HURST REVIEW--Is it worth it?

Nursing Students NCLEX

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Hi Graduate Nurses,

I graduated in December and am preparing for the boards. I read a few pots in the NCLEX area on here and learned about Hurst Review. I have never heard of this. Can some one fill me in. My school uses ATI as part of on core program. Kaplan and ATI came to our school to talk about their NCLEX programs. But again I have never heard of Hurst Review. My teachers never metioned. Fellow graduates, fill me in.

Howard :cool:

I did the Hurst and failed. I didn't think there was enough on medications unless you looked at the 5th day stuff. In small print at the end of the book "Take at least a week to study before testing" Um I should have read that. Now I am doing the NCSBN review. I like it a lot in conjunction with Hurst. Lots of practice quizzes JUST like the actual exam. For all of who need to work on SATA.

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I did the Hurst and failed. I didn't think there was enough on medications unless you looked at the 5th day stuff. In small print at the end of the book "Take at least a week to study before testing" Um I should have read that. Now I am doing the NCSBN review. I like it a lot in conjunction with Hurst. Lots of practice quizzes JUST like the actual exam. For all of who need to work on SATA.

You will pass the next time!!!!! Keep studying!!!! I just finished the Hurst review. I hope, I pass the first time if not I will take it again. Do the questions on NCLEX look like Kaplan, Hurst review, or Saunders?

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Okay so these are all of the NCLEX prep tools at my disposal:

  1. Learningext.com
  2. 4th Ed Saunders
  3. Princeton Review book and CD
  4. REA NCLEX Flashcard book
  5. Kaplan 2011-2012 Strategies Book
  6. Kaplan NCLEX-RN Meds book
  7. Old Kaplan DVDs
  8. Kaplan Qtrainer
  9. Old Feuer CDs
  10. LaCharity
  11. Exam Cram NCLEX-RN and CD
  12. Hurst Review Online
  13. And of course all my Nursing school books (my notes are long gone)

So I have skimmed through all of these and will given my opinion. But, first know, that I now that I need a content review, as I finished most of my actual nursing studies in 2008, and am just now tieing up the loose ends of my degree. So keep that in mind.

Learningext.com is more of an outline that gets a little detailed on content. At the end of each module you get 20 questions that are real NCLEX style of course, because that is who made the site. Some modules are way longer than others. There is so much info here that I have decided to print it out. Because like I said this focuses more on content, and because I need a sold overview of content, I will use other things first and come back to this as a kind of check-off to make sure my knowledge is where it should be. And that is really what I think it is good for.

Saunders is really all content in outline form. I don't think the questions in the book are very Nclex style. I will answer the end of chapter questions and if I score higher than 70% I will move on to the next chapter, if not I will read and study that chapter, until I am confident in that area.

Princeton Review book and CD I will just be using the CD for more questions after everything else.

REA NCLEX Flashcard book seems pretty good. I will use it for whenever I am out to do questions, before I finish my content review. Breathe, sleep, eat NCLEX right?

Kaplan 2011-2012 Strategies Book of course i chock full of strategies to answer the questions, and has a lot of practice questions in the book and on the CD. I will use this after I feel confident in my core content.

Kaplan NCLEX-RN Meds book is in flashcard format with 2 per page. Has a lot of meds in it, which I don't really care for, BUT the fact that the drugs are listed by category make it a keeper for me. I will be using this mostly on the go like the REA.

Old Kaplan DVDs I am converting these to MP3s so that listen whenever I am in the car (I hate listening to the radio), but when I am in I will listen & make notes, then listen again to reinforce content. Then I will go and tab and highlight my notes to make them more concise, and easy access. I will do one section per day if possible. And also I will try to make this coincide with my Feuer and Hurst as much as possible.

Kaplan Qtrainer self explanatory

Old Feuer CDs I am using them the same as the Kaplan DVDs. I like them and they are organize according to med surg, maternity, ect.

LaCharity is a book with 3 parts. Part 1 is only a few pages and explains, what priority, delegation, and assignment really mean. Part 2 is the largest section of the book (really workbook) with questions in sections according to care area (pain, cancer, infection control, ect) really thought provoking. And part 3 is 21 case scenarios, each dealing with patients with different health issues. It gives a few paragraphs of background info, and then 15-20 questions. I am doing a section a day, and then really spending time understanding the rationales. I really like this book!

