Lab tests on NCLEX-PN.

deveonag9 · Feb 18, 2009

I took the NCLEX-PN last week and all I can say is study, study, study those lab names and reference ranges. Put up poster boards or sheets of paper with the labs on the walls in your room. Look them over before bed, after making your bed, etc. Make up note cards with the lab names (include what abnormals indicate under the lab names but use small print with a pen and study this once you learn the names and ranges, you have to walk before you crawl) on the front and the reference ranges on the back. Study them as much as you can. Do you have an idea of which ones to study? If not, let me know. Practice writing down the lab name and reference ranges on a sheet of paper. Cross off the ones you get right. Continue doing this until you get them all right without looking at the answers. I was not good at it either but I have been working as a graduate and it is nice to know the important ones. I hope that this will help you because it helped me. I was sitting there taking the NCLEX-PN and thanking God that I knew lab values. You may or may not get them but they are nice to know anyways.

:twocents:FYI:Use highlighters.I saw or read this tip somewhere a while ago and it helps.I think it keeps you alert.

Good luck!!!!!!

VIXEN007 · Feb 18, 2009

Ditto on the above post. Don't you look at your patient's lab values when you are prepping for clinicals? Make it a point to learn 2 lab values per day. You should know the norms and what causes the patient to be above or below normal. Then you need to know what interventions to consider. Start with the basics like sodium and chloride. Then do potassium and calcium. Then magnesium and phosphorus. Just learn 2 a day. Once you learn them, they are yours!

suzanne4, RN · Feb 18, 2009

Do not focus on memorizing them, but understanding what they mean and how they could affect your patient. This is what the exam will be looking for. As well as what you are going to do when you get a result that could potentially cause problems for your patient.

At this point in time, if you are preparing for the NCLEX; worst thing to do is to try and memorize. Rather, you want to learn it. That way the material will keep with your forever and that is what you want to see.

Please be aware that each and every NCLEX exam is different, there is actually a pool of 2500 questions available to the computer; it is going to depend on what is there as well as how you answered the above question. You may not get any labs, or you may get a ton of questions on them. Anything that you had in school can be on the exam, and even things that you did not see. The exam will also focus on your weak points as well many times.

Best of luck to you with your studies.

sikesjj · Feb 18, 2009

THANKS EVERYONE!!!! I was in school for my BSN and had to move before my last semester to another state (husband's work) so I have applied for my LPN based on my BSN schooling and they finally approved it, I have been working on it a year, so I'm rather rusty on my knowledge since I haven't used it in that long.

sikesjj · Feb 18, 2009

I am guessing I need to focus on fluids and electrolytes, but what do you suggest?

suzanne4, RN · Feb 18, 2009

Anything and everything can be on the exam. Impossible to tell you only one area to study.

suzanne4, RN · Feb 18, 2009

Focus on abnormal situations, what you would do in a certain case. This is what the exam is going to be looking at. What you would do in a certain situation first thing.