Nursing Licensure Exam Tips

This is in time for the Nursing Licensure Examination which is scheduled on June 6 and 7, 2009. This is a repost from the Blackboard.

Author's Note: This is an unsolicited advise from a friend to the thousands of nursing graduates aspiring to become registered nurses. He self-reviewed and passed (take one and with way above the passing exam rating) the local board exam last December 2005. He was relatively an underachiever and a carefree student in college. He would like to give inspiration to average students like himself who want to pass the nursing licensure exam. "You don't have to be a Cum Laude to pass the exam. Being academically exceptional in college is not a guarantee."

DURING THE REVIEW

Know When to Relax
Do not punish yourself i.e. reading or reviewing all day and all night. You are human, not a machine… or even if you could be a machine, just imagine a machine which is overused. It will overheat and eventually bog down.

Avoid reviewing when you are not in the mood- its useless! Do not force yourself. Willingness is the key (and determination). It would also be very helpful to know the time of the day when you function well or when you are at the highest performance. That would be the best time to study.

Unwind and exercise. Engage in games that stimulate the mind and improve critical thinking- like doing crosswords, bookworm, text twist (the author’s favorite pastimes). Exercise your body. Try swimming, basketball or any sport you like. It keeps the body alert and the mind sharp.

Don’t Just Read, Read and Read
Try to understand what you are reading. Train yourself to analyze and not to memorize. Make your own example, code and pneumonic- this will help you recall lessons easily.

Example: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs- P.S. Lea

Physiologic Needs
Safety/ Security
Love/ Belonging
Self-Esteem
Self-Actualization

Know How to Rationalize
Know the What, How and Why of each option/ answer

Eat Nutritious Foods
Glucose is the brain’s food. Eat a well balanced diet.

Get Enough Sleep
Rest the mind and body well for optimum function

Know the Nursing Process
Questions are usually based on the Nursing Process

Always remember ADPIE

A- Assessment
D- Diagnosis
P- Planning
I- Implementation
E- Evaluation

Know the Priority
In M.S. its ABC: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation
In Psych, its Safety

Example: A man slipped because of a banana peel. His head is bleeding and he became unconscious. What will you do to help?

Help the patient right away? No. The answer? Remove the banana peel first. Why? Just imagine what will happen if the banana peel isn’t thrown away. Someone else might slip or in the process of helping the man, you slipped also. It could then be worse than the original situation. Besides, throwing the banana peel won’t take too much time.

Always Pray

Don’t Lose Hope
Positive thinking will do wonders.

TAKING THE TEST

Pray
Try to do your best and God will do the rest.

Don’t Get Nervous
It will make you more confused and out of focus.

Relax
Take a deep breath before answering questions

Read the Directions carefully
Not following instructions/ directions will invalidate the answer.

Understand what is being asked
Take note of the items/ words that are underlined, italicized or in bold letters. Be wary of the words least, not included, except. These words can be misleading.

Questions can be very tricky. Be Alert

Rationalize why the other choices are wrong

If you do not know the answer, at least make an intelligent guess

Keep telling yourself: “I know more than I think I know.” “I will not only pass, I will be the top 1 in this exam”

You began in prayer, so end in prayer also.