I passed my NCLEX PN =) Some tips

Published

Hey everyone! So, I passed my nclex pn! I took it on 8/2; got my unofficial results yesterday. Had 105 questions.

I remember I was freaking out over it and so I thought I would just share my experience with you guys.

Studying:

My teachers had recommended that we do about 200-300 questions a day. Honestly, I didn't do that. I focused on making sure I knew the content and then I did questions as well, there were some days when I didn't do any questions at all.

I'm always hearing people talk about review courses like kaplan and such. My school had us take a 4 day review course called ready to pass - it was 4 days long, and you received a book as well. The book is awesome!! It had like everything you need to know and it was really easy to understand. In the back of the book there are questions too. I mostly used this book to study. If you're looking for a good review course, I highly recommend this one!

Studying is important.. just don't do questions and not review your content and don't just review content and not do questions.. As long as you have a good balance you will be fine.

Topics I feel you guys should know:

  • Delegation!! Know what you can delegate to a uap; know what you can do and can't do!!
  • Advance directives
  • How to keep pt confidentiality.
  • Priorities!
  • Infection control - This is realllyy important. Me as well as many of my classmates had a lot of questions based on this - know which diseases are airborne, droplet, and contact precautions!
  • Orem and Maslow - knowing these theorist really helped me with many of the questions I had
  • Lab values! Know your lab values!! Make flash cards on them! I had exhibit questions and felt knowing my lab values really helped.
  • Diabetes!
  • Nutrition - mostly disorders and what these pts can eat, can't eat
  • Sputum specimen
  • High/low pressure alarms
  • How to use mdi
  • Internal/external radiation
  • Hepatitis
  • Parkinson's
  • Pharmacology = know side effects

tips for those that are going to take the test:

  1. Go in feeling confident!
  2. Once the test actually starts don't worry about anything, just take the test
  3. Don't change your habits when taking the test - by this I mean answer these questions just like you would any other questions - don't over/under analyze the questions
  4. After you're done with the test you will probably freak out and feel as if you failed- that's normal lol
  5. After the test try doing the pearson vue trick - where you try to re-register for the exam - if you can't; then you probably passed =)

How I studied:

Flash cards

Good luck to all those that are going to take the nclex pn ; you can do it! =)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Hey everyone! So, I passed my NCLEX PN! I took it on 8/2; got my unofficial results yesterday. Had 105 questions.

I remember I was freaking out over it and so I though I would just share my experience with you guys.

Studying:

My teachers had recommended that we do about 200-300 questions a day. Honestly, I didnt do that. I focused on making sure I knew the content. And then I did questions as well, there were some days when I didnt do any questions at all.

Im always hearing people talk about review courses like Kaplan and such. My school had us take a 4 day review course called Ready To Pass - it was 4 days long, and you recieved a book as well. The book is awesome!! It had like everything you need to know and it was really easy to understand. In the back of the book there are questions too. I mostly used this book to study. If youre looking for a good review course, I highly reccomend this one!

Studying is important.. just dont do questions and not review your content. And dont just review content and not do questions.. as long as you have a good balance - you will be fine.

Topics I feel you guys should know:

- Delegation!! Know what you can delegate to a UAP; know what you can do and cant do!!

- Advance Directives

- How to keep pt confidentiality.

- Priorities!

- INFECTION CONTROL - this is realllyy important me as well as many of my classmates had alot of questions based on this - know which diseases are airborne, droplet, and contact precautions!

- OREM AND MASLOW - knowing these theorist really helped me with many of the questions I had

- LAB VALUES! know your lab values!! make flash cards on them! i had exhibit questions and felt knowing my lab values really helped.

- DIABETES!

- Nutrition - Mostly disorders and what these pts can eat, cant eat

- Sputum Specimen

- High/Low pressure alarms

- How to use MDI

- Internal/External Radiation

- Hepatitis

- Parkinsons

- Pharmacology = know side effects

Tips for those that are going to take the test:

- Go in feeling confident!

