NCLEX-RN review books

Nursing Students NCLEX

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Hi all:

I'm wondering which NCLEX review books you use, which are your favorites, and why?

I currently have the 'made incredibly easy' one and the Kaplan review (passing score guaranteed! or so it says on the front cover).

What are your opinions?

The CDs are my favorite part.... but the bad thing is they have a finite number of questions. Once I've seen a question once, I know the answer. So when it comes up in future practice tests it is no longer testing for knowledge, but for memorization. Does that make sense?

All opinions appreciated!

R.

Well, I have Kaplans too. In addition to Kaplans I like Saunders, Mosby's and Lippincott. Saunders is good becaue it breaks it down into sections. If you get the review book which I highly recommend it breaks it down into many sections, for example you have cardiovascular and then you have a section on just cardiovascular medications, then you have neurological and just a section on neurological medications you get the point. It breaks it down. It even have sections on fluids and electrolytes, it is rather short but gives you the basics and even a section on perioperative and positioning. There are questions at the end of each section and it comes with a CD rom that is unique. It breaks the questions on the Cd rom down into sections. You can do the study mode which focuses on just questions from one particular section or you can do the test mode which is comprehensive and is over anything and everything.

Mosby's have pretty good questions. I even seen some of the exact same questions' from Mosby's on the tests I have had. So I see some instructors favor Mosby's.

Lippincott also have pretty good questions as well.

I agree with Peaceful about the Kaplan & Saunders. The Kaplan is basically a "How to read nursing questions" book my instructor loved it so much she had our bookstore order it. I use the Saunders Comprehensive that Peaceful mentioned to study with, plus it is great practice for the boards. Actually I have been studying "mainly" from the Saunders Comprehensive book for my last 2 big tests and final....my grades where .... eye/ear 93%....GI 92%..... final 95%.....not to shabby.....Here is my list of "curent NCLEX review books:

Saunders Q and A Review for NCLEX-RN 2ND BK&CDR

Walmart.com $30.30 ISBN: 0721692389 Publisher: Saunders W B Co

Pub. Date: November 2001 Edition Desc: 2ND BK&CDR

Saunders Computerized Review for NCLEX-RN

B&N $27.95 ISBN: 0721692370 Publisher: Elsevier Science Health Science div

Pub. Date: February 2002 Edition Desc: 2ND CD-ROM

Saunders Comprehensive Review for NCLEX/RN 2ND BK&CDR

Walmart.com $31.90 ISBN: 0721692354 Publisher: W.B.S.

Pub. Date: July 2001 Edition Desc: 2ND BK&CDR

Springhouse Review for NCLEX-RN 5TH BK&CDR

AllDirect.com $34.56 ISBN: 1582551316 Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Pub. Date: October 2001Edition Desc: 5TH BK&CDR

Lippincott 7th Ed

Walmart.com $30.30 ISBN 0781730694 Pub. Date: 9-01

Pharmacology Made Easy for NCLEX-RN

AllDirect.com $17.50 ISBN: 1556523912

Pub. Date: September 2001 Edition Desc:BOOK&DISK

Kaplan NCLEX-RN with Cdrom

AllDirect.com $25.85 Format: Paperback, 6th ed., 336pp. ISBN: 074323295X

Publisher: Kaplan Books Pub. Date: February 2002 Edition Desc: BK&CD-ROM

Davis's NCLEX-RN Success BK&CD-ROM

Walmart.com $35.90 ISBN: 0803608160 Publisher: Davis F A

Pub. Date: April 2001 Edition Desc: BK&CD-ROM Comprehensive review

Princeton Review Cracking NCLEX-RN with Cdrom

AllDirct.com $20.80 ISBN: 037576190X Publisher: Princeton Review Publishing Corporation Pub. Date: April 2001 Edition Desc: 6TH BK&CDR

Mosby's Review Questions for NCLEX-RN 4TH BK&CD

Walmart.com $30.30 ISBN: 0323012736 Publisher: Mosby-Year Book, Pub. Date: March 2001 Edition Desc: 4TH BK&CD

NCLEX Review 3000: Study Software for NCLEX-RN

B&N $41.55 ISBN: 1582550948 Publisher: Springhouse Publishing CompanyPub. Date: November 2000 Edition Desc: CD-ROM

Specializes in LTC, ER, ICU,.
Originally posted by MsPurp

Hi all:

I'm wondering which NCLEX review books you use, which are your favorites, and why?

I currently have the 'made incredibly easy' one and the Kaplan review (passing score guaranteed! or so it says on the front cover).

What are your opinions?

The CDs are my favorite part.... but the bad thing is they have a finite number of questions. Once I've seen a question once, I know the answer. So when it comes up in future practice tests it is no longer testing for knowledge, but for memorization. Does that make sense?

All opinions appreciated!

R.

I have "Little, Brown's NCLEX-RN Examination Review", edited by Sally L. Lagerquist and it comes with a free diskette.

It gives a pre-test, a test after each section and a post test. Answers and rationales are given as well as Frequent asked question about the NCLEX-RN along with how to prepare yourself up to 5 weeks before the actual NCLEX-RN. It also suggest you complete your review by taking the Computer Test that comes free with this book (diskette)

If you get 75% or more on each test, you should be fine, but if you make significantly lower than 65% correct, you need to study more.

StephanysGetaway

NurseLand

Specializes in Case Management, Life Care Planning.

I used Frye's 2500 Nursing Bullets (no, this is not for unruly patients) which is published by Springhouse. It is a series of little facts rather than questions. A lot of the material came to mind while I took the boards. Passed on 75 questions. I highly recommend it.

Specializes in Med-Surg.

I recently purchased Mosby's Comprehensive Review of Nursing for NCLEX-RN Sixteenth Edition, ISBN 0-3230-0286-2

B&N $34.95. It broken down into review areas in Med/Surg, Chidbearing and Women's Health, Peds, and Psych. Within each section, it is further broken down, such as in Med Surg, it has Fluids & Electrolytes, Perioperative Care, GI, Urinary, etc. After each major review area, then you have the questions with answers and rationales as to why that was the correct answer and the others were not.

It also includes a CD-ROM that has an additional 1000 ques, answers, rationales and includes a tutorial mode and testing mode. The scores are reported for clinical area, nursing process, and client needs. I think it's helpful so far. Reading about the Saunders book makes me want to invest in that one also. I'm studying for my final exam in Fundamentals, so this book is a great investment.

Thanks for your input, everyone.

So far I really like the Springhouse incredibly easy book. The Kaplan seems to be fairly comprehensive, and it is effective preparation through 2003 (which is when I'll be taking boards).

I may check out the Saunders and some of the other books, too. I've also been using these books all along to study, and I've found a couple of questions on exams straight out of the books. That's always nice.

Anything else you'd recommend?

Y'all taking a review course? I definitely am. I'm hoping to be as low anxiety as possible when I take boards (although I know that's a long shot.... I'll probably be totally freaked).

Take care,

R.

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