Mosby's Comprehensive Review of Nursing for the NCLEX-RN® Examination

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK WHEN STUDYING A. Start in one area. Study the material covered by the section. Refer to other textbooks to find additional details if you are unsure of a specific fact. B. Answer the questions following the area. As you answer each question, write a few words about why you think that answer is correct; in other words, justify why you selected that answer. If an answer you provide is a guess, mark the question to identify it. This will permit you to recognize areas that need further review. It will also help you to see how correct your “guessing” can be. Remember: on the licensure examination you must answer each question before moving on to the next question. Record the answer by circling the number of the option you believe is correct. D. Compare your answers with those provided. If you answered the item correctly, check your reason for selecting the answer with the rationale presented. If you answered the item incorrectly, read the rationale to determine why the option you selected was incorrect. In addition, you should review the correct answer and rationale for each item answered incorrectly. If you still do not understand your mistakes, review the material pertaining to these questions. The Content Area following the answers and rationales informs you of the area within Mosby’s Comprehensive Review of Nursing for the NCLEX-RN® Examination where you can find related information included in the question. You should carefully review all questions and rationales for items you identify as guesses because you do not have mastery of the material being questioned. E. Following the rationales for the correct answer and the incorrect options, you will find that each question in the book is classified according to Client Need, Cognitive Level, Integrated Process, Nursing Process, and Reference. These categories were described previously in this Introduction and should help you to understand the question in relation to the NCLEX-RN® examination test plan. F. After you have completed the area questions, begin taking the comprehensive tests because they will assist you in applying knowledge and principles from the specific clinical area to any nursing situation. 1. Arrange a quiet, uninterrupted time span for each part of a comprehensive test. 2. Avoid spending excessive time on any one question. Most questions can be answered in 1 to 2 minutes. 3. Make educated guesses when necessary. 4. Read carefully and answer the question asked; pay attention to specific details in the question. 5. Try putting questions and answers in your own words to test your understanding. G. To help analyze your mistakes on the comprehensive examinations and to provide a data base for making future study plans, Study Worksheets follow each of the comprehensive tests. These worksheets are designed to aid you in identifying and recording errors in the way you apply information and to help you identify and record gaps in knowledge. H. After completing your worksheets, do the following: 1. Identify the frequency with which you made particular errors. As you review material in class notes or this review book, pay special attention to acquiring information related to content that you found difficult on the tests. 2. Identify the topics you want to review. It might be helpful to set priorities; review the most difficult topics first so you will have time to review them more than once. I. Use the Companion CD to individualize your style of review. Use one or more of the practice modes (e.g., Study, Quiz, and Exam) to personalize your focus of study based on a self-assessment of needs and/or an analysis of your Study Worksheets.