high, level 1 low. Anyway. I can't tell if it's useful or not. I guess it doesn't really matter because you (and I) don't have a choice in the matter. I hate that schools use it as part of their grades, I think that's unfair, but again, I have no input.

I have always done well on the pharm portions of ATI, though my pharm courses were horrible. They are mostly looking for significant issues with drugs and major side effects, so you will not have to do much of actually prescribing patients applicable medications from a list of 4 you've never seen. That seems to make it easier.

FORTHELOVEOF!!!! · Apr 16, 2012

I think you are right about me having it backwards, I haven't taken one in a while, I'm sure I got it wrong.