NCLEX tomorrow at 2pm....

[MrMango]

Hi all, I'm taking my NCLEX for the fourth time tomorrow at 2pm. Extremely nervous....

Unlike my previous attempts, I'm taking it in the afternoon. Hoping I'll be more alert, awake and calmer.

Since my last attempt I've been studying a lot of strategy from two Saunders' books. (ex. Strategic words, negative event query, comparable/like options, etc.) I feel a lot more confident in my ability to narrow down options.

I was hoping y'all could offer advice and prayers for me! I'm waking up and going to the gym in the morning, trying to keep my daily routine and release some endorphins before my test.

Any other general tips that helped you guys and girls pass?

[Erin1984]

Take your time! Turn off the clock on the top right. Think about each and every answer and what it means. BREATH. For sata's treat each option as a true/false. You got this!

[MrMango]

Thanks Erin!

[whatsmyusername_RN]

MrMango,

On the contrary to what Erin1984 said, I think it is better that you leave the clock on. This way, you'll be able to keep track of time. If you turn off the clock, it will only pop up when you have 5 minutes left and you might run out of time.

But like what Erin1984 said, take your time and think things through. Other things to keep in mind:

- Do not read into the questions too much.

- Do treat each option in SATA as true/false statement and eliminate incorrect statements.

- Always keep in mind that the Nclex is about client's safety and your ability to make sound nursing judgment that will keep the clients safe.

- In priority questions (who do you see first?), think of ABC (a client in respiratory distress takes priority over a client with bleeding) and if necessary, Maslow's Hierarchy where basic needs are always before psychosocial needs. Pain is usually treated as psychosocial, unless the pain has an underlying medical emergency condition, i.e. ectopic pregnancy because the risk of rupturing which will lead to fluid loss & shock.

- Concerning delegation, remember that an LPN or an RN from a different unit can only care for stable clients with expected outcomes and an UAP can only do procedures that are routine & unchanging (like feeding, ambulating, etc.). As an RN, you cannot delegate what you can EAT (evaluation, assessment, and teaching)

- Do not draw from your clinical experience when you choose your answer because that answer would be wrong. Nclex is looking for TEXTBOOK perfect-world answer, not the imperfect real-world answer. In the perfect Nclex world, you have the time, resources, personnel to care for the clients (this is from Kaplan).

- Do eliminate choices in which you know are wrong. And then pick the choice that would most likely help/ not hurt the client. This is also from Kaplan, if you can do one thing for the client and go home, what would you do?

- Do be confident and relaxed. I don't know if this trick will help but you can try imagining that you are taking the exam for someone else, which will relieve some pressure.

- Do not think about your prior exams and only focus on this one.

- Do imagine yourself as an RN!

Hope that helps and good luck with your exam! You can do it!

[Graduatenurse14]

GOOD LUCK!!!

[MrMango]

Very insightful! I appreciate you taking the time to post all this!

[whatsmyusername_RN]

You're welcome