Shoould I Take A Review Class????

suzanne4, RN · Sep 15, 2005

It all depends on how well that you can review on your own. I personally only recommend Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN.

Read some of the other posts here and then you can decide for yourself.

ManyRN2B · Sep 16, 2005

It's totally up to you. I took 2 review courses. One I paid for called Hurst review that I did online and I highly recommend it!!! So that may be an option if you don't have time to go to a class while working. You have access to the computer for 90days and can do it at your own pace. She also sends you tons more information in the mail.

Then I took medspublishing through my school. It was free or should I say given to us for paying for the darn thing each semester. WE didn't have a choice each semester.

As far as material to buy. Here is how I rank them. (I've had many books)

#1 I love Lippincott Q&A book. This book to me was hard like the nclex and really had challenging questions. While I was studying for the exam I wanted to throw that book sometimes but after taking the exam, I realized how it really did prepare me for the actual exam. With their questions you could almost always narrow it down to 2 really good answers (like the NCLEX). So it help prepare on which one was best to select between the two.

#2 My favorite comprehensive review book is NCLEX-RN A comprehensive Study Guide 5th edition by Joann Zerwekh and Claborn. Do you know the ppl that make the Memory Notebook of nursing books? Well this is their review book and their review book is just as good.

#3 Saunders Q&A. I didn't use their review book because I didn't like the way it was set up. I thought Zerwekch did a better job of breaking down everything. I felt like the book was talking to me rather than at me.

#4 Another resource is the Medical Surgical Nursing Reviews& Rationales book. This book is good at visuals. Has great pictures, explains the disease well, and after the exam when I was looking up answers, this book had the answers! All the other books didn't. Believe it or not. So this is a good "resource" when you just can't find an answer to something or want to clarify a confusing topic.

#5 NCLEX3000/3500 CD ROM. To me this was comparable to Saunders. The only difference is the exams on this CD, it will break down how you did in each area like the NCLEX as well as subject area. So you will know where your weakness are and where to focus.

#6 NCLEX-RN101: How to Pass! 5th Edition (Includes CGFNS) This book is really good finding your weakness and strengthing them. The questions are similar in style as Kaplan, Rationales are great and qustions are similar style to the NCLEX in that they are not wordy like the NCLEX.

#7 Pharmacology I used Davis Pharmacology for the NCLEXRN. It's an older edition but the book is really good. Has 10 comprehensive exams in the back and I think I did maybe 4 and after that my pharm area on my comprehensive exams from other books were really high. I only got 3 pharm question on the NCLEX. Which I knew them all, which was surprising because so many ppl come out of the NCLEX saying they had never heard of the drugs.

Also if you get a chance to go to the book store the new book Exam Cram NCLEX RN has a great chapter on Pharmacology. It breaks down lots of suffix's and prefixes for classifications of drugs. THis really helped me for the NCLEX too because I knew the drugs based on the suffix. I didn't like the whole book but if you ever go to the bookstore, sit down and write that chapter. I think it's only like 12 pages long but shoudlnt' take long.

Good luck and I'm sure I gave lots of information. I don't believe in sticking to one book for the NCLEX because then you are not exposing yourself to a variety of question/styles of questioning. I hear alot of ppl come out of the exam saying they never heard of somethings...etc..Nothing on my exam I had never heard of! One thing I hadn't really studied that was on it but I had heard of it.

Good luck and Hollar if you need more help!!!

Tiffany RN, BSN

Post Cardiac Surgery Nurse

Work Starts 10/10/05

Bambury · Sep 16, 2005

I just got offered my first job as a soon to be graduate nurse!!! I start the end of October and have 90 days to take the NCLEX.. I think it's going to be hard to fit a review class in with my training. My question is to those of you whom have taken it....was it worth it?? did it help you pass??? i live in upstate ny.
Thanks, Amy :wink2:

Yes. Take all the help you can get. But whatever you do, stay committed to it.

Bambury · Sep 16, 2005

Yes. Take all the help you can get. But whatever you do, stay committed to it.