Night before NCLEX TIPS Final tips for Success

Hello Everyone, I am taking the NCLEX tomorrow & I am a nervous wreck! I started browsing sites to try and find some helpful tips from others of what they did they day before and came across these..I found them to be helpful so I hope it's helpful for anyone reading as well!!!! Good Luck!

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Night before NCLEX TIPS Final tips for Success

FINAL STEPS TO SUCCESS!

SLEEP

Make sure you get plenty of sleep leading up to the exam.

THE NIGHT BEFORE

Your priority should be to get to bed early and get a good night's rest. Alcohol will not enhance your performance in the exam and you have worked too hard to get this far to make the day more difficult than it needs to be. Also watch out for excessive caffeine intake, as this may make it difficult to settle down and concentrate during the exam.

DRESS FOR SUCCESS

Dress in layers for maximum comfort. The exam center is air-conditioned and you may feel too warm or too cool at times during the exam. Also take some high-energy natural sugar food such as apples, bananas, nuts or trail mix and a bottle of water for the 10-minute mandatory break, which you will have to take after 2 hours of testing.

TAKE YOUR TIME

Once in front of the computer, take time to read the introductory screens. A scratch card will be provided, so you can make notes to yourself on key points to remember and you can also do math calculations as needed. There is also a drop down calculator as part of the exam.

READ CAREFULLY

Once you begin the test questions, be sure to read each question carefully and read all the answer choices before you make a selection. Don't allow the level of anxiety to cause you to rush to finish. You have 6 hours to answer as many questions as necessary. There is no problem if you are the last one in the test center; this is not a race.

LAST QUESTION OF 265

If you sit for the total possible questions of 265, you must pay careful attention to the last question. If you pass the last question you will pass the whole exam, if you fail the last question. This is because at 264 questions without the computer shutting down you still have not shown your ability enough for your exam to be over and so the outcome is based on the last question! Tough but true.

ONE AT A TIME

Expect to feel like you are only getting half the questions correct. Even if you are performing far above the passing level, remember that the NCLEX test is designed to challenge to your test knowledge, so you should expect to only get about half of them right. Just keep going and concentrate on one question at a time. Focus on what is on the screen and you'll be much more likely to give an accurate answer.

CONFIDENCE IS THE KEY

Be confident in the time and preparation you have invested in preparing for the exam. You have done well to get to this stage. Remind yourself of all you can achieve; a positive attitude is crucial to a successful exam outcome!

Also remember

  • Read the questions and every option thoroughly and carefully! Ask yourself, what is the question really asking?
  • Pay attention to KEY words (example: Early, late, never, best, immediately, initial).
  • Use Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory guide you in prioritizing (example: Physiological needs come first).
  • Use ABCs to prioritize(Airway, Breathing, Circulation)
  • Use the Nursing Process to prioritize (Assessment, Analysis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation)
  • Always focus on the client's feelings FIRST! If an answer reflects the client's feelings, select that answer!
  • Know the six rights of Medication Administration (Right client, dosage, route, time, drug, documentation).
  • You are always taking care of a patient.
  • NCLEX is not the "real world".
  • Don't pass the buck - this is a nursing exam and therefore it is testing the RN's knowledge, not the role or responsibilities of other health professionals.
  • Take care of the patient first and then the equipment.
  • Memorize lab values.
  • Communicate therapeutically.
  • Learn your positions and how to answer positioning questions - are you trying to PREVENT or PROMOTE something
  • Don't ever delegate assessment, teaching, or evaluation to anyone else - these are the RN's responsibility
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86711lh

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Specializes in LTC.

Very nice thread!!! Everyone should apply these tips.

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Specializes in orthopedic & HDU.

Nice. I will try and apply them on Friday

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Thanks for sharing! All the best to you on your exam!!

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Why can't the RNs delegate teaching to LPNs? LPNs do a lot of patient teaching and it is OK per my board of nursing and several others I have seen.

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For the NCLEX, RNs can delegate reinforcement of teaching already performed by RN. I know in the real world LPNs do teaching as well.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

All of the above is great. And given the recent threads in the forum about this...

LEAVE THE CELL PHONE AT HOME. Or leave it in the car.

Do not bring your cell phone with you because you are not allowed to be used at the testing center for any reason. If you're worried about not being out on time to get work, call work before the test and give them a heads-up you may be late. If you want to text your SO about how the test is going, wait until after you finish and head home so you can vent your heart out. If you are expecting an emergency call...well, for the next 6 hours the rest of life will have to wait.

If you are caught using a cell phone, even if your intentions are innocent...at the best you will have the test invalidated and be out the fee; at the worst, the BON will get involved. And they don't accept "I didn't know" as an excuse because it's plainly in the agreements that you sign to take the test in the first place.

You worked hard to get to this point--don't blow it by doing something, for lack of a better word, stupid.

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Thank you for the tips, but I think the one about getting the last question right out of 265 is incorrect. If a tester gets to that point, nclex will grade based on the last 60 questions taken.

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Don't study the night before! Relax, watch a comedy, go to bed early.

You likely will feel like you answered every question wrong. Don't stress over it; go on to the next one with a clear head.

About 75% of my NCLEX was "Select All That Apply." HUGE stress for me! A tip I learned beforehand was to treat every statement in these questions as a separate True/False question, which must have helped immensely, because I passed at 75 questions.

Above all, best of luck! You have gotten this far! Treat it as a review of all you've learned.

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Specializes in ER / Critical Care.

Very interesting!

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If you are down to the final night before the test I dont recommend doing anything except relaxing. Go see a movie, go to sleep early. Do anything except stress or study. Let your brain relax so it will be ready to go in the morning.

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No, when you get to 265 they base it off of the last question and even if you get the question right you can still fail if it is not considered a "passing question". When you run out of time is when they take the last 60 questions into consideration.

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