Exam Cram NCLEX-RN and CD I really like this book. Firth the pharm section really tries to make meds simple, according to type, and the general s/e. It is really a too the point content review (unlike Saunder's who, which want's to explain every detail). The end of chapter questions are pretty good, and I also like the fact that at the end of each chapter it give you pharm categories to review for that area. And lastly though I have yet to use the CD it is supposed to e CAT like NCLEX, and I think that its important not only to answer loads of NCLEX questions, but also to see what happens where you get the correct and incorrect. I will use the CD toward the end of my study. I will use the book for reinforcement after I have listened/watch the lecture based reviews and done Saunders on each particular content area, and feel confident.

Hurst Review Online some like it and some don't. I have only gone through 3 vidoes so far (one was an introduction, and the other two Fluids and Electrolytes). They are about an hour each give or take. But, I love it. Marlene Hurst does most of the lectures herself, I am a southern girl and love the accent, and she really has a funny bubbly style, that helps to retain info. Some say that she is more content less critical thinking, but I would have to say that is untrue. She teaches the true meaning of a priority question, and tells you to look out for the killer, which may not hold true for every NCLEX question, but for most I think would, the lecture goes along with a handbook, with blanks that you fill in throughout, and she really follows it during the lecture, so when itis all said and done you have a little handbook, that you have heard, read, and helped to write that is called the "core-content". Marlene says if you know this stuff (not just memorized) you will pass. She gives the example of the easy questions on NCLEX being things that you just memorized (like Curling ulcers in burn pts), but the harder questions (which you want on NCLEX, because that means you are passing) have to come fromyour long term memory of he core concepts that you know. So I like it, and I will try to do 1 content area per day, which in today's case was 2 videos. I would vote for the online because I have kids and don't have time to spend hours away from home, because I can pause to make sure I write good notes in my margins, because I can rewind to get something I didn't get the first time, and because I can go over an area over and over again if needed.

And of course all my Nursing school books to look up anything I need that Google can't tell me.

And so far out of these sources Feuer and Hurst gave me some pretty good tips for answering questions as far as priority goes. And they are remeber the ABCs, "call the doctor" is almost NEVER the correct choice what can YOU do FIRST, look for the killer (if you don't do the pt WILL decline further and will die fast or slow), and if presented with a problem question and an assessment or an eval are one of the answer choices, it is probably the right answer.

My :twocents:

Your plan sounds great to me!!! When do you plan on taking the NCLEX?

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Probably some time this summer, maybe sooner.

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I'm mainly studying with Saunders cuz I need to study alot of content. Does Hurst offer more? Would it be the Hurst online or book version? Any advise would be great.

Thank you.

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I'm mainly studying with Saunders cuz I need to study alot of content. Does Hurst offer more? Would it be the Hurst online or book version? Any advise would be great.

Thank you.

Saunders offers more!!!

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Saunders offers more!!!

Thank you tildor. I'll contine with Saunders. I'm not finished with it but so far so good. If I needed another

content book I was thinking Hurst. :idea: From what I've read ....Kaplan questions are similar to NCLEX exam.

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oh my goodness this is to much to grasp! great thread lots of info! I failed the first time, and now I'm trying to figure which online class is best for me. I def need a lot of content and pharmacology. Hurst sounds good! Has anyone done ati's online review?

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I was hesitant to pay the initial cost for the online review (video review), but after having passed NCLEX with 76 questions I feel like it was 100% worth the investment. Furthermore, I had been out of school for nearly four months and only studied here and there so it really helped me prepare for the job after having been out of the loop for so long. I LOVED the content, the way she taught was unlike anything I had ever had in nursing school...it was so clear and easy to understand. I'll tell everyone I know who is going to take NCLEX to take the HURST review. so worth it!

:D

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I was hesitant to pay the initial cost for the online review (video review), but after having passed NCLEX with 76 questions I feel like it was 100% worth the investment. Furthermore, I had been out of school for nearly four months and only studied here and there so it really helped me prepare for the job after having been out of the loop for so long. I LOVED the content, the way she taught was unlike anything I had ever had in nursing school...it was so clear and easy to understand. I'll tell everyone I know who is going to take NCLEX to take the HURST review. so worth it!

:D

Congratulations!!!!!

Was the review similiar to NCLEX questions or easier or harder?

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your resources sounds good where can i buy kaplan dvds lectures and hurst ? im taking nclex this summer too.

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TILDOR,

The review was 99% content review then you have the option to take their mock nclex exam (called the Q-review) up to six times before your exam. I only took it 3 times (in case i failed), because you only have the option to take it 6 times over the course of two years. The questions were hard i thought (i scored in the 60's and 70's), but they definitely prepared me for the nclex. I really liked her rationales.

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