The nursing process and ABC's of nursing

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I'm going to be doing an LPN RN bridge program. I'll have my electives competed in full by the end of this semester so I can just focus on nursing classes. I've been thinking, when do you use the ABC's of nursing and the nursing process? Also, HOW do you use the nursing process? I tried to apply it to some nclex questions and I got confused. Can anyone provide examples? Is this a reliable framework to help with the critical thinking process us nurses need?

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Sorry, I have no idea what the "ABCs of Nursing" is.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

I don't recall the ABC's of the nursing process...please elaborate?

If it's NCLEX questions, is this a test taking strategy...like from Kaplan???

The only ABCs I know are Airway Breathing and Circulation...

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Yeah thats what I'm talking about; airway, breathing and circulation. The ABC's of nursing and the nursing process are two different things. I was just asking when would you know to use one of these in a nursing exam or a Kaplan study guide?

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Ok, you title and post seem as if it was mashing up the two things...

ABCs...meaning Airway, Breathing, and Circulation is a prioritization of intervening, depending on the question. The stem of the question will be driven by respiratory process-does the question state key descriptions of whether the intervention(s) will be stabilizing the airway, intervening in helping the airway, intervening in stabilizing the circulatory system.

As far as the nursing process; there are certain key words that will present which part of the nursing process is being presented; for example, effective is a key word for evaluation.

A good resource is the LaCharity book in terms of understanding prioritization; they also have good NCLEX-style questions as well.

To add: have you went through the nursing process in your PN studies? It will be expanded information being presented, but the nursing process, including familiarity of can plans were pretty much the same when I went through my program, more information, however a pretty seamless transition since I was thinking like a nurse as a LPN. :nurse:

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I'll be in my program this fall. What type of nclex book would help me apply these concepts? Airway and breathing seem to be the same to me. Circulation seems to stand out since it has to do with bleeding, hydration and over-hydration

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Ok....so you are student. Gotcha.

Think about A&P; what constitutes the airway, and what is needed to breathe? You can prevent further complications when one is compromised.

One thing about being a student entering nursing school is that the key to becoming a nurse is understanding nursing theory and the nursing model; "thinking like a nurse"; it is application based.

I will also suggest another book for you as well: Critical Thinking and Nursing Judgement by Alfaro; it gives you insight into thinking like a nurse; the questions you ask I feel would be most appropriate once you enter the program; however, there are great resources that can explain you questions in better detail than I. :)

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