craftysari44

I'm not sure what study smart means but I do know that first semester in nursing school is a huge adjustment! They start you off asking application questions and you are not used to that. I would recommend getting the Kaplan 2012-2013 NCLEX prep book. It teaches you "how" to approach the questions and the decision making that you should go through. You could also hire a tutor for something like that. Good luck. Let me know if I can help you in any other way. I am a tutor in nursing and for the NCLEX.

If it has been since 2007 that you have studied, I recommend a full content review, being in a study group for 3 months and possibly a tutor. Content needs to be refreshed AND decision-making; confidence needs to be built again. Good luck!

Sometimes, it is not about what study program you used...it could be about knowing "how" to take the test questions; it could be about needing to have the basic nursing info integrated in your mind; it could be about how you are studying... I would recommend a private tutor and a study group. The tutor will help you discover where your holes are in learning and will help build your confidence in answering questions by showing you how to methodically answer each question. There is an art to answering the NCLEX questions and needs to be learned. Some of the questions are written to steer you away from the obvious answer. Good luck in your studying!

he If you are not already doing this...when you are reviewing material, just reading does not add to your memory very much. Try reading it out loud and walking around while doing it. By reading (seeing), saying, hearing, moving around...you will process the material much more completely and remember it better. Good luck!

CONGRATS TO ALL OF YOU WHO PASSED! You deserve it for all your hard work!

It is normal to feel this way. Something inside you is ready to go forward and start your new career. Your Master's Program has not only given you the content information you needed but also the emotional maturity and so things are not the same... Give yourself a break and understand that you will have to grieve the loss of the old role even if you enjoyed it & have friends in order to completely make the transition to being a Nurse Practitioner. Ann

When I went to school for my Nurse Practitioner, the difference between MS & MSN was whether you did a thesis vs. a project. I opted for the project and it has never made any difference in my career. Hope that helps!

Content is important BUT the NCLEX tests at the application level so if you don't know how to understand and answer each style of question you may not make it. Join a study group or hire a tutor that will push you. Good luck!

I agree with all of the above but most especially with Kaplan questions being the closest to the NCLEX and your level of content understanding. You could read and read and never remember enough. Use all your senses...review by reading, saying it outloud, making study sheets, imagining it in your mind. If you see it, say it and here it you will remember much better. Find a study group or hire a tutor. Work on learning how to answer all the different types of questions. Kaplan is good with that too! Good luck!

Serenitylove14 - good rationales! The answer is all in the type of therapy. The client is not in crisis and systematic desensitization is to help clients be less fearful of things. And we wouldn't want to provide positive reinforcement for an undesired behavior. Knowing the definitions of the various kinds of therapy is the key. When studying and answering NCLEX questions, keep reference materials nearby and look up the things you don't absolutely know what it means! This will help reinforce your learning because you have a reason to look for the answer and therefore, remember it better. So aversion therapy is the correct answer!

Really studying and applying the strategies that Kaplan promotes in their Kaplan NCLEX RN Strategies, Practice and Review book with ISBN #978-1-60978-565-9 (2012-2013 version) will really make a difference. This is not their decision tree method and I believe is a much better way of approaching the material. More questions? Just send me a private message. Ann

LPN schools can be expensive and they do offer loans BUT...an RN at a community college will allow you to possibly qualify for grants, scholarships from the federal government (if your husband doesn't make too much $$) and lower interest loans. RN is better pay in the long run and more guaranteed jobs. LPN's can't do as much as the RN and some places are hesitant to hire because of that. Good luck!

Confidence will increase if you know your lab values back and forth, up and down. Memorize, memorize, memorize!!!! Kaplan's decision tree doesn't always "speak" to every learner. There are other ways to learn how to answer the questions. 1. Read the entire question and then ask yourself, what is the question really asking me? Decide whether it is asking you for the correct answer or for the incorrect answer (and the other 3 answer choices are correct). Whisper the question to yourself so you can hear the question too. 2. Do not read the question and then say to yourself "I know what that answer is" because 9 times out of 10 you will choose the wrong answer. Research has proven this fact. 3. Every answer choice is going to represent applied knowledge...there will not be any content questions and if there is, consider it as a gift from the board. More later..... Ann

I agree with the other comments. Strategy is VIP because if you cannot identify the distractors, key words and systematically work your way through each question then you won't be successful. It isn't all about knowing content! Maybe having someone work with you one-on-one would help.

Was it the Kaplan Strategies book about 1" thick? I think Kaplan does a great job of teaching how to take the different types of questions and a systematic way to approach each question. You must remember that the NCLEX is not testing for content but for application and there is a steep learning curve to answer questions like this. Practice, form a study group, hire a tutor...

Lots of great suggestions for studying here. The problem is everyone learns differently. What works for one student may not work for another student. Recommendations for certain books may make the difference for one student but may not for another student. Carefully pick and choose your materials to study from based on how it feels to you. Go to a bookstore and look at the different study guides that are available. Take an actual practice test to see where your weaknesses are and what you need to focus more on. Learning how to answer the different types of questions is key. Practicing application questions is also key. Good luck!

Sorry to hear that your NCLEX experience didn't turn out well. What I recommend is focusing on learning "how" to dissect the different types of questions and the thinking process of answering each question. This is an art to it and a very important part of studying for this exam. Hope this helps!

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What I find when I tutor for the NCLEX with students who have failed at least once is that they didn't spend much time learning "how" to dissect and answer the different kinds of questions. Every question should be approached in a cautious and careful way to determine what the question is really asking and then looking at each available answer to compare against what the question is asking. Sometimes a key word like "priority" will tell you that you can only choose one procedure or patient to work on. Sometimes NCLEX takers will be tricked by questions with answers that don't show enough staffing or equipment/supplies and the student answers the question based on the real world and not the ideal world. The textbook answer is always the answer that should be chosen, not what you have seen in clinicals.

I don't see where anyone is posting about knowing "how" to take the test...the thinking process, priorities, how to really think these questions through. There is a science to this and I find that many students studying for the NCLEX just skim over the review book sections about "how" to answer different types of questions. THIS IS A REALLY CRUCIAL PART OF STUDYING FOR THE NCLEX! I tutor for the NCLEX so I welcome any questions you many have.

CONGRATULATIONS!

I recommend a combination of studying material and doing actual test questions is the best way to prepare. A great site to practice with actual questions is NCLEXPNprep.com - Your #1 source for passing the NCLEX Practical Nurse and of course they want to sell you something but there are FREE questions for you to do. If you decide you want to buy some tests, I found a discount coupon for 15%. PROMO CODE is: SAVE-RLWU. Good luck! Let us know how you do.

Great job & congratulations!

CONGRATULATIONS!

I think Kaplan does a great job especially for how they teach "how" to answer questions and the mindset/context you should be using. Good luck!