Kaplan decision tree

krisiepoo · Jan 17, 2014

IMO, the decision tree is nice for content related questions but once you get to the higher level learning, it's always step 5, make the best choice

I don't know how to help you learn to figure out what the question is asking, hopefully when you finish the class you'll have better understanding of that because without it, you probably won't do too well (not trying to be mean, but if you can't figure out what the question is asking, pretty hard to answer the question)

Personally, I did 100+ questions/day after the Kaplan course and did fine on NCLEX. For me, it was just doing hundreds of questions, over and over and over again.

rosemaryahanor · Jan 17, 2014

Kaplan is okay for contents, I would advice do lots of questions, I personally did not like the decision tree.

rosemaryahanor · Jan 17, 2014

Make sure you read the rationales of both correct and wrong questions.

Guest757854 · Jan 17, 2014

\ said:

Kaplan is okay for contents I would advice do lots of questions, I personally did not like the decision tree.

^this! The decision tree was/is a strategy for students who canot critically think thru a question. And I in no way stand by using it. I don't like the decision tree either. But thats my opinion. To all those it has helped. .......kudos to you!

RN59217 · Jan 18, 2014

Honestly, I didn't find that any of the NCLEX questions "hid" the topic of the question like Kaplan says they do. That said, when there are a lot of "negatives" in the wording, it is helpful sometimes to reword it. Ex. "which statement, if made by the patient, shows the nurse that more teaching is required?" Well, this means that you're looking for an incorrect statement. Read the four answer choices. If you know the content of the topic that the nurse is teaching about, then look for "which of these things is not like the others". Ex. if the topic is iron deficient anemia and the patient says "good thing I can cut meat out of my diet because I do not like it anyway", then this would signal to the nurse that more teaching is required because the body absorbs heme iron better than non-heme iron... so the patient should either eat meat or really consume a lot of iron-rich vegetables.

RN59217 · Jan 18, 2014

I found that the main part of the "Decision Tree" that I used was "does this make sense?" and "ask yourself why you would do this," "what will the outcome be." First example off the top of my head is if a patient is hemorrhaging. Would you sit the head of the bed up? Think to yourself, "Why on earth would I do that? That would make them bleed out more." So you can then eliminate that answer choice confidently.

RN59217 · Jan 18, 2014

Lastly, if you just started Kaplan, don't worry... you have PLENTY of time to master the decision tree. Are you doing it online? I did On-Demand, which is the full course online. You'll have plenty of Guided Review of Questions in which Barbara Irwin will go over hundreds of questions with full rationales. By the time you take the test you'll be basically hearing her voice.

AngelofSeduction · Jan 21, 2014

i just have to get use to reading these long questions.also i have been doing the content videos and writing notes. is there anyway to remember the developmental stages and milestones and immunization. i hate those. idk how im going to remember them

ysejikem · Apr 5, 2014

I am having the same problem as you are.

BarbiWatts · Jun 22, 2016

Ok so confused, I been nursing 24 years went back for my RN now trying to get the Tree down and each test I use the tree is worse, now using it then the trainer questions I used my knowledge uggghhh I want to apply the tree on each question but when it comes to a #5 only it comes to content well if you dont know you review, but the next test is more questions that you use 5 and see, just getting frustrated over it looking for advice stay with kaplan or go to saunders and begin again