Someone, throw me out a life jacket!!! What am I doing wrong?

Twinmom06, ASN, APN · Dec 7, 2011

I suggest getting an NCLEX style fundamentals book to study from - I have Fundamentals Success and also the study guide from my Fundamentals book...both are very helpful...

Scrubmouse RN · Dec 7, 2011

Lots of NCLEX questions! Look at the rationale for the right and the wrong answer.

Most textbooks provide some sort of question bank, do those. Use the text's study guides. All these things helped me tremendously during nursing school. Good luck!

nique281 · Dec 7, 2011

Thanks Twinmom06 and Scrubmouse RN!!!

honeybadger, I apologize if you are under the assumption that I have not been studying, but I have dedicated countless hours, days and nights going over this material. Its only so much EFFECTIVE studying, and reading that I can possibly do at a given time. Anything else becomes useless and I won't retain the information any how.

I posted on AN because I needed a break, and to vent. Also, to hopefully get some suggestions that may be beneficial to my studying that I may not have thought of on my own. If you have any other suggestions, they will be appreciated...thanks!

NCRNMDM, ASN, RN · Dec 7, 2011

I make notecards which I use to play a matching game. Here's how I do it (I hope this explanation isn't too complicated):

Take your study guide, if you have one, and look over all the material on it. If you don't have a study guide, just start reading the chapters that you are going to be tested on.
If you are using a study guide, go to the chapters with matieral that is specifically mentioned in the study guide. If you aren't using a study guide, look for terms in bold, nursing interventions for specific conditions, any medication names, diagnostic tests, etc.
Make a notecard with a question, a word, or a signal phorifice on it. For example, you may have a notecard that says something like, "Provide information about Nitroglycerine."
Label the frist notecard you made with a number one on the backside where there is no writing.
Pick up a blank notecard and write all the information that answers the question you asked on the first notecard. In my example, you would write all the information about nitroglycerine on this notecard. This includes trade and generic name, nursing considerations, indicaitons for the drug, patient teaching, assessment values, etc.
Write a number one on the back of the notecard on which you have just written the answer to your first question. In doing this, you have created a notecard with a question, and a separate notecard with an anwer. You have also enabled yourself to ensure that you have the correct answer by placing matching 1s on the back of the notecards. You can now lay these notecards on the floor and study them, or look at the question and try to list as much of the answer as you can before you look at the notecard with the correct answer on it.
Procede to make notecards with all your other questions and information on them, labeling as you go. Your next set will have matching 2s on the back, the next will have 3s, the next will have 4s, the next will have 5s, etc.
Once you have finished making your notecards, mix them all up and lay the questions and answers out randomly on the floor. Make sure that the questions and answers aren't sitting right beside each other. Now you can try and match the answers to the questions, and see how much you know. When you think you've found a match, turn the notecards over and check the back. If the numbers match, you're correct. If they don't match, then you have the wrong answer for that question.

jjjoy, LPN · Dec 7, 2011

You do have one advantage now. You've already taken at least a couple of tests already, and have probably learned a bit about the... unique... style of some nursing test questions. I had to totally re-think my study strategies for nursing school tests. I felt more like I was learning how to take that type of test as opposed to learning all the material we were covering. Hated it, but it got me through the tests. On the bright side, for my own learning style, it was much less work to study "nursing school style" than to study my traditional way (read everything thoroughly, stick with it until I really understand it thoroughly). There was too much to cover to study that way and actually led to poorer performance on tests ("overthinking" the questions/answers).

Do check out an NCLEX review book. If you're in fundamentals, stay in the fundamentals section of the book. I'll bet you pass!

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Dec 7, 2011

nclex-style questions are a challenge to new students (and sometimes experienced ones) because, well, thinking like a nurse is something you have to work hard to achieve.

nclex items are developed in part from knowing what errors new grads make and how. they tend to be of two kinds: inadequate information, and lack of knowledge (these are not the same thing). the goal of nclex questions is to see if you are acceptably safe in practice as a nurse. so-- they want to know what the prudent nurse will do.

1) when confronted c 4 answers, you can usually discard 2 out of hand. of the remaining two,

-- always choose the answer that (in priority order) makes the patient safer or gets you more information. "can you tell me more about that?" "what do you know about your medication?" "what was the patient's lab result?"

-- never choose the answer that has you turf the situation to another discipline-- chaplain, dietary, md, social work, etc. it's often tempting, but they want to know about what the nurse would do. see "always..." above.

2) "safer" might mean airway, breathing, & circulation; it might mean pull the bed out of the room and away from the fire; it might mean pressure ulcer prevention; or improving nutrition; or teaching about loose scatter rugs ... keep your mind open.

3) read carefully. if they ask you for a nursing intervention answer, they aren't asking for an associated task or action which requires a physician plan of care. so in a scenario involving a medication, the answer would not be to hang the iv, regulate it, or chart it; it would not be to observe for complications. it would be to assess pt knowledge of the med/tx plan and derive an appropriate patient teaching plan. only that last one is nursing-independent and a nursing intervention.

again, they want nursing here.

