TIPS/Info for passing NCLEX

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Hi,

To everyone who passed recent nclex-rn, can you please share what helped you best (cd's, printed materials, etc..) ? Where to focus? and how did you study/prepare?

thanks... this will help a lot of us who are scheduled to take the exams soon

If you have some money - there is an online program by ATI Testing- you get a teacher, some DVDs some review books and a lot of practice assessments. I think though that you have to take a good hard look at what has been working for you ion the past. SOme people do flashcards, bullets, and others read. My thing is to take as many tests as I can and I study with a group and we quiz each other.

It helps to know how to read what the question is asking and to know how to make an educated guess if you dont know the answer. What the teachers have been trying to get into our heads all along is true. If one thing aout the answer is wrong - the answer is wrong. Eliminate thing you know are incorrect. Try to decideif theya re asking about priorities of care or safety etc. Read the introductory material that is in most nclex books about test taking strategies. THese really help.

What others have said in the posts is true- you cant possible memorize everything but if your general knowledge is good and you can think through the question you will do allright.

Good Luck

Hey!

Thank You for the information. I will check this out .

LynEB

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Specializes in Tele.
rnaffah:

http://www.the-abg-site.com/level1.htm - this is a good review of blood gases, too.

this is from an allnurses.com posting two years ago from nursefirst:

okay: first thing, find out what the ph is.

7.35-7.45 is normal

>7.45 is alkalosis

to find out whether it is respiratory or metabolic you need to know the hco-3 and the paco-2 values--and the normal values.

if the hco-3 is out-of-whack and not the paco-2, what ever is happening is metabolic, and the body uses the respiratory system to compensate. for example, in dka, pts breath deeply (kussmaul) in order to blow off co-2. this helps the body to become more alkalotic.

if the paco-2 is out-of-whack and not the hco-3, what ever is happening is respiratory. the body uses the kidneys to adjust the ph.

one method is to draw a diagram, showing acidotic normal alkalotic on top and the ph, hco-3 and paco-2 values along the side. then you determine which values represent what. i've forgotten the exact values at the moment, but i can tell you that in respiratory conditions, the paco-2 values move opposite to the ph values. in metabolic conditions, the hco-3 values move in the same direction as the ph.

if the ph is within the normal range, but the hco-3 and paco-2 values are out-of-whack, it means that the body has compensated for the disturbance in the primary system (resp or metabolic). if the ph is less than 7.4, then the body is compensating an acidosis; if the ph is > 7.4, the body is compensating an alkalosis. you then find out which, the hco-3 or the paco-2 value falls on the same side as the ph. if it's the hco-3, it is metabolic; if it is the paco-2, it is respiratory.

one quick tip.... you don't need to know compensation for abg's. don't worry about that. just know your basic s&s and what to do for them.

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Specializes in Tele.
these are strategies taken from drexel university's nclex® excel! prep course. (i took the live course first time and didn't pass but the strategies are pretty simple to follow and may be some of you might findhelpful).

the parts of a question

the question contains several parts:

o the case (sometimes called scenario) - the description of the client and what is happening to him/her

o the stem - the part of the question that asks the question

o the correct response

o distracters - incorrect but feasible choices

http://passnclex.drexel.edu/study_resources.aspx

those sound complicated, try kaplan strategies

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Specializes in Tele.
thenurse2006-

Is this s popup quiz - ? The first one is neither is at risk because lead is now illegal in all paints, though some antiques may have some lead. guess I'd go with the antique collectors. I think you always apply lotion with gloves, whether or not a person has an infection.

Are these nclex questions?

No lotion with gloves!!! it will ruin the latex!

i would go with the pottery

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where is the questions to practice

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
where is the questions to practice

Many questions are found with books you buy for NCLEX or websites you join like NCSBN, due to copyright issues we don't post questions on the forum

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I graduate in May 08...I was wondering how early can I register to take the NCLEX exam...Do I have to wait until I graduate, then apply to take it. Or can I register for it like in Mar. or April so I could all ready have a date in May or Early June to take the test?????????

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Hi I graudated from the program with 91% last month nov 17.I am trying to prepare for the nclex PN and I feel like that I DON'T KNOW anything.I tried studing for Nclex I just don't know what and how to do it..I have saunders books, Saunders flash cards. I am aslo going for a 3 days seminar given by Hprovider I want to know what is the best way to study from nclex....I mean reading the whole book or going over just the questions?? if you can recomend another review book.......PLZ help!!! I am lost!!! thank you soooo very.....any advise or suggestions are very welcome!!!

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How can I sign up at NCSBN.org? Do I have to pay and sign up for question banks or is theres any way I become a member of NCSBN without paying?

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
How can I sign up at NCSBN.org? Do I have to pay and sign up for question banks or is theres any way I become a member of NCSBN without paying?

you have to pay to join and pick x amount of weeks and pay accordingly

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[quote=Silverdragon thank you so much for your reply

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Hi I graudated from the program with 91% last month nov 17.I am trying to prepare for the nclex PN and I feel like that I DON'T KNOW anything.I tried studing for Nclex I just don't know what and how to do it..I have saunders books, Saunders flash cards. I am aslo going for a 3 days seminar given by Hprovider I want to know what is the best way to study from nclex....I mean reading the whole book or going over just the questions?? if you can recomend another review book.......PLZ help!!! I am lost!!! thank you soooo very.....any advise or suggestions are very welcome!!!

2bNurse: I just took the PN - It wasn't that bad. Suzanne, one of the moderators of allnurses.com has a good system, so check her out. Her first step is to take the test at the end of the chapters of the Saunders book - the pn isn't a heck of a lot different than the rn. This is great because you get to see where you are. Don't spread yourself out - this could be a first step. I like having taken the pn first (I'm still working for my RN)

Check with Suzanne though. I didn't have time for her program, but I can tell you a few other things..

Everybody has a lot of prioritization questions - i.e., which patient you see first, after the test describes four different patients. If you do the Mosby's book (it's short and costs 20 bucks, maybe your library system has it) you will find yourself ready for any question like this.

One last thing - the national council, ncsbn.org has a good online review - you pay by the amount of time you have access. On one hand, I think it is far too detailed - for instance, it gets into details of different kinds of cardiac stenosis - you don't need to know this kind of stuff. You would, though, need to know how a person with a stenotic valve would present. Here's the thing - the ncsbn questions are most like the test, after all, they write the thing. Sign up as learningext.com.

Finally remember that this is about functioning as a safe nurse, not a college exam. As for rote memorization - see lab values in the ncsbn's detailed description of nclex on their site. Then there are the diseases , signs and symptoms. Know your meds, but don't kill yourself. It's not a nurse's job to decide what med to give for what condition. You do, however have to know things like potential bad side effects, which ones you monitor, optimal blood values. Really, dont sweat - the test is broad in subject material, but it doesn't dig too deep - that's what your school exams did.

Diahni

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