Tips on Answering Nursing Board Exam Questions

National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensure Exam, also known as the NCLEX, is used to test your competency to safely and effectively perform the duties of a nurse. This safeguards the public. In order to take the NCLEX, you must have successfully completed an accredited nursing program.

The NCLEX-RN is designed for registered nurses and the NCLEX-PN for practical or vocational nurses. Texas and California use the term vocational instead of practical nurse.

Preparation is Essential to Sucess

• Many nursing schools administer practice NCLEX type exams throughout their program to help prepare candidates for the test. Others may administer a similar exam at the end of the program.

  Preparation is the first essential step in passing the NCLEX. There are many options for preparing the exam, such as prep courses and study guides. These are offered online, through institutions or via books, software or workbooks. Studying with a group of your colleagues from school can be helpful as well. Each member of the group can take a topic and tutor the others, using various study guides.

  Reduce your stress by eating right and getting plenty of sleep in the days leading up to your exam. Limit your responsibilities and relax. Many say you should do something fun the day before. Schedule your exam period for the time of day that you are most productive. For most people this would begin in the morning. The exam can take up to five hours. You can take breaks.

About the Test

• The NCLEX covers medical-surgical, psychiatric and maternal-child nursing as well as pharmacology. Don't forget to review the most common drugs and understand how to calculate dosages and IV drip rates. The test will cover your nursing judgment involving scenarios for each of these. It is not about memorizing everything. Know your normals for vital signs and lab and other diagnostic tests. These you do need to memorize in order to apply the knowledge to situations and make educated decisions.

  The test is computerized and is designed to build on your correct responses by giving you increasingly challenging questions until you miss one, at which point it starts building again. You cannot go backwards and change an answer, and you cannot skip questions.

Strategies and Tips

• Keep in mind that patient safety is essential at all times. Know the Five Rights of Medication administration. Do No Harm is your mantra. Understand that it's implied that you have an MD order, so your first priority shouldn't be to call the MD. Be sure that you understand and apply the principals of therapeutic communication.

  Many questions will ask what you should do first. Prioritize. Use the nursing process to assess before you implement; critical thinking skills to make informed decisions; and Maslow's hierarchy to help you determine the best answer.

  Base your answers on textbook information and not on your personal clinical experience. Use terms such as "initial," "first" and "best" to help you eliminate wrong answers or extraneous information. If you don't know an answer, make your best educated guess. Stay calm and remain focused.