Need help for my group! We are studying wrong re: Basic Skills

[avidhunter3]

ok. I need help for my group. we are in the LVN prgram, and are still trying to figure out the best way to study for certain classes. Our Basic Skills tests are all about nclex style questions. you have to critically think. We have to study keyterms and such, which is all fine, and easy to do. the problem is that the questions are not like anything we have studied. we are trying to figure out a better way to study for this kind of test. we answer the nclex questions at the end of each chapter. Are there ANY tips you might be able to offer on how to rationalize to get the best answer????? Some in our group are convinced that we shouldnt even look at the key terms or even whats in the chapter, but to me I think if you DONT know what those terms mean, how can you understand what its asking?? Any help appreciated!

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

you have to know what the terms mean. you have to study the material and know what it means. the nclex style questions are what are called application type questions that presume you know the material and can apply it to the question being asked without being told you need to pull it out of the hat to do do.''

i always advise that students as part of the critical thinking take these factors into account in every question:

• the medical disease involved, it's normal pathophysiological progression and the signs and symptoms associated with the pathophysiological changes. learn the progression of symptoms as they go from mild to serious to fatal. this helps you determine priorities of care.
  
• know the medical tests and treatments that the doctor is going to order. know which tests and treatments fit which each sign and symptom (again this helps determine priority if you get asked which to get done first). some of these tests and treatment will impact the nursing care you will give.
  
• know the steps of the nursing process, i cannot stress this enough. there are five of them: assessment, determining problems, planning care, implementation and evaluation. one of the most confusing is assessment because it is step #1 of the nursing process and the word "assess" is also frequently used in nursing interventions which are part of step #3 of the nursing process which is the planning step. assessing as an intervention is not quite the same as the full-blown assessment you do when you first encounter the patient in order to plan care; it's more of a monitoring/evaluation/observation thing when it's an intervention. each step of the nursing process is a photograph, a link in a chain; another link later on may be appropriate as well, but ask yourself if that is what the question is asking of you.
  
• there are many kinds of principles behind nursing actions (i.e., principles of asepsis, principles of osmosis, infection process, etc) that you need to know and sometimes pull into determining the answer to a question. this is where you sometimes cannot discount the science or math you learned before. something as simple as heat coagulates protein helps you to know that it is the underlying principle of steam sterilization in the killing of bacteria.
  
• read the root or stem of a multiple choice question very carefully. i've read some of the instructors manuals on how to write these questions. they deliberately give you answer choices designed to distract you from what was originally asked. a mediocre student or a student who isn't thinking will opt for the most easily distractive answer. if you've done your reading and studying you should be putting two and two together. nursing is a process of logical thinking, not guesswork. if you are narrowed down to two possible answers, try to figure out from the stem of the question if pulling in knowledge of the nursing process or the disease process is going to help you make your final decision.
  
• bottom line. . .you always have to be thinking "why". why would this be happening to the patient? why would the doctor order this? why would i do this? why? why? why? answer that, and you'll probably answer the question correctly.
  

you might also want to look at the different weblinks and information on this thread: https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/looking-test-taking-224581.html - looking for test taking strategies

[tothepointeLVN, LVN]

The best simple advice I ever got for critical style questions from a NCLEX reviewer was "keep them alive, keep them safe" Of course there are more nuances than that but its a good place to start if lost.