NCLEX 2011

[Kolm45]

nclex 2011.

how i studied for the nclex and passed on the second try.

i didn't study much the first time. i just wanted to coast through and get it over with. that didn't work lol (and i'm an honors student too), so here is my plan that i am writing in hindsight.

the only materials you need (in order of most usefulness): 1, 2, 3, 4 (scroll down to see the books).

i would do book 1 first because it helps you see the big picture. its very light and easy to read through and a good way to start your nclex preparation.

number 2 is a world of questions and it's hard and it's great. even though it is expensive, it will help you pass on the first try if you do all the questions trainers and atleast half of the qbank (that's what i did). i watched all of the videos except the psychiatry and maternity/child videos; take notes on the book itself. my scores for the question trainers ranged from 54 - 64. qbank average was 51%. scoring 60+ on question trainer 6 & 7, in my opinion, means you can pass the nclex.

book 3 is written differently and you learn so much. i did the first two sections; these sections were the biggest categories the nclex tests you on.

book 4 is semi-hard to hard, but its soooooo helpful. i did 4 chapters and i did not do any of the case studies.

materials used:

1. kaplan nclex-rn 2010-2011 edition: strategies, practice, and review (kaplan nclex-rn (w/cd)) [paperback] - $22

http://www.amazon.com/kaplan-nclex-rn-2010-2011-strategies-practice/dp/1419553445/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=utf8&qid=1303757789&sr=1-1

2. kaplan nclex online program. - $500

http://www.kaptest.com/nclex/home/index.html

go to the one week class. if you can't afford this online program, borrow money or get a part-time job and pay for it. the work will be a good escape from studying anyways. besides the nclex is $200 anyways. be a cashier somewhere and buy it with your credit card and pay it off every month. the teacher for your class may or may not be great. it doesn't matter, just go there and get an idea of what this exam is. at the end of the day, only you can study and pass this exam.

3. saunders q & a review for the nclex-rnâ® examination (silvestri, saunders q & a review for the nclex-rn examination) - $26

http://www.amazon.com/saunders-nclex-rn%c3%82%c2%ae-examination-silvestri-nclex-rn/dp/1416048502/ref=sr_1_1?ie=utf8&qid=1303757702&sr=8-1

4. prioritization, delegation, and assignment: practice exercises for the nclex examination [paperback] - $23

http://www.amazon.com/prioritization-delegation-assignment-exercises-examination/dp/0323065708/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=utf8&qid=1303757815&sr=1-1

my tips:

start out with 25 questions per day and work your way up to 100. i would take breaks after every 25 or 50 or 75 questions, even if it was a timed exam. i get tired or bored or lose the focus, so this worked for me.

after doing a set of questions in one sitting, take a break and go over the questions, reading every explanation for every right or wrong answer.

have a notebook with you so that you can write down things you may forget later. i wrote any drug related information in the back of my notebook. all others were written in the front. i marked every maternity/child note with a pink dot from my highlighter. organization is important b/c you will have to review these notes again to have the information circulate in your head.

make a list for precautions and diseases under standard, contact, droplet, and airborne precautions.

on several pieces of paper, write down all the lab values that you have to memorize.

go to the internet and print out a picture of the human spine and the nerves to see what body parts the nerves affect. don't memorize it, just get an idea.

if you need visuals, go online and print a picture of it or refer to a book you have. here is a few i have used:

http://synergyscience.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/skeleton.jpg

http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/idm3020/tut_folder/nick_tutorial/images/compcf.jpg

http://dieuduongviet.net/diendan/img/file/dieuduongviet.net---1000_o3.jpg

https://allnurses.com/nclex-discussion-forum/omg-i-passed-528887.html

i only used one book to refer to and that was my kaplan book. it wasn't the best at organization, but i knew everything i needed to know was in that book.

drugs:

kaplan was my drug book. it has 30 pages of drugs with a lot of information that you need. i didn't memorize anything. i just made sure i knew the classification and what type of drugs fell underneath it.

i drew a line down the middle of a piece of paper and named one column with food and the other without food. whenever you see a food/drug question, put it on this list. it helps immensely.

some of the most important drugs have similar endings (-olols, -prils, etc.). i wrote down the ending on a piece of paper, and underneath it wrote the drugs in contained, what it did, and its obvious and weird side effects. i did this for the anti-dysrhythmics, anti-hypertensives, antacid/antihistamines/h2 blockers, & anticoagulant/antiplatelets/thrombolytic medications. i put drugs with the same effect on the same piece of paper.

there are a bunch of drugs from different classifications that have similar side effects like otoxicity or anticholinergic side effects (dry mouth, urinary retention,etc.) . i would write in the back of my notebook the common side effects and then beneath it the drugs that had this side effect.

i didn't memorize drugs. from doing so many questions and referring back to my notes, i would just remember some of them. this goes to show you that there is no shortcut to studying.

** i learned topics by doing questions. don't panic or get nervous. the questions will help you learn. you just have to do it, take notes, and be organized. i think a month and 2 weeks is all you need to study. there is no wrong way, except not doing the work. learn to trust yourself and gain confidence. when you sit to do a practice test, say to yourself that you are going to do your best. and that you won't pick any answer unless you think it all through. the few days before the exam, i reviewed my notes only b/c it took a lot of time. i would suggest reviewing them every 2-3 weeks to have that information in your head. i may sound confident in this post, but i just went with the flow and had my ups and downs. but in summary, this test is sooo doable. just be patient and do book 1 first. the key to passing, is to see what the question is really asking. the meaning behind it. answer the question yourself before looking at the answers. you can always eliminate two. talk about the question to yourself, have a discussion in your head.

all the best j

[mzoptimistic]

congratulations to you! Im taking mine next week. Im currently reviewing the rationales from the qbank and qtrainers of kaplan. Here are my scores. qt1-7 --- 53,67,69,59,65,64,65 and my readiness test was 67. please do include me in your prayers. God Bless you! Btw, does the kaplan questions closer to the actual nclex exam? Thank you!

[caliotter3]

Thanks for posting, and :ancong!:

[pitaya]

Thanks soooo much for posting!!! My Qbank average is also 51% so you just made me feel a whole lot better about my studying, because I was thinking that was pretty awful. I may have to try that prioritization book. I keep hearing a lot about that book and I'm realizing from the Qbank that prioritization is really hard for me.

[Kolm45]

Dear mzoptimistic, I wish you the best and you'll do great because ur scores say so. I can't comment on what the NCLEX is like by law. Again all the best.

[Kolm45]

Dear Pitaya, do the priority book. For your situation, I think you learn what you're having problems with.

[KANIKA M.]

Can you please tell me the name of the sections you did in book # 3? I am takingmy boards in august and study everyday with the Kaplan Qbank. I got the Saunders book today after reading your post. Thank you for all this information. :)