4) the day before the test, do not study. research shows that your brain does not retain crap you stuff into it at the last minute-- musicians learning a new piece play the first part on monday, the second part on tuesday, and the third part on weds. then they do something else entirely on thursday; meanwhile, behind the scenes, the brain is organizing the new info into familiar cubbyholes already stuffed with music, putting it ready for easy access. on friday, the whole piece works much better.

what this translates for in test-taking land is this: the day before the test, you go to a museum or a concert, go take a hike, read a trashy novel, make a ragout, do something else entirely. take a small glass of wine, soak in a nice hot bath in a darkened tub with a few candles on the sink, get a nice night's sleep.

5) read the mayonnaise jar and do what it says: keep cool, do not freeze.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Dec 7, 2011

nclex-style questions are a challenge to new students (and sometimes experienced ones) because, well, thinking like a nurse is something you have to work hard to achieve.
nclex items are developed in part from knowing what errors new grads make and how. they tend to be of two kinds: inadequate information, and lack of knowledge (these are not the same thing). the goal of nclex questions is to see if you are acceptably safe in practice as a nurse. so-- they want to know what the prudent nurse will do.
1) when confronted c 4 answers, you can usually discard 2 out of hand. of the remaining two,
-- always choose the answer that (in priority order) makes the patient safer or gets you more information. "can you tell me more about that?" "what do you know about your medication?" "what was the patient's lab result?"
-- never choose the answer that has you turf the situation to another discipline-- chaplain, dietary, md, social work, etc. it's often tempting, but they want to know about what the nurse would do. see "always..." above.
2) "safer" might mean airway, breathing, & circulation; it might mean pull the bed out of the room and away from the fire; it might mean pressure ulcer prevention; or improving nutrition; or teaching about loose scatter rugs ... keep your mind open.
3) read carefully. if they ask you for a nursing intervention answer, they aren't asking for an associated task or action which requires a physician plan of care. so in a scenario involving a medication, the answer would not be to hang the iv, regulate it, or chart it; it would not be to observe for complications. it would be to assess pt knowledge of the med/tx plan and derive an appropriate patient teaching plan. only that last one is nursing-independent and a nursing intervention.
again, they want nursing here.
4) the day before the test, do not study. research shows that your brain does not retain crap you stuff into it at the last minute-- musicians learning a new piece play the first part on monday, the second part on tuesday, and the third part on weds. then they do something else entirely on thursday; meanwhile, behind the scenes, the brain is organizing the new info into familiar cubbyholes already stuffed with music, putting it ready for easy access. on friday, the whole piece works much better.
what this translates for in test-taking land is this: the day before the test, you go to a museum or a concert, go take a hike, read a trashy novel, make a ragout, do something else entirely. take a small glass of wine, soak in a nice hot bath in a darkened tub with a few candles on the sink, get a nice night's sleep.
5) read the mayonnaise jar and do what it says: keep cool, do not freeze.

well said and i love the......keep cool, do not freeze!!!!!

nique281 · Dec 7, 2011

-mattmrn2013,

thank so much for your suggestions. i think the note card game will be a great method for reinforcing and remember the material after studying!!

jjjjoy,

thanks, i just decided to crack open the saunder nclex review book that a friend gave to me. i must admit, i do like the way that the nclex book breaks down the "why" of things! and you are absolutely right, learning the nursing school style is far less daunting than reading from cover to cover with hopes of remembering and understanding everything.

---grntea--

thank you for that great insight. it hasn't dawned on me that altough it is difficult for me to retain all of the information that i was receiving, my biggest problem was the actually approaching the test. (probably just as important as the way that i apporach studying) i would get so overwhelmed and confused as to why the knowledge that i could repeat verbatim in notes, wasn't quite crossing over when i take the exam. but you insight has allowed me to feel more at ease. kinda like an "ah ha" moment!!! thanks again!

thanks again everyone for the positive contributions to my thread!

Music in My Heart · Dec 7, 2011

You've got very little time so efficiency is the name of the game... don't waste time on nonessential activities... immerse yourself in this stuff.

Focus on the areas where you're the weakest in the fundamentals.

Don't spend time making flashcards, writing things out, etc. While those are great tools, you simply don't have the time for it.

Read and think, read and think.

The best time to retain facts is to review them just before falling asleep. Be sure to take some summary notes or copies from your book when you crawl into bed... ruminate on them just before sleeping... you'll be surprised.

I heartily disagree with the post which suggests not studying the day before. I recommend quite the opposite. In fact, I recommend studying right up until the very second that you must put your materials away... and even copying some key values onto your test paper in those first 30-60 seconds.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Dec 8, 2011

i respectfully disagree on that last point. recent research on learning and retention indicates that last-minute cramming is not helpful and in some ways interferes with the brain's efforts to organize information for later retrieval. from my experience it also just ramps up anxiety, and that interferes c sleep and priority-setting, and it doesn't sound like this student needed that anymore either.

good luck, op! let us know how you do!

palmsofvictory · Dec 8, 2011

1. Practice Questions like a beast.

2. Pray & ask God's help with each question. Only He knows what these people are thinking when they write 'em!

Good luck!!

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