How does one fail the NCLEX? If nursing school is essentially the prep for this test and all the tests are in NCLEX format how would you fail the licensure exam?
Ok, you passed all the course with at least a C, as most programs require, so it's assumed that you have learned all you needed to know right?
I'm NOT asking this to offend anyone who may have had trouble passing it--I'm really asking for myself so that I may learn from other's mistakes.
Is it cramming and not retaining long term knowledge that's the problem? Or perhaps just nerves? Perhaps the knowledge is there, but someone is just a bad test taker?
I really want to know so I'll have a heads up on passing my test.
No, I haven't started yet. So, it's kinda like CPR--the ABC's? I think I see now. I guess you'd do what will prevent the most damage first, like getting a good airway, since we all know how long you'll last without air.
Well, the ABC's is just one of my hints. There may be questions that have lots of different answers that are all correct, but if one of them is "secure the airway" or "clear the airway" you ALWAYS pick that first. It's just one of their tricks. It sounds like common sense, but there are a bunch of other answers that sound good too.
Example:
You walk into your patient's room and he is slumped over, cyanotic, and unresponsive. What do you do first?
a. run in the hallway and call for help
b. call the doctor
c. check for a pulse
d. reposition him to open his airway
All the answers are correct - you're going to call for help or call a code, you're going to make sure the doctor is called, and you're going to check his pulse. But first, take a second to open his airway since he is slumped over. There is ALWAYS something you can do before calling for help. That's what was drilled into me in school and during my N-CLEX reviews.
And this is my personal opinion - trying to cram everything in that you learned in two-three years isn't a great idea. If you don't know it, you're not going to learn it that quickly, and it's way too much information. I bought those review books and intended to read them cover to cover. I ended up only reading the review chapters on things that I was really rusty on - like for me, OB was my first clinical, so I reviewed that since it had been two years. Psych was my last one, so I didn't even bother reviewing that. The main thing is those practice questions. The ones on CD-rom are the best! You just sit and do question after question. Most of them will give rationales for all their answers, so if you miss one, you can read the rationale and see why. The key is knowing what to expect, what kind of questions there will be, their format, and what they're looking for. The only way to really get that is to immerse yourself in those practice questions. Practice makes perfect!
Gompers, BSN, RN
2,691 Posts
Well, the ABC's is just one of my hints. There may be questions that have lots of different answers that are all correct, but if one of them is "secure the airway" or "clear the airway" you ALWAYS pick that first. It's just one of their tricks. It sounds like common sense, but there are a bunch of other answers that sound good too.
Example:
You walk into your patient's room and he is slumped over, cyanotic, and unresponsive. What do you do first?
a. run in the hallway and call for help
b. call the doctor
c. check for a pulse
d. reposition him to open his airway
All the answers are correct - you're going to call for help or call a code, you're going to make sure the doctor is called, and you're going to check his pulse. But first, take a second to open his airway since he is slumped over. There is ALWAYS something you can do before calling for help. That's what was drilled into me in school and during my N-CLEX reviews.
And this is my personal opinion - trying to cram everything in that you learned in two-three years isn't a great idea. If you don't know it, you're not going to learn it that quickly, and it's way too much information. I bought those review books and intended to read them cover to cover. I ended up only reading the review chapters on things that I was really rusty on - like for me, OB was my first clinical, so I reviewed that since it had been two years. Psych was my last one, so I didn't even bother reviewing that. The main thing is those practice questions. The ones on CD-rom are the best! You just sit and do question after question. Most of them will give rationales for all their answers, so if you miss one, you can read the rationale and see why. The key is knowing what to expect, what kind of questions there will be, their format, and what they're looking for. The only way to really get that is to immerse yourself in those practice questions. Practice makes perfect!