Success!!

Challenge negative thoughts Controlled breathing Desensitize yourself to the fear response Muscle relaxation Imagery Over prepare Exercise

Read the material prior to lecture This is essential to know what the instructor is going to talk about Tape lecture – listen and Star concepts on power points you dont understand for further study Listen to taped lecture with open book and class notes Flag or Tab your notes – stay organized

Organize study with pathophysiology of disease/system Signs and symptoms (including labs) Nursing Diagnosis Goals Specific Implementation plans Patient teaching

Concentrate on the simple before the complex. Make educated guesses. Never leave a question blank. Maintain a positive attitude. Check your answers and answer sheets.

Has 2 parts 1 st part: stem – the statement that asks a question. 2 parts: 1) information about a clinical event, topic, concept, or theory; 2) asks for a response 2 nd part: possible responses called options

When walking, a patient becomes weak and the patients knees begin to buckle. What should the nurse do? Which is an example of a patient goal? Before administering medication for pain, what should the nurse do first?

Underline the important words Do not add information from your own mind Do not make assumptions (read between the lines) about the information present in the stem

Read all the options before choosing the correct answer Refer back only to the words that you underlines as being important in the stem Do not add information to an option Relate an option to just what is being asked in the response part of the stem Do not focus only on your experiences, which may be too narrow for a point of reference

Recognize Ask Critically analyze Eliminate

RECOGNIZE what information is in the stem. Recognize key words in the stem. Recognize who the client is in the stem. Recognize what the topic is about.

ASK what is the question asking? Ask what are the key words in the stem that indicate the need for a response. Ask what the question is asking me to do.

CRITICALLY analyze the options in relation to the question asked in the stem. Critically scrutinize each option in relation to the information in the stem. Critically identify a rationale for each option. Critically compare and contrast the option in relation to the information in the stem and their relationships to one another

ELIMINATE as many options as possible. Eliminate one option at a time. If any part of the distracter is wrong it is all wrong.

Suggestions for success

Know the parts of a test question. Multiple choice questions. Item: the entire question Stem: the statement that asks the question Options: possible responses Options: one is correct, the remaining are distracters. Part of the distracters may be correct.

Read the question carefully before looking at the options: Identify Key Words in the Stem

(Stem) Mr. Jones blood pressure is 240/120. The nurse would recognize he is: A. hypertensive B. hypotensive C. normal D. likely to have orthostatic hypotension

Identify the Theme of the Item, and base it on information provided in the stem. Dont assume information that is not given.

Answer difficult questions by eliminating the obviously incorrect responses first; Select the BEST of the remaining options. Cross out incorrect pieces of the distracters Write rationales

Select Responses that are: Therapeutic Show respect Communicate acceptance Eliminate Responses that: Are bizarre Inappropriate Punitive

Know the Basic Principles that Guide the practice of Nursing. Nursing Process Assessment, analysis/Nursing Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation Maslows Hierarchy Physiological needs first: Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability Safety second Prioritization

Look for patterns in Your Performance and Flaws in Your Thinking. Analyze your test-taking behaviors, then establish strategies to correct these problem.

Did not recognize or remember information Did not understand subject matter Did not recognize item idea Did not recognize principle or rationale for correct answer Missed key word

Did not read all distracters carefully Did not understand question Read into question Used incorrect rationale for selecting response Changed the answer

Manage your time effectively during Test- taking.

Do not change answers without Good reason Sound rationale

Choose options that are within the realm of nursing. Be able to differentiate the need for nursing judgment from the need for physician judgment.

Identify key words in the stem that indicate negative polarity: except, not, never, contraindicated, unacceptable, least, avoid Identify key words in the stem that set a priority: best, first

Identify clues in the stem (extra explanations) Identify patient-centered options Identify specific determiners in options (increased in 2 options, decreased in 2 options)

erroneously indicate contraindicate anticipate violatestrategies ensureperception rationaledetermine mandatorydisrupted appropriatereveal

Identify opposites in options (hypotensive, hypertensive) Identify equally plausible or unique options Identify duplicate facts in the options (some options have one part that is true and another that is false) IF ANY PART IS WRONG IT IS ALL WRONG!!!!!!

Identify options that deny patient feelings, concerns needs Use multiple test-taking techniques

KNOWLEDGE COMPREHENSION APPLICATION ANALYSIS

Require you to recall and/or remember

a. 50 to 65 b. 70 to 85 c. 90 to 105 d. 110 to 125 to answer this question correctly, you have to know the normal range of a radial pulse

Require you to understand information

a. pushes the client face forward, ahead of him into the elevator b. raises the footplate before transferring the client into the wheelchair c. positions the client as far forward as possible in the wheelchair seat d. positions the chair ahead of him when going down an inclined ramp

Require you to use information

a. keep the knees and ankles straight b. strengthen the knees and bend at the waist c. place the feet together with the knees bent d. position the feet apart with one placed forward

Require you to interpret a variety of data and recognize the commonalties, differences and interrelationships among presented ideas

a. low salt and high in fat b. low in salt and low in calories c. high in salt and high in protein d. high in salt and low in carbohydrates

HAVE CONFIDENCE KNOW THAT YOU CAN BE SUCCESSFUL YOU MADE IT THIS FAR. RELAX ASK FOR ASSISTANCE WHEN YOU NEED IT AND SOMETIMES WHEN YOU DONT.