I need some advice, 72 On first Exam :(

mistydbuffa · Aug 29, 2012

Keep your chin up. Get an NCLEX

mistydbuffa · Aug 29, 2012

Argh sent too soon. Get an NCLEX study guide. That should help with understanding format and rationale. Maybe download a nclex flashcard app if you have a smart phone. Mine offers rationale. And try changing the way you study. Understand more memorize less type stuff. Try working with a study group, sometimes someone else's view can help clarify your own. Ask your instructor to explain where and how you went wrong. But don't lose confidence in yourself. You can do this!

DawnJ · Sep 1, 2012

Try to find a student that did well and spend some time studying with them.

runforfun · Sep 1, 2012

It sounds like you need to make a big change in how you study. Understanding NCLEX format can only get you so far. You actually need an good grasp of the topic being tested to do well on exams. If you do feel as if you understood the material, and you felt as if you have a good grasp of NCLEX style questions, there might be a few things you can try.

As you are studying, think about how the information could be made into questions. The first few times you are doing this, write them down, and go through a subject specific NCLEX review at the end and see if your questions match up or are at least similar to what the practice questions ask. This, of course, is not foolproof. What you will be tested on is up to the professors, not an NCLEX book.

Also, have you considered being tested for text anxiety. A lot of schools off it, and special measures can be taken for you when you are taking exams (having the test read to you, taking the test in a separate room, etc.). The bonus of this, at least according to counseling services at my school, is that these measures can also be extended to when you actually take the NCLEX.

You really should talk to your professor about exactly what you think went wrong versus what they think might have went wrong. Ask the professor to go through the test with you question by question, giving rationales. Also, see if you can find a pattern in the types of questions you missed-this could help find the areas where you are weakest in studying

Good luck to you!

llg, PhD, RN · Sep 1, 2012

I agree that you should meet with your instructor and go over the questions you missed. You need to figure out why you got the questions wrong before you can address the problem. Trying other study techniques without first identifying the problem may just be wasting your precious time. That would be like throwing a bunch of medication at a patient without first diagnosis what is wrong with that patient.

You would never do that with a patient, would you? You would first diagnose the problem ...then choose the treatment most appropriate for that problem, right? So, give yourself the same kind of good care. Find out what your problem is, THEN take steps to treat it.

Good luck to you.

GonnaAmazeYou, ASN, RN · Sep 2, 2012

It depends what areas of the test you did not do well at: let me give you an example:

Your patient is complaining of shortness of breath what do you do first?

A. Raise the head of the bed

B. Apply 2L of O2 via Nasal Cannula

C. Ausceltate Lung Sounds

D. Administer albuterol

This is an NCLEX Q and this was what got me in my first semester of nursing school- all of the answers are right, but ONE is the MOST RIGHT.

The correct answer is A by the way.

Now if you got this question incorrect because you do not know what interventions are applied to someone with shortness of breath, then you need to work on managing your time very wisely so you can study your content-- if you read this Q(or the Qs on your test) and knew they all looked pretty right, and then you just went with administer albuterol or ausceltate lung sounds because you felt that sounded the most right, then your problem is you need to work on your test taking strategies and prioritization; least invasive first, life before limb etc, etc.

I hope it helps, I know this posting might be a bit confusing, depending how far into your program you are.

seriouslyserious, LPN · Sep 10, 2012

It depends what areas of the test you did not do well at: let me give you an example:
Your patient is complaining of shortness of breath what do you do first?
A. Raise the head of the bed
B. Apply 2L of O2 via Nasal Cannula
C. Ausceltate Lung Sounds
D. Administer albuterol
This is an NCLEX Q and this was what got me in my first semester of nursing school- all of the answers are right, but ONE is the MOST RIGHT.
The correct answer is A by the way.
Now if you got this question incorrect because you do not know what interventions are applied to someone with shortness of breath, then you need to work on managing your time very wisely so you can study your content-- if you read this Q(or the Qs on your test) and knew they all looked pretty right, and then you just went with administer albuterol or ausceltate lung sounds because you felt that sounded the most right, then your problem is you need to work on your test taking strategies and prioritization; least invasive first, life before limb etc, etc.
I hope it helps, I know this posting might be a bit confusing, depending how far into your program you are.

can you elaborate a bit? i missed a question like this LoL. i choose "tell the physician". because it was the least invasive. (it replaced administer albuterol)

if that was not on there... i would have choose put raise head of bed (fowlers/semi-fowlers)

GonnaAmazeYou, ASN, RN · Sep 10, 2012

Even if call physician was an option raise the head of bed is still the answer. Basically in a nut shell there is almost always SOMETHING a nurse can do before calling doctor. I wish I could explain but the purpose of my post was to help recognize that it's not just content, but test taking strategies, that you learn in school. Kaplan, hurst, ATI all teach this stuff and you should consider doing one of the reviews while you are in school. I wish I would have known how much the strategies would have helped on tests in school.

metal_m0nk, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2012

can you elaborate a bit? i missed a question like this LoL. i choose "tell the physician". because it was the least invasive. (it replaced administer albuterol)
if that was not on there... i would have choose put raise head of bed (fowlers/semi-fowlers)

"Call the physician" is one of those answers that is not often correct - especially if there is some simple task the nurse can perform herself as one of the options. It is considered "passing the buck."

Rebeccaleigh · Sep 11, 2012

I'm actually a respiratory student but we have similar style questions, and I actually think I've had almost this exact same question, you have to learn to think through the scenario. The patient is telling you they are having trouble breathing, finding the doctor could take valuable time, you immediate question should be what can I do now to help, and that would be to raise the head of the bed and then call for help while you stay with patient, because think about it would you really want to leave a patient who is having trouble breathing to find the doctor? I like to think through what will happen on these kinds of questions.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Sep 11, 2012

does your school offer tutors?