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Tips on Preparing for NCLEX Style tests: Become wise! Here are some basic guidelines for studying for and then successfully taking the NCLEX and ATI
I have had students call or e-mail me to let me know they took the NCLEX and are in a panic because "half the test was on maternity nursing" (or some other specific area) and he or she had felt they had forgotten most of the information because they knew most of the NCLEX is on basic nursing care. What really occurred was that a maternity patient was used as an example, but the question within the case (i.e. maternity) was really asking about HOW to administer a medication, communicate with a client, use the nursing process, assess for patient safety or use clinical decision-making. For example, you may be asked about giving an antibiotic to a postpartum patient with mastitis. What you are really being asked is that you know to check the patient's ID before you give the medication. So don't hyperventilate before you read the answers (i.e.: "Oh no, I don't remember what antibiotic to use for mastitis. Now I know I'm going to fail NCLEX"). The answers will let you know you need to check the patient's ID! If you don't have a clue when you read the answers, then you can hyperventilate if you think that will help!! The "case" could be a psych patient, an ortho patient or a med/surg patient. It doesn't matter. What you are being asked is about safe administration of a medication!
| Preparing for NCLEX |
- Review 3000-5000 questions (count ATI proctored and non- proctored exams!)
- Budget your time! Block of time each day/week to practice for NCLEX. Hold this time sacred just as if it was clinical time or going to your job!
- Do not review pure content. Also review test taking strategies!
- Get a review CD, take a course (such as Kaplan or Virtual ATI) and/or get a book
- Remember to keep using your ATI books, CDs and non-proctored tests! you can take the non-proctored tests as many times as you want for up to 6 months after graduation! Look at the results for proctored tests you took and review areas in which you stumbled (at the bottom of the proctored test results!)
- Review as you go along! When you are taking practice tests, have your textbooks and ATI books there. Review a subject as you go along (safety, fundamentals, CPR, drug classifications)
- Remember there will be a minimum of 75 questions and a maximum of 265 to demonstrate minimum competency . You have 6 hours to take the test.
- Review information at the AACN Site: National Council of State Boards of Nursing Check out information for candidates.
- Here is the site to take the PearsonVue NCLEX tutorial!
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| Taking the Test taking |
- Read each question thoroughly: all four answers are plausible in different scenarios so make sure you read the stem carefully!
- Concentrate on one item at a time
- Do not stop trying
- Focus on key words in the stem
- Talk to yourself (probably silently!!). What does this mean? Run through the rationales with yourself.
- Reword difficult questions: Remove extraneous words. Do this especially if you are confused and it is a negative stem (an unlikely complication of.... is)
- Read all options before you select the correct answer. You will not know what the correct answer is until you read them so don't try to figure it out before you read your possible choices!
- Eliminate the options that are obviously wrong and then select only from the remaining options!
- Relate each option to the stem
- Try to figure out unfamiliar words by using the prefixes and suffixes!
- Do not take a Wild Ass Guess (WAG). If you must guess.. use your logic! If you are really stuck remember: the longest answer is more likely to be the correct one and the answer is more likely to be b or c. Only use these last two tips if you are truly stuck!
- Use your priority setting
- Do not run out of time!
- Grammar counts: the correct answer must match the stem (i.e. plurals and "an" in the stem means the answer starts with a vowel!)
- Language counts: The more technical the more likely it is to be correct
- Absolutes are probably out: i.e. always/never/no. Instead look for words like usually
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There is an NCLEX World!
Know what the rules are in NCLEX World! |
- It is not reality!
- You always have enough staff
- You always have all the equipment you need
- You always have a doctor's order unless it is stated that you do not
- Do not punt to the MD
- Do not use background information unless stated: if age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, race, emotional state, vital signs or assessment data is provided in the stem it is important so don't ignore it. If it is not there then don't assume any of these are occurring!
- Each question stands alone
- Each answer stands alone: as you read through the possible answers say to yourself: Could I do this one thing and then go home (figuratively!)? You are only being asked about that one thing in the question. Don't think about the next step! i.e. put the bed rails up.
- Think about the outcome of each choice: Hook the foley bag to the bed rail.
- This is not nursing school: You are the nurse!
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| Look at each NCLEX question |
- Read the question: You will not know what the stem is asking until you look at the answers!
- Does the stem want you to select the right thing to do, wrong thing to do or prioritize?
- Is this an alternative question (select all that are correct, fill in the blank)
- Restate the question in your own words to identify the meaning
- Do you need to assess or implement? Do you have enough information? If so then implement!
- Use Maslow to prioritize your answer: Physical need first, pain second, psychosocial third!
- Use ABC's (airway, breathing, circulation) to prioritize
- Down to two answers: remember: what would happen if I did this one thing and then went home?
- Are you being asked about a problem or a behavior? a disease process, a procedure, a symptom, a client problem
- If you are being asked about a problem circumstance: is it related to a nursing intervention, client symptom, family response, nursing process, priority setting or safety concern? Remember to pay attention to what the question is asking you!
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