Somethings very wrong here..

MaleNursesRock · Apr 2, 2008

to add, I know im oversimplifing it, and again its all half joke/half truth (i am really not that dumb) but it makes you think about the NCLEX in general

Ok, we all know and TOLD the NCLEX is "not the real world"-you have plenty of staff, all the time in the world and ONE pt.

why then, make the NCLEX more like the real world ? why expect us to pass a "perfect world" scenario test when we will never work in such world ?-if the NCLEX is constantly updated why not upadte it then ?

I know we all must pass the nclex to work in our proffession, and once we are done we can do nursning 'the real way'

I once met an excellent RN during one of my clinical rotations, (like in first semester)-she was jamaican..i was working on my care plan and trying to come up with pt goals, she looked at me and with that great accent said

"jon, look its easy..whatever the pt has thats bad...you dont want it..if they have problems breathing..you dont want that.., if they are malnourished..you want them nourished, and vice versa"--i had a light click on--simplify--my instructor, another great nurse of like 40 years--heard this and had her hand covering her face, shaking it, smiling

she said "jon, in the real world yes, but you are still in school" (light off)

I know we must answer the questions on the nclex on what "they" want us to answer, regardless of "real world" sceanrios etc.. and i can accept this and know this....but i just think that true "critical thinking skills" consist of thinking outside the box, in a non perfect world where everything is not perfect-

chichimitchi · Apr 2, 2008

dude i think u over analyze everything.. ive been reading all ur post and wow dude u think way to much, maybe thats why ur not getting these answers right.. i dont know yo just a thought :)

CrystalClear75, BSN, RN · Apr 2, 2008

Don't feel bad, it confuses me too... I just try to pick out the best answer by keeping in mind the patient's safety and physiological needs after finding the "stem" of the question. Sometimes Maslow, abc's and safety being priority is a good way to go and I feel sometimes it isn't. I'm literally picking at my brain here with all of this information! :banghead: :bluecry1:

MomenTs · Apr 2, 2008

was that question in the saunder's book for real? thanks

I was thinking in a sense: the good samaritan law.

The question is very vague also, Doesn't say if patient is in the middle of the road or the side of the road. Anyways.

Yeah a/c to maslow's Physiological needs before Safety always. Depends from scenario to scenario, but definitely if the question has answers with physiological and psychological answers. Always physiologic ones before psychologic ones. I guess each question is different just like each patient will be different for us.

Yeah, all these questions can get very confusing sometimes, we just have to keep moving forward and not get stuck in one question. I know you know it all, I'm just reminding myself basicially typing here. hehe. But yes, definitely NCLEX wants book answer and not real world answer. Good luck

ivy120 · Apr 3, 2008

..Ok im just reading my saunders book (again), the first time i skipped the first few chapters on "how to take the nclex", i just read the "content" stuff (which is alot, the book is HUGE)
anyway, it says when answering questions on NCLEX use MASLOW for priority. i got one of the sample questions wrong becasue i put SAFETY first..we were CONSTANTLY drilled in nursing school safety first. but according to the NCLEX its second ??? maslow "physiologic" needs are first ?-
soo,
1. What would be the priority for a nurse to take when he/she sees a malnourished homeless man in the street with oncoming traffic coming his way.
A. counsel the man on his behaviour
B. call the Doctor (sorry, couldnt help myself there)
C. Offer him a ham sandwhich to eat
D. Move him out of oncoming traffic
--well, i guess im just gonna offer him a ham sandwhich then. cause MASLOW says physiological need comes before safety ??!! (huh)
sooo according to that- i now know that i missed alot of those priority questions on the NCLEX..cause i was taught pt safety first.
?

:twocents: hello dont kno if this will help you any, but according to maslow's safety is # 2. Maslow's # 1 is air, food, shelter. sleep etc.... so that is why you would give the dude food... in the question is states that he is malnourished... (but in reality, can you give him food if he is in harm's way? u would want to remove him 1st right? but u live in the nclex world.. dont fight! i learned that the hard way!)

i remembered being drilled in nursing skool too.. safety 1st.. but in the nclex world... it really depends on the situation, and what choices you ave to choose from.. its weird but once you can undertsand that.. it all gravy! good luck!

Mytonezucs · Apr 3, 2008

I got a better idea.

How about "this is the content a new nurse should know. We will test you on this content."

Then we can all move along.

Hang in there my friend. I know you're frustrated as I am but there's nothing we can do but play the game.

Content and practice questions then roll the dice.

Valerie Salva, BSN, RN · Apr 3, 2008

The physiologic need to be safe from physical harm trumps the physiologic need for food.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Apr 3, 2008

1. what would be the priority for a nurse to take when he/she sees a malnourished homeless man in the street with oncoming traffic coming his way.
a. counsel the man on his behaviour
b. call the doctor (sorry, couldnt help myself there)
c. offer him a ham sandwhich to eat
d. move him out of oncoming traffic

it's a misleading question because it makes it sound as though the man is in danger of being hit by a car but apparently not if the answer is to feed him a sandwich. :rolleyes:

nurseaboveboard · Apr 3, 2008

Dude (as Chichimitchi calls you), you can't take the cop out of the nurse! I'm thinking safety has been drilled into your head. Your posts crack me up, and I'm wishing you all the best :).

wannabeRN2 · Apr 3, 2008

I understand what Jon is saying.

Why is it so hard for the nclex or ncsbn to test us the way we learn in nursing school. Why confuse us and risk hurting the patient just because nclex wanted the question to be answered a certain way...the nclex way.

I say keep the nclex consistent with what we learned in nursing school and clinicals.

Hey jon, could you look at that question again and post it word by word from saunders? Maybe if you wrote the entire question, people will be able to analyze the question better and choose the answer where you feed the patient.

CityKat, BSN, RN · Apr 3, 2008

Wow, I'm surprised your nursing school taught you SAFETY first. It is ALWAYS ABC's and then safety next. If you get a question like that, the OBVIOUS answer is going to be safety since he is in the middle of the street with oncoming traffic and is at risk for getting injured. ABCs ALWAYS first, unless the patient is in a life threatening situation.

For me,

I learned that when they ask questions, there will usually be ABC's in the question and a safety. However, when it is safety geared, it's usually more obvious and there are rarely answers with the ABC's.

Does that make sense?

The more you sit and do questions and read the rationales and strategies and really understand WHAT the question is asking, like I said before...the more you will see just how silly the rhetoric is.