All the studying and prep required to pass the NCLEX can be daunting, especially for first-timers. If you’ve been gearing up for this exam, you’ve landed in the right place!
In this week’s episode of NCLEX Ready, I’m sharing 10 strategic tips that will help you pass the NCLEX exam on the first try.
Let’s dive into the intricacies of NCLEX preparation and uncover the tricks to navigate the exam’s challenges.
1. Read the Question
Let’s start with the most obvious but no less important tip. It’s vital to read all the questions carefully because in some cases, there’s more to it than meets the eye. To find the correct answer, it’s helpful to break the question down, rephrase it, and find any relevant information within it.
2. Look for a Keyword
Some questions in the NCLEX will have unnecessary information. The trick is to hone in on the key word so your train of thought stays on track even when faced with seemingly unrelated details.
3. What Are the Details
Questions themselves often hint at the right kind of answer. Paying attention to the details and understanding whether the question is asking for a short-term or long-term goal is crucial.
4. One of the Two Opposite Answers
Use the context of the question to discern between opposing answers. Here is where your knowledge will come into play, but when faced with two choices that are opposite of each other, it’s easier to eliminate the wrong one by applying some logic.
5. Legalities Are Essential
Navigating legal boundaries is paramount in nursing. Discover the dos and don’ts when it comes to delegating tasks with a mnemonic device. The rule of thumb is that you cannot delegate what you cannot EAT (Evaluate, Assess, Teach).
6. Infection Control
This topic can be a lot for nursing students. Beyond the obvious handwashing, there are several other things to remember. Here are some mnemonics:
- For airborne infections, use MTV: Measles, Tuberculosis, Varicella
- For droplet infections, use SPIDERMAN:
- S – Sepsis, Scarlet fever
- P – Pneumonia, Pertussis, Parvovirus B19,
- I – Influenza
- D – Diphtheria
- E – Epiglottis
- R – Rubella
- M – Mumps, Meningitis, Mycoplasma
- A & N – Adenovirus
- For contact precautions, use MRS. WEE
- M – Multi-drug resistant organisms
- R – Respiratory infection
- S – Skin infection
- W – Wound infection
- E – Enteric
- E – Eye infection
7. Eliminate the Obvious
Increase your odds of success by eliminating unlikely answers. Some answers will stick out like a sore thumb. Once you’ve eliminated the obviously incorrect ones, focus on the answer that will help you get more from the patient.
8. Grammatical Errors
Believe it or not, grammatical consistency can be a game-changer. If you pay attention to language nuances, it can lead you to the correct answer. For example, if the question is looking for a singular item, then you can eliminate the plural answers.
9. Part of the Sentence
This tip invites you to look closely at the longer answers. Sometimes, part of the sentence is correct, but the rest isn’t. When that happens, you can eliminate that choice and move on to the next one.
10. Compare Specific Words
The devil is in the details, especially when it comes to specific words in the question. We’ll show you how to spot these keywords in the answer choices and choose the most relevant option.
Now that you’re armed with this knowledge, approach each question on the NCLEX with confidence and precision. Best of luck! Stay tuned for more valuable insights from NCLEX Ready.
