NLCEX Test Taking Strategies
Some Strategies For the NCLEX:
Here are some quick and helpful strategies that you can use for the NCLEX Exam.
Watch out for indication of a “prioritize” problem, which includes words like:
- Best, First, Initial, Highest, Highest Priority
There will be plenty of prioritization questions in the NCLEX exam
Always Remember:
- It is very important to look at the main “Subject” in the question.
- It will be the specific content that question is asking about.
♣ Toxic effects, side effects and adverse reactions are all the same thing. Duh …
♦ Be careful to watch out for “important keywords”
- A patient is suspected to have a TB and is scheduled for tests, the nurse anticipates which diagnostic test that will most likely be done to the patient?
- chest x ray
- skin testing
- sputum culture
- while blood cell count
- The important keyword: most likely
- It would have been very easy to say “chest x ray” but that would be the “most reliable” diagnostic test, but not the “most likely.”
♥ Eliminate options that contains “medical” (interventions), focus on Nursing Interventions.
- A nurse is taking care of a patient with heart failure who is experiencing dyspnea and is suspected to have pulmonary edema, the nurse needs to immediately:
- Place the patient in a High Fowler’s position
- Insert foley catheter
- Obtain morphine sulfate and administer to patient
- Administer furosemida (lasix)
- Answer is # 1 since it’s the only Nursing Intervention.
Tips for Select all that apply.
- Try to visualize the procedure
TRY TO REMEMBER THE PREFIX AND THE SUFFIX OF MEDICATIONS ! ( this is really big and quite helpful during the exam)
The Prefix/Suffix can help you to categorize different drugs:
CARDIAC Drugs
- -kinase = thrombolytic
- -thiazide = diuretic
- -oxin = cardiac glycoside
- -dipine = calcium channel blocker
- -nitr- = nitrate/vasodilator
- -kinase = thrombolytics
- -ase = thrombolytic
- -osin = Alpha blocker
- -parin = anticoagulant
- -statin = cholesterol lowering agent
- -sartan = angiotensin II blocker
GASTROINTESTINAL Drug
- -tidine = antiulcer
- -prazole = PPI’s
- -sone = glucocorticoid, corticosteroid
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
- -azepam = benzodiazepine
- -azine = antiemetic; phenothiazide
- -barbital = barbiturate
- -caine = anesthetics
- -ipramine = Tricyclic antidepressant
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM Drugs
- -olol = beta antagonist
- -lone, pred- = corticosteroid
- -phylline = bronchodilator
- -cillin = penicillin
- -cycline = antibiotic
- -floxacin = antibiotic
- -azole = proton pump inhibitor
- -stigmine = cholinergics
-terol = Beta 2 Agonist
OVERDOSE & ANTIDOTES
• Methanol — Ethanol
• CO2 — Oxygen
• Dopamine — Phentolamine
REMEMBER:
Lithium patients must consume extra sodium to prevent toxicity (0.5-1.5):
- • Digoxin- don’t give if heart rate <60bpm, watch for green/yellow vision… means toxicity.
- • Don’t give non-selective beta-blockers to patients w/respiratory problems (anything ending in olol)
- • Vitamin C can cause false +ive occult blood
- • Avoid the ‘G’ herbs (ginsing, ginger, ginko, garlic) when on anti-clotting drugs (coumadin, ASA, Plavix, etc)
- • ASA toxicity can cause ringing of the ears
- • No narcotics to any head-injury victims (increases chance of respiratory arrest)
- • Mg2+ toxicity is treated with Calcium Gluconate
- • Do not give Calcium-Channel Blockers with Grapefruit Juice
- • Oxytocin is never administered through the primary IV
- • Lithium patients must consume extra sodium to prevent toxicity (0.5-1.5)
- MAOI Patients should avoid tyramine:
- ⁃ Aacados, bananas, beef/chicken liver, caffeine, red wine, beer, cheese (except cottage cheese), raisins, sausages, pepperoni, yogurt, sour cream.
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health
said
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latest information posted here.
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Mercedes Comesana
said
So what is the answer for the TB?
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shiny
said
◾A patient is suspected to have a TB and is scheduled for tests, the nurse anticipates which diagnostic test that will most likely be done to the patient?
1.chest x ray
2.skin testing
3.sputum culture
4.while blood cell count
◾The important keyword: most likely
◾It would have been very easy to say “chest x ray” but that would be the “most reliable” diagnostic test, but not the “most likely.”
what is the answer for this ?
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mary
said
Skin test or sputum culture. Most likley if in the hospital sputem.
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Janet
said
The answer options are all TB test to diagnose a patient suspected with the illness. Skin test (also called a TB skin test, PPD test, or Mantoux test) is the initial test for patients suspected for TB and Chest X-ray comes after if the patient is positive with Tuberculin Skin Test and/or patient is showing symptoms of TB. The sputum culture is confirmatory test that the patient is positive with TB. The White blood cell count (CBC test) is a routine test or general test to diagnose patients with infection (fever), inflammation, immunosuppressed patients (to know the S/S) etc..
I would say the answer is Skin Testing since it is usually the initial test conducted to rule out patients with negative matoux test. – or I might be wrong look it up 🙂
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shiny
said
◾Best, First, Initial, Highest, Highest Priority.
Can you please give some more questions with this priority ?
Thank you
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Mercedes Comesana
said
1. What is the priority nursing diagnosis for a patient experiencing a migraine headache?
a. Acute pain related to biologic and chemical factors
b. Anxiety related to change in or threat to health status
c. Hopelessness related to deteriorating physiological condition
d. Risk for Side effects related to medical therapy
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Mercedes Comesana
said
1. ANSWER A – The priority for interdisciplinary care for the patient experiencing a migraine headache is pain management. All of the other nursing diagnoses are accurate, but none of them is as urgent as the issue of pain, which is often incapacitating. Focus: Prioritization
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Mercedes
said
Now, give me a question….
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Chris
said
I always thought that iron supplement is causing the false positive occult blood test.
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Janet
said
As far as I recall taking Iron supplement and probably consumption of foods or fruit containing iron prior to OBT will give you a false positive result. And here’s what I’ve read about Vit. C related to Occult Blood Testing. Vitamin C, on the other hand, interferes with the chemical reaction and prevents the color formation that should occur when blood is present (a false-negative result). Vitamin C supplements and fruit juices that contain vitamin C should be avoided three days prior to and during testing.
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KITZ
said
AND AVOID ANY DARK FOOD SUCH AS VEGETABLES, TEA, CHOCOLATE, COFFEE
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franchesca
said
the answer for TB is the sputum culture