tootRN

Hi, there! I'm sorry to hear about your NCLEX struggles. But, you're not alone in this. The majority of NCLEX questions are written at an applying level or above. So what does this mean to you? Your critical thinking skills and nursing knowledge need to be really sharp. Essentially, you need to be able to use intelligent intuition to make decisions in these question scenarios. Critical thinking isn't a skill that is necessarily taught (explicitly) in nursing school, and that's a large reason why so many students and grads struggle with "putting the pieces together". When I work with my tootRN students, this is a skill that we really fine tune-- and is why they are so successful in passing the NCLEX! Consider these things: 1) Identifying what you PERSONALLY feel is your biggest challenge. Is it UNDERSTANDING the concepts (knowledge), interpreting what the question is asking, or a combo of the two? 2) If you are doing content review, focus on understanding, not just knowing. Anyone can know... we need to understand (how, what, where, when, why!) So as an example, reading a chapter on the s/s of VSD and trying to remember them all is not as effective as understanding the normal A&P of the heart and blood flow through it. If you have this foundation of knowledge, you can build on it-- and really well! This is critical thinking; taking your knowledge a step further and further and further so you can see the big picture. Not only is this helpful in test taking, but in professional practice as well. Finally, 3) adopt a clear strategy of answering questions. The steps my tootRN students learn to do is: STEP 1: What is this question asking me? What are the key points in this question? Essentially, summarize the question into this simplest form. STEP 2: Think about expected outcomes. Meaning, what do I think is happening, or will happen, based on the problem in the question from what I just read? STEP 3: What are the results of each item (the answer choices), and which one do I want to happen or do I expect/ aligns with the thoughts I had in step 2? And... if nursing is what you want to do, do not allow negativity to sway you from your goals. People are unsuccessful in testing for a wide array of reasons. Failing the NCLEX is not an exclusive determining factor of the type of nurse you will be. And, the NCLEX itself is not free of flaws... and is not designed to be a "weeding out" assessment. Very, very best wishes to you!

Good feedback here! I'd just add to keep in mind actual vs. potential... Actual diagnoses should be the priority over potentials.

Hi, Lauren- Sorry to hear about all this stress coming your way... deep breath! I think a super important question you need to ask yourself is how do YOU know that YOU want to be a nurse? Forget other people's reasons and the pressure that's surrounding you to do it... and really do some self-reflecting on if this is what you want to do with your life. Nursing is a fantastic career... for those who choose it! School will be tough and overwhelming for even the most prepared of students! Nursing is a life-long commitment; to yourself, your patients and the profession. Whatever you choose to do with yourself should be your choice-- this is my best advice. If this is not your desire, don't do it! You don't want to be a miserable nurse :-) That can equal danger! I wish you well and hope that you follow your heart! And don't rush yourself... it's not a race. ;-)

Ogden is a pretty good text for nursing students getting into Dosages & Calcs. I have some dosages & calc tutorials on my YouTube channel (as I'm sure there are lots of info on YouTube!)-- check there as well :-)

So very often in nursing school with NCLEX style questions, it's not just about knowing the content-- but what to do with the knowledge you have. Critical thinking and application skills are so important when it comes to "nursing" tests. Consider doing some practice NCLEX style questions together, plus rationale review. Be sure to work on application of knowledge: What's the question asking? What are the key words? What are your expected outcomes of this question? What will the result of your action (answer option) be? Give it a try! Hope this helps! And, check out my IG-- you'll find lots of helpful things there!

Hi, LNOUVRESE NCLEX style questions are an animal of their own :) As I am sure you are finding out, these are not "black and white" questions that you can find exact answers to in a book. Rather, these require critical thinking and analyzing. What's that mean?.... based on the information that you are given in the question, your nursing knowledge, and the perfect world scenario all of these questions are set up in... you must make an educated nursing decision on what the correct thing to do is. The ability to do this (well) comes with some time and practice, so don't beat yourself up! I don't know prepU and it's not something that I have used before with my students, but there are several helpful resources out there. If you are going to invest in any books or other NCLEX practice material, be sure to get something that 1) gives you rationales for every answer option; reviewing these are a GREAT way to learn how to answer questions and 2) has a little bit of content review in it; just so you have a fast place to reference if you need it. You'll get there.... Best wishes to you!

Awesome!

Hi, RNinmyhead- Starting school (especially nursing school!) can feel like a big task! It is certainly a LARGE step in the right direction. There are tons and tons of nursing school options everywhere, so one of your goals should be finding what works best for YOU and personal life. I would suggest that you first identify the school(s) where you are interested in attending and obtain the information from them as to what (if any) pre-reqs they require. BSN is the way to go! With the changes in healthcare and nursing, more and more facilities are seeking out BSN prepared nurses- so why not give yourself the leg up? Working in a hospital and having that professional connection can certainly help you come "job hunting" time. Finally, a very (and I mean very) important task will be research. It's important that you do your homework on the schools you are interested in. This means checking accreditation, NCLEX pass rates, job placement, faculty turnover, clinical affiliations...etc. These things are very important to both your education and future (i.e job and continuing education). Best wishes to you!

So nice to hear about your day! Your positive experience will be soooo refreshing for new nursing students to hear! ATI is a great resource and can really help you master NCLEX style questions and content! I refer my students to them often :) Well wishes to you on your nursing journey!

I'm not sure what the question itself is? Are you trying to find how many ml's to admin? Or if this is a safe dose for the child?

Hi, Doriancita- That depends on what that goal is for the patient. For example, are you trying to expand fluid volume, resuscitate with fluids, shift things in/out of cells, add sugar....etc? This is where learning about hypo- hyper- and isotonic solutions come into play. What's your understanding of these?

Hi, sarahdollz Doing your research on schools is such an important thing! I'm glad to see you've started that! There are some important things you should consider getting answers to before making a decision: 1. Pass rates and what the school offers in terms of NCLEX prep for students 2. Accreditation 3. Clinical sites... do they have the quality and quantity? 4. Faculty experience 5. Job placement 5. What are the students saying about their experience!? I hope these things help you! Best wishes!

Hi, jujurulez- I think that if nursing is truly where you want to be, go for it! :) If you have the option to get into a BSN program, even better! As nursing is advancing, there is a growing need for BSN prepared graduates- so this will give you a bit of an edge. In re: to working as a CNA vs. your current job, I suppose that will really depend on your own personal needs that you have. CNA experience may help you in the future as far as landing a job as a RN (since you have the connection)... so this is something to consider? Don't be swayed by the hardship stories of grads finding work. Trust me when I say there is still a spot for you out there! It may just take a little bit of time and effort. BUT! A BSN sure does look attractive to potential employers! Best wishes to you!