taking exam this Friday please help

AzDeb · Jan 25, 2011

You will do fine!! I was a nervous wreck and once I got there I was completely fine. We were given 35 minutes to perform 5 skills that were randomly picked. The supplies were in the same room we were....all lined out in stacks on a table. Once the timer started I was told the skill and had to grab what I needed and perform the skill. As soon as I said I was done, they would tell me the next skill....and so on. All states do testing a bit different but if you have time left over, go back over your skills in your head and think if you may have forgotten anything. If you did, tell the test observer. My biggest concern was to lock the bed brakes and wheel chair brakes during transfers. So hopefully you were able to practice. It also helped me to verbally talk out the steps I was performing. Good luck and you'll do fine!! :yeah:

Ev1987 · Jan 25, 2011

My first advice would be 'expect to be nervous' before, during and after your exam. It's common. But if you do get nervous, it's better to calm yourself down so that you can focus and concentrate on the task. Many people fail the skills exam because of their nerves. That leads them to forget a lot of important steps during a skill. I was lucky enough not to have a time limit, but all the supplies that you need should be available in the room. You will need to gather all the supplies that you need before you start a skill.

Cherryrizzo · Jan 25, 2011

Thanks for the advice and words of encouragement. I'm trying to get all the nervousness out of my system before Friday. :)

coffee&milk · Jan 25, 2011

I practiced alot. At home, i used pillows and cushions as my patients. We had five skills; handwashing for everybody and then the other skills were picked randomly. Only two students were allowed in the exam room, the others waited outside. The test observer handed the five skills that you were to perform and gave us time to gather supplies but doesn't tell you what to gather. All the supplies were in the exam room.

Handwashing is always the first thing, introduce yourself and let the client know what you are going to do, provide privacy and then start your skills. Adjust bed to comfortable working height and wide base when transferring client. If you have been practicing you will pass.

All the best!

npeters · Jan 26, 2011

I'm taking my exam on Thursday! I am a little nervous too because I was expecting to have to wait longer before I could get in to a testing site but I lucked out and got an early opening.

I've already done the practice written test and scored a 92% so I should be fine in that area. Right now I am going through all of my bulletin skills and listing every supply I will need for a particular skill and each step I need to do. Then I check myself off of the bulletin to be sure. I need to do some hands on practice with pulse/respiration and bp but I think as long as I don't panic the day of I should be fine!

In my state everyone gets handwashing and indirect care plus 3 additional randomly selected skills. Rumor has it that you WILL get at least one of either BP, Pulse and Respiration or Height and Weight. I'm hoping for BP! Sometimes that darn pulse runs away from me after the first 30 or so seconds...

Good luck to us both! Any good study tools you've found?

sonomala · Jan 26, 2011

In NC we had 20 minutes to do five skills. One was handwashing, one was a vital sign and the other three were random. The skills had to be done in order. The most important thing was that if during a skill, you suddenly realized you made a mistake you had to stop and say what you had done wrong. At the end of each skill we had to say "I am finished with this skill" But the key thing was you could only correct mistakes before saying that. If you corrected a mistake after that they couldn't give you credit and you could fail it. But I think thats strictly a NC thing. Good luck to you and to everyone with an upcoming test. You will do Great!

npeters · Jan 27, 2011

Just wanted to let you know that I went and took my exam today - AND PASSED! :hpygrp:

Try not to stress out too much. Once I settled down in the clinical part I was fine, my nerves were the worst part.

The skills I had were hair and nail care, blood pressure and positioning a resident on their left side.

Good luck! I'm sure you'll do great :)

Cherryrizzo · Jan 27, 2011

Awesome that's wonderful. Congratulations. I don't find outright away I'd I pass but I will let u know how it went. Congratulations

Sart45 · Jan 28, 2011

Make sure to check the bed is locked! Someone in my group failed because she didn't do this...a very easy oversight which can be very dangerous in the "real world".

coffee&milk · Jan 28, 2011

Congratulations! :yelclap: