Success!!
Challenge
negative thoughts
 Controlled
breathing
 Desensitize
yourself to the
fear response
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Muscle relaxation
 Imagery
 Over prepare
 Exercise
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Read the material prior to lecture
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Tape lecture – listen and
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This is essential to know what the instructor is
going to talk about
Star concepts on power points you don’t
understand for further study
Listen to taped lecture with open book and class
notes
Flag or Tab your notes – stay organized
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Organize study with pathophysiology of
disease/system
Signs and symptoms (including labs)
Nursing Diagnosis
Goals
Specific Implementation plans
Patient teaching
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Concentrate on the simple before the
complex.
Make educated guesses.
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Never leave a question blank.
Maintain a positive attitude.
Check your answers and answer sheets.
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Has 2 parts
1st part: stem – the statement that asks a
question.
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2 parts: 1) information about a clinical event,
topic, concept, or theory; 2) asks for a response
2nd part: possible responses called options
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When walking, a patient becomes weak
and the patient’s 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?
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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
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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
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RECOGNIZE
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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.
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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.
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CRITICALLY
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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
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ELIMINATE
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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
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Know the parts of a test question.
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Multiple choice questions.
 Item: the entire question
 Stem: the statement that asks the question
 Options: possible responses
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Options: one is correct, the remaining are distracters.
 Part of the distracters may be correct.
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Read the question carefully before looking
at the options:
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Identify Key Words in the Stem
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(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
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Identify the Theme of the Item,
and base it on information provided in
the stem.
Don’t assume information that is
not given.
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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
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Select Responses that are:
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Therapeutic
Show respect
Communicate acceptance
Eliminate Responses that:
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Are bizarre
Inappropriate
Punitive
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Know the Basic Principles that Guide the
practice of Nursing.
Nursing Process
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Maslow’s Hierarchy
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Assessment, analysis/Nursing Diagnosis,
Planning, Implementation, Evaluation
Physiological needs first: Airway, Breathing,
Circulation, Disability
Safety second
Prioritization
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Look for patterns in Your Performance and
Flaws in Your Thinking.
Analyze your test-taking behaviors, then
establish strategies to correct these
problem.
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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
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Did not read all distracters carefully
Did not understand question
Read into question
Used incorrect rationale for selecting
response
Changed the answer
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Manage your time effectively during Testtaking.
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Do not change answers without
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Good reason
Sound rationale
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Choose options that are within the realm of
nursing.
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Be able to differentiate the need for nursing
judgment from the need for physician judgment.
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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
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Identify clues in the stem (extra
explanations)
Identify patient-centered options
Identify specific determiners in options
(increased in 2 options, decreased in 2
options)
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erroneously
contraindicate
violate
ensure
rationale
mandatory
appropriate
indicate
anticipate
strategies
perception
determine
disrupted
reveal
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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!!!!!!
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Identify options that
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deny patient feelings,
concerns
needs
Use multiple test-taking techniques
KNOWLEDGE
COMPREHENSION
APPLICATION
ANALYSIS
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Require you to recall and/or remember
normal
adult
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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
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Require you to understand information
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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
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Require you to use information
a.
b.
c.
d.
keep the knees and ankles straight
strengthen the knees and bend at the waist
place the feet together with the knees bent
position the feet apart with one placed
forward
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Require you to interpret a variety of data
and recognize the commonalties, differences
and interrelationships among presented
ideas
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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
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HAVE CONFIDENCE
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KNOW THAT YOU CAN BE SUCCESSFUL
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YOU MADE IT THIS FAR.
RELAX
ASK FOR ASSISTANCE WHEN YOU NEED IT
AND SOMETIMES WHEN YOU DON’T.