My Frustration w/ Kaplan

Nursing Students NCLEX

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Specializes in M/S, Tele, Sub (stepdown), Hospice.

I decided to do the Kaplan review after seeing that it helped so many people here. The first class was great - lots of tips about how to look at a question. After doing the Q bank questions, I now find myself frustrated :devil:. One tip we learned was "don't pass the buck". NCLEX wants to know how we're going to handle the situation, not to pass something off to the MD, supervisor, etc. I know it's not in stone but of the 3 questions I just took - every correct answer was to contact the MD or contact the supervisor. I know we're supposed to know when to call someone etc., but I feel the whole "don't pass the buck" was misleading :confused:.

Then we're taught in class that padding the side rails for seizure precautions is prohibited now.....but of course there are a few questions where padding the side rails is either the correct thing to do or it's not the answer in the "when would the RN intervene". It's appropriate in my Saunders book. Sooooo frustrating!!!!!

They say don't overanalyze the question but sometimes their rationales for certain correct answers are like "huh?!?" :uhoh3:

I'm trying really hard to remain positive & continue studying the content that I don't know or don't remember but I'm getting frustrated with the Q banks!!! I do fine (> 65%) on the question trainers & did good on my diagnostic & readiness exams so I feel confident with that but the Q bank questions are just crazy.

Anyone else taking, or has taken, Kaplan?!? What are your thoughts on their questions??

Thanks for reading :nurse:

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Specializes in M/S, Tele, Sub (stepdown), Hospice.

Also forgot to add that our Kaplan instructor had trouble explaining the rationales for a lot of the answers....talk about confusion!! :eek:

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I am getting anywhere between 52 and 58 percent on the qBank. On the question trainers, I got 70, 63 and 55 respectively, and 63 on the diagnostic exam. So I agree that the qBank questions are harder than the trainers.

There were several qBank answers that I just didn't agree with.

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Specializes in M/S, Tele, Sub (stepdown), Hospice.

Thank you for the validation!!!!! :thankya:

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Contradictions can be found with lots of info with several resources. That is the main reason why some people suggest that one pick one resource and go with it. Do not waste time on getting confused. Come to your conclusion about a particular item and move on. Chances are high that you won't receive a question on that specific area anyway, so don't waste time.

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I agree Kaplan can be pretty contradicting at times. I just took the exam Tuesday morning, and believe me its definitely more about strategy than content. Because, i didn't know a good half of my questions, I just had to use Kaplan's strategy to work them out. And Kaplan questions most closely resemble the NCLEX questions. Good luck to you!

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Specializes in ED/TELE.

To the OP, I completely agree with all that you have said. I found the QBank questions to be way more challenging and at times the rationales were quite contradictory. However, that being said, now that I've taken the NCLEX, I'm glad that I made the choice to take Kaplan. As far as content - either you know it or you don't. I think doing practice questions is a GREAT way to jog your memory about information that you may have filed away - and even if you don't know specific content, if you understand the pathophysiology of diseases, and you know the desired/side/adverse affects of major drug classes, you can use the tools that Kaplan teaches to get to the right answer. There is sooooooo much content that it's impossible for someone to retain every bit of that information. When I started the NCLEX, the questions were worded so similar/confusing as the Kaplan questions, and I was relieved that it wasn't the first time I was seeing questions like that. I think our instructor was pretty great, too, so that probably helped some. Overall, I think it's a really useful program and I'm glad that I took it. Now I'm just anxiously awaiting my results - it's AGONIZING!!! LOL. Good luck in your studies and on your exam.

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When I was going the Q trainers, every time I saw "passing the buck" in the rationales it made me laugh...I dont' know why, maybe I was tired then or tired now..lol.

Anyway, the only advice I can give is to never assume, like when they say "don't pad the side rails" or "don't pass the buck" it doesn't mean NEVER but more like usually...like don't pass the buck to the MD BUT if the patient is deteriorating and there are no nursing interventions that will help then Pass away or don't pad those bed rails unless the patient is bed ridden and it is the only solution or whatever.

Try to initially focus more on the question you are reading and less on the strategies you have been told. Good Luck!

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I have about 5 days until I'm finished with Qbank and there have been a few questions/explainations that have been wacky ( I got one today about an African American woman washing her hair every three days with shampoo...the explanation was lame:uhoh3:) . My instructor for the classroom version wasn't very good with explainations (other than what was written it her little manual), so what I did was make a note of questions I needed further explaination on, and went online to the review of questions (tool box area). The lady in the Kaplan videos gives very good explainations.

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Specializes in M/S, Tele, Sub (stepdown), Hospice.
Contradictions can be found with lots of info with several resources. That is the main reason why some people suggest that one pick one resource and go with it. Do not waste time on getting confused. Come to your conclusion about a particular item and move on. Chances are high that you won't receive a question on that specific area anyway, so don't waste time.

I totally agree with you. I'm only using Kaplan but referred to my Saunder's book when my classmates & I were really confused about the whole "to pad or not to pad the side rails".

What I was trying to say is that Kaplan questions are confusing & that's where I'm getting frustrated.

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Specializes in M/S, Tele, Sub (stepdown), Hospice.
I have about 5 days until I'm finished with Qbank and there have been a few questions/explainations that have been wacky ( I got one today about an African American woman washing her hair every three days with shampoo...the explanation was lame:uhoh3:) . quote]

Haha....I have gotten that one & thought..WTH?!?

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Now I'm curious to know the question... no African American woman I know could wash her hair every three days with shampoo... I think it'd be crazy dry, wouldn't it? What was the q?

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