- Once the test actually starts dont worry about anything, just take the test

- Dont change your habits when taking the test - by this i mean answer these questions just like you would any other questions - dont over/under analyze the questions

- After youre done with the test you will probably freak out and feel as if you failed- thats normal lol

- After the test try doing the Pearson Vue trick - where you try to re-register for the exam - if you cant; then you probably passed =)

-

How I Studied:

Flash cards

Good luck to all those that are going to take the NCLEX PN ; you can do it! =)

Thank you for the tips, how did you study for pharmacology??

Up Vote Up Vote ×

For pharmacology I made sure I knew my prefixes and suffixes:

like -vir = antivirals

-olol = beta blockers

-prils = ace inhibitors

- cor = statins (cholesterol)

- sone = steroids

-caine = local anesthetics

-cort = steroids

- afil = erectile dysfunction

- azole = proton pump inhibitors

- tidine = h2 recpeptor blockers

- cillin = antibiotics

ceph- cef = cephalasporins

- cycline = antibiotics

- ide = oral hypoglycemics

- Lam = antianxiety

-mide = diuretics

- zine = anti psychotics

These are all from a flashcard I had .. hope these help you

Also most of the drug questions I had were like side effects of medications ; so i recommend that you study a class of meds and try to see the common side effects amongst them.

Also the book i mentioned before - Ready To Pass was really helpful .. they have charts that help to study the meds i thought that really helped as well.

But dont stress over the meds - pharm is my weak subject as well but i didnt stress over

Im not sure I hope this helped and answered your question

Up Vote Up Vote ×

By the way .. this site was really helpful

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3379554/-nclex-study-guide.pdf

Its helpful to study overall for your test & it has a good pharm section

Up Vote Up Vote ×
For pharmacology I made sure I knew my prefixes and suffixes:

like -vir = antivirals

-olol = beta blockers

-prils = ace inhibitors

- cor = statins (cholesterol)

- sone = steroids

-caine = local anesthetics

-cort = steroids

- afil = erectile dysfunction

- azole = proton pump inhibitors

- tidine = h2 recpeptor blockers

- cillin = antibiotics

ceph- cef = cephalasporins

- cycline = antibiotics

- ide = oral hypoglycemics

- Lam = antianxiety

-mide = diuretics

- zine = anti psychotics

These are all from a flashcard I had .. hope these help you

Also most of the drug questions I had were like side effects of medications ; so i recommend that you study a class of meds and try to see the common side effects amongst them.

Also the book i mentioned before - Ready To Pass was really helpful .. they have charts that help to study the meds i thought that really helped as well.

But dont stress over the meds - pharm is my weak subject as well but i didnt stress over

Im not sure I hope this helped and answered your question

Could u share the side effects you used for each category as well:-) please!!! An thank you so much this broke it down for me.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Congratulations on passing and that you for posting your tips.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

how much sata did you have? i struggle with sata any tips

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Did you learn all the lab values? All of them ? Or can you tell me which one?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank you very much for telling me how you study for pharmacology, im so stressed!!! When it comes to pharmacology ( including calculations & fluids and electrolytes ) i struggle alot !!! Thank you !!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You mean how many select all that apply? So multiple multiples .. I had a couple scattered throughout my exam .. i would say altogether i had about 12-13 SATA; 4 questions that i had to put in order and yea..

My teachers had told us that when you take the NCLEX, and see SATA questions; thats a good sign - it means you are doing good - because these are considered more harder questions.. so if you are getting SATA throughout your test you are probably doing fine ... mines were randomly scattered throughout the test.

I also struggle with SATA questions but I felt the ones on the NCLEX PN were not so hard compared to those I came across in nursing school .. if you dont feel so good on them go online and do some SATA questions.. also most of my SATA questions were drug related -- like what are expected side effects of this med - select all that apply; etc..

Up Vote Up Vote ×

no problem =)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I just made flash cards on my lab values and studied them .. i didnt study specific ones .. just studied all of them

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion