Study Tips for the NCLEX Exam

Kuya Paker, ate Roch, and NODIANS
that will take their NCLEX exam

I hope that this post will be a
great help.

♥God Bless Nodians!♥

Want to use your preparation time for the NCLEX exam most effectively?Concerned about the actual test experience? Need help getting it all in perspective?
Preparing for and taking a career-milestone test like the NCLEX exam can be quite stressful. But it can also be a confidence-building experience that shows you how much you’ve learned. Increase your confidence and your effectiveness by implementing these study tips, test taking hints and relaxation techniques.

General Study Tips:

• Build confidence through practice
• Practice as if it’s the “real thing”
• Create flashcards
• Use Mnemonic Devices
• Aim to understand instead of memorize
• Make a study schedule
  

Test Taking Hints:

• Get a good night’s sleep
• Read each question carefully
• Answer the question first
• Go at your own pace
  

Relaxation Techniques:

• Be confident in what you know
• Be prepared in advance
• Use tension-reducing techniques
• Try meditation

General Study Tips:

• Build confidence through practice

Taking tests can cause some people anxiety and cause them to perform much more poorly on tests than they normally do in class or on the job. The best way to reduce test-anxiety is through constant exposure. Practice, practice, practice! Taking tests is a learned skill. The good news is that just like with any other skill, you will improve with practice.

• Practice as if it’s the "real thing"

Develop your study schedule around when you are normally more awake and/or most efficient. Take practice tests and Q&A drills under "near-test" conditions. First, situate yourself in an atmosphere where there will be no interruptions or distractions. Try going through an entire drill in one sitting or give yourself a time limit for finishing the questions.

• Create flashcards

Keep track of the concepts and definitions you find most difficult and make a flashcard for each one. Take the flashcards with you whenever you go out. When you have a couple of minutes between classes or a break at work, give yourself a quick quiz. If you know someone else preparing for the exam, quiz each other to make studying more motivating and fun.

• Use mnemonic devices

Use mnemonic devices to assist your memory in recalling short lists. For instance, HOMES is a mnemonic device for the Great Lakes - Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.
Aim to understand instead of memorize

• Don’t simply memorize material.

Instead aim for understanding the material. Remember that the NCLEX isn’t designed to test for memorization but rather for an understanding of the concepts. When studying content, ask yourself, "How can I use this information when I care for clients?"

• Make a study schedule

Base your study schedule on how much time you have available before your test date. If you have a couple of months, you can study more leisurely than if you have a couple of days. But remember that unmotivated studying is not efficient studying! Once you set your study schedule, stick to it. Your unconscious mind will reward you with greater energy if you stick to your timeline.

CLick the link for the the whole article.

http://www.learningext.com/students/studysmart.asp#confidence

>> bert :p (hays..nakailang edit n ko, maliit daw,

lalakihan ko!! tsk tsk! :p)

TEST TAKING TIPS FOR NURSES

Parts of a Multiple Choice Test Question
The question contains several parts:

· the case (sometimes called scenario) - the description of the client and what is happening to him/her.
· the stem - the part of the question that asks the question.
· the correct response.
· the distracters - incorrect but feasible choices.

Key Words
The most important skill for the test taker is the ability to read the question carefully and determine the key elements in the question. Each question has key words. Key words relate to the client; to the problem; and to specific aspects of the problem

Client
Factors such as age, sex, and marital status may be relevant. When a child's age is given it often is very relevant to the answer. Vital signs vary with age. Preoperative teaching methods vary with age. Appropriate toys and diversional activities vary with age. Always pay special attention to the age of a client when it is given. Also, consider who is the client for this question. That is, who is the focus of the question? The client may be the identified sick person, or it might be a relative of the identified sick person, or even a staff member.

Problem / Behavior
The problem may be a disease, a sign, a symptom or a behavior.

Details of the Problem
· Is the question asking for nursing actions or client symptoms or family responses?
· Does the question ask about a specific aspect of nursing care assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation?
· Does the question ask details relevant to a specific symptom or behavior the client exhibits?
· Is there additional information about the client or the problem that is important?

Priority Setting
Many questions on the exam ask the nurse to set priorities. Priority can be asked in several ways.
"What action takes priority?"
"What should the nurse do first?"
"What should the nurse do initially?"
"What is essential for the nurse to do?"

Physiologic needs are first, followed by safety needs, then love and belonging, self-esteem and self-actualization.

The first step of the nursing process is assessment! When the stem of a question asks for the initial nursing action always look to see if there is a relevant assessment answer. The nurse will take an action only when there is enough data upon which to act. Call the physician only when there is not a nursing action that should be taken first. The stem of the question may ask for a nursing action and the correct answer may be to assess.

When the stem of the question asks what is essential for the nurse to do, think safety. Remember many of the test questions are safety questions.

What is the Time Frame?
Whenever a specific time frame is indicated in a question it may be very important. Pay attention to it. Time related words may be words like early or late in relation to symptoms, pre operative or post operative, care on the day of surgery or later post-operative care.

Repeated Words
Words from the question are repeated in the answer. Sometime the same word or a synonym will be in both the question and the correct option.

Opposites
When two answers are opposite such as high blood pressure and low blood pressure or increase the drip rate and stop the IV, or turn on the right side and turn on the left side, the answer maybe one of the two.

Same Answer
If two or three answers say the same thing in different words none can be correct. If the answers are too alike, then neither one is correct.

Odd Answer Wins
The answer that is different from the others may be the correct answer. It may be the longest or the shortest or simply very different in content or style.

Umbrella Answer
One answer includes the others. There may be more than one correct answer. One answer is better than all the others because it includes them.

Absolutes
Answers containing universal or absolute words are very apt to be incorrect. Very little in life or nursing that is always correct or incorrect. Answers stated in absolute terms should be looked at with great caution.

“Deadly”
All every total
Nothing always each
Only any nobody
Never none

“Dangerous”
Main chief avoid primarily
Major shall inevitable eliminate
Rarely impossible too

“safe”
Usually almost frequently probably potentially
may sometimes partial some might
should few essentially generally occasionally
nearly maybe could commonly average
seldom often normally

TEST ITEM CHECK LIST

Use this handy list to check yourself every time you answer a test question.

Say to yourself,
DID I CAREFULLY….

o Read the stem?
o Read all the options?
o Read the stem again?
o Look for key Words?
o Eliminate obviously incorrect options?


Goodluck!!! Tips from O'Grady Peyton International...Thank You!