Which NCLEX book...

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Specializes in Emergency Department, Neuro ICU.

Hi everyone...I will be graduating in May and I wanted to get a good NCLEX book soon. I know there are a few different types out there, so I was curious about which ones people liked the best and found the most helpful. Also, does anybody have any good tips about how to go about studying for the NCLEX? Thank you!

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I moved your post to the NCLEX Discussion Forum for more responses. I'd recommend Saunders Comprehensive NCLEX Review because it covers the information so systematically.

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I also agree with Eric. Saunders is fantastic for reviewing nursing content, and they do go by systems. In studying for the NCLEX, you just have to know how to answer questions, so you pretty much practice as much questions as you can. All the best!

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Specializes in Neuro, Critical Care.

I have about every NCLEX book out there. I feel like i've been preparing for this exam for years lol. So here is my rundown:

Exam Cram: the book is ok but not wonderful. The CD was good bc it gives you a simulated CAT exam just like the NCLEX. It doesnt have a ton of questions though, around 365 ish.

NCLEX made incredibly easy: I have the nclex questions and the review book...they are ok, I think they simplify things too much...I think the questions are too easy too, they arent NCLEX like enough....The CD was pretty good though, had around 1100 questions.

Sandra Smith's NCLEX review (got this at Barnes and Noble)-this was a great book! Its kinda pricey though. Im thinking this book is very similar to the saunders book. It is very complete and goes system by system. The CD is ok: it gives you three comprehensive tests that are very very similar to NCLEX. It also has the equestions from the book and more general nclex questions. I just didnt like that you only had three simulated tests.

Illustrated Study Guide for the NCLEX RN Exam by: JoAnn Zerwekh and Jo Carol Claborn

isbn:139780323039567

This was the best book ever! Its colored and inexpensive and the CD is great! The cd alone has over 1500 questions. It had great pneumonics too...loved it.

Prioritization, Delegation and Assignment:Linda LaCharity

I bought this book after it was reccomended to me by a co worker. Its really cheap, workbook that teaches you how to master the priorotiy, delegation questions on NCLEX and it has tons of practice questions in it...this is a must.

Reviews and Rationsales series by Prentice Hall: I used L/D..Peds and Psych during nursing school for help in those classes but I foudn them useful again in studying for NCLEX. I bought the pharm version for NCLEX and it helped me master pharm.

Kaplan: I bought the kaplan book and before I started truely studying I read it. I always kept their suggestions in the back of my mind but truely i only used one or two of their stratagies but they did help. But I would say read this book before you study. Dont waste your time on the class either.

I also bought some assessments from ATI: just the tests for about 40, practice tests. I also took the full ATI twice during nursing school...they made us

I also bought the NSCBN review online...really just for the questions and the diagnostic tool that helps show you your weak areas. The onlly thing I didnt like about it, besides the notes lol, was the fact that they didnt council you on your progress...I would take the tests and then not know if 65% was good or awful...I didnt have any clue what types of questions I was missing consistently. But it was good practice for questions.

Hope this helps:)

E

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With the tons of books that you reviewed ELKMNin06,no wonder you'll passed really the boards hehehe........

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hi! newbie hir..i just wanna ask if the Saunders - Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX examination referred by suzanne is the same as the Saunders NCLEX Reviewer 3rd ed?! it's because that's the only book that is being displayed in the bookstore near us?! i'm just curious..tnx!

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Specializes in Neuro, Critical Care.
With the tons of books that you reviewed ELKMNin06,no wonder you'll passed really the boards hehehe........

lol. I unfortunetly didnt really use them all. I just kept buying them, skimming them and not really liking them. So really I kinda just used them here and there. The thing that helped me most was just doing questions and reviewing the kaplan stratagies. I also bought some of the books for reference while in NS. The Prentice Hall: Reviews and Rationales were priceless for Peds/L&D/psych and pharm. I barely had to read my text books bc I had these books, plus they came with tons of practice questions:0)

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Specializes in Clinical exp in OB, psy, med-surg, peds.

I recccommend Saunders and Kaplan, all the best

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I went out and bought Kaplan (my big Black Friday purchase) based on what I read here. I agree with what everyone has said, it is a valuable tool for strategies. I am only about halfway through it but I have learned a lot. I think I will have to read it again. It is written in a style that is easy to read, not like textbooks at all. It is funny in parts too. I have been doing questions daily off of the Saunders Q&A CD, based on my weaknesses that were identified on the HESI test. Once I am through my weak areas I just plan on using the test mode with all content area. I have the Saunders Comprehensive Review, but I am saving that for Suzanne's Plan.

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