NCLEX-RN Process
NUR 420
Professor Brenda Rowe
General Information
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www.ncsbn.org
www.sos.state.ga.us/plb/rn
http://faculty.mercer.edu/hodges_hf
www.pearsonvue.com/nclex
Application Process
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Apply for licensure with Board of Nursing
($40 for GA)
Register for NCLEX-RN ($200) (if provide
email all communication will be by email):
May register online, mail, or telephone
Georgia Board requests that both
applications be submitted at approximately
same time
Get Board of Nursing approval
Receive ATT: Name on ATT must match ID
Accommodations
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Different application
Need to apply now
New NCLEX-RN Blueprint
Effective April 2007
 Based on 2005 Practice Analysis
 Passing standard raised
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Changes (Implemented
April 2007)
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Percentage for Client Needs Categories stayed the
same from 2004.
Safe Effective Care Environment 13-19%
Health Promotion 6-12%
Psychological Integrity 6-12%
Physiological Integrity
– Basic Care & Comfort 6-12%
– Pharmacological & Parenteral 13-19%
– Reduction in Risk Potential 13-19%
– Physiological Adaptation 11-17%
Pharmacology
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Increased pharmacology questions in
2004
Will tell you trade/generic
Know the expected outcomes of meds
Changes from 2004
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In 2004 more questions at the
application and/or analysis level
Changes from 2004-2007
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Safe and Effective Care
– Management of Care 13-19 %
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Added Information Security & Information
Technology
– Safety and Infection Control 8- 14%
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Added Ergonomic Principles
Passing Rate for BSN
graduates, First Time US
Educated
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2008 89.4%
Passage rate for all programs 88.2%
What is CAT?
– First item is relatively easy
– Subsequent items better target test taker
– Computer re-estimates the test taker’s
ability every time an item is answered.
– Test taker should have a 50-50 chance of
answering the item correctly.
– “Be aware that both passers and failers
tend to answer approximately 50% of
items correctly.”
– Key is the difficulty of the questions
How score is determined
Candidate passes or fails when have
95% certainty that candidate’s ability
is above or below the standard
Testing Security
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Digital fingerprint, signature and photo
will be taken at test center
Will be observed at all times
Can take nothing into testing room
Must provide a fingerprint each time
enter and exit the testing room.
General Information
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Two preprogrammed optional breaks:
first after 2 hours of testing, breaks
included in time, may take additional
breaks
265 questions; 6 hours
Re-test in GA – must wait 90 days
National retesting time is 45-90 days
Personal Preparation
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Know thyself
Get your planner and make a plan
After you make your appointment
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Drive to the testing site.
Go in the building. Find the office suite
Sleep/eat
Drive safely
Wear comfortable clothing ( although it says no
jackets can wear a sweater and have t-shirt
under so can be comfortable)
Personal Preparation
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When you arrive will get a
number…they’ll call you to take the
test
Need one form of acceptable ID (i.e.
driver’s license)
Need your ATT
May not want to go with
someone…pressure to finish same
time
Test Taking Strategies
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Read each question carefully
What is the question asking?
Look for operative words
No penalty for an educated guess except better to
run out of time than do “rapid guessing”
Be POSITIVE
Focus
Deep Breathing
Use ear plugs if noise distracts you – they will
provide
Tips from Former
Students
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Do not wait for a long time (Research
has demonstrated that the longer
a graduate waits the probability
of failure increases)
Take as many practice questions as
possible (thousands & thousands)!!
Use mental rehearsal
Think about what works for YOU!!!
Online Survey
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Tell students that no one came away from
NCLEX thinking they passed.
Make sure that you take time with each
question.
More emphasis on the seriousness of this
test. Encourage and emphasize either taking
some kind of review class or intensive self
study.
Tell students how strict they are with the
fingerprinting and checking IDS & taking
your picture.
Online Survey (cont.)
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I was surprised that I had a large portion of
questions that asked the side effects of
medications and the signs and symptoms of
certain diseases/disorders.
There were a lot of which patient would you
see first questions.
Tell students that you start when you arrive
and have registered.
Online Survey (cont.)
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They really are serious about locking
everything up and finger printing every time
you enter or leave the room
There were bold words like first and priority
There are other types of testing going on &
some of the tests requires test taker to type
an essay so lots of keyboard noise
They do provide ear plugs but they are big
and bulky
Online Survey (cont.)
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You cannot wear a watch into testing area.
I should have been more relaxed because
all that anxiety only made me tired. I
needed to be more confident.
People at the center were very nice and
accommodating.
Forgot ATT, had to go to Kinko’s and print it
off.
Online survey (cont.)
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Questions, Questions, Questions, the best
book I found was the NSNA Review guide,
and I used Kaplan, Rayfield, Lippincott, and
Saunders.
Know signs and symptoms of diseases and
drug interactions
I wish someone would have told me that
waiting for results was the worst 2 days of
my life.
Online Survey (cont.)
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It can be cold or hot at the testing
center. Air conditioning broken with I
took. Advise students to prepare for
anything!
I wish someone had told me that it is
much quicker to register online rather
than mailing NCLEX application.
Online Survey (cont.)
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“I wish I hadn’t taken a break from
studying…it was really hard to get
back into the testing mindset.”
All comfortable with online testing
May 07 Statistics
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Average test time
Passers: 152
Failers: 272
Average Number of questions
Passers: 135
Failers: 235
Advice to Faculty
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Do more tests during the last
semester.
Include a review course in 420.
Need to review some basic care info
that we learned at the beginning of
school (crutch walking etc.)
Reinforce the importance of doing lots
of practice questions.
Advice to faculty
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I believe that the Kaplan book, the review
course, and doing two hours of studying a
night for 1 plus month helped me pass.
Students should know all lab values, all
ABGs, all basic health assessments, and
pharmacology. As soon as I started I wrote
down things Nagle’s Rule, lab values, etc. on
dry erase board. You cannot erase anything
on board but if you need another you can
get one.
Surprises?
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Much more pharmacology than I expected
Lot of select all that apply questions
Probably 20-30 questions out of 75 were
“Which of these patients would you see first
after receiving report.”
Yes. I had 6 questions on peritoneal dialysis.
I had a lot of infection control questions
I had so many teaching questions!
Surprises (cont.)
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I had 7 alternate item format
questions!
“No, I was well prepared to see
everything and that was exactly what
happened!”
May 08 Feedback from
Survey
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Mosby’s flashcards very helpful – “mirrors
the NCLEX question style”- $38.95 @ Barnes
and Noble or Borders
Rayfield CDs were “awesome to reinforce
material”
Had “at least 10-15 alternate format
questions”.
“There were LOTS of select all that apply.”
May 08 feedback (cont.)
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“Do lots of questions and take a
review course.”
“Don’t over stress. Do LOTS of
questions. Review some content, but
questions are most important!”
“Prepare, prepare, questions more
than content and pray.”