Petersons - Master the NCLEX

Petersons
Master the
NCLEX-PN 4th Edition About Petersons, a Nelnet company
To succeed on your lifelong educational journey, you will need accurate, dependable, and practical tools and resources. That is why Petersons is everywhere education happens. Because whenever and however you need education content delivered, you can rely on Petersons to provide the information, know-how, and guidance to help you reach your goals. Tools to match the right students with the right schools. Its here. Its here. Its here.

Comprehensive and dependable education contentdelivered whenever and however you need it. Its all here. For more information, contact Petersons, 2000 Lenox Drive, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648; 800-338-3282; or find us on the World Wide Web at www.petersons.com/about. 2009 Petersons, a Nelnet company Previous editions 2001, 2003, 2007 Stephen Clemente, President; Bernadette Webster, Director of Publishing; Jill C. Schwartz, Editor; Ray Golaszewski, Manufacturing Manager; Linda M. Williams, Composition Manager; James Holsinger, CD Producer; Jared Stein, CD Quality Assurance Analyst ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced or used in any form or by any meansgraphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, Web distribution, or information storage and retrieval systemswithout the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission to use material from this text or product, complete the Permission Request Form at http://www.petersons.com/permissions. ISBN-13: 978-0-7689-2900-3
ISBN-10: 0-7689-2900-8 Petersons.com/publishing
Check out our Web site at www.petersons.com/publishing to see if there is any new information, revisions, or corrections to the content of this book. Weve made sure the information in this book is accurate and up-to-date; however, content may have changed since the time of publication. Another Recommended Title: Petersons Nursing Programs BEFORE YOU BEGIN Special Study Feature Summing It Up Each section ends with a point-by-point summary that captures the most important information in the chapter. The summaries are a convenient way to review these points one last time before the exam.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Review You will need to set aside at least three weeks of study to get the most out of your exam review. Begin by reading the Top 10 Strategies to Raise Your Score, and then plan your schedule so that you can dedicate 1 to 2 hours every day to your review. A good plan of study is to review one chapter each day and complete the exercises that accompany it to see how well you have mastered that material. When you have finished your review of all the subjects, take the Practice Tests. This will help you assess how well you do on each Practice Test. After taking each test, review any topics with which you are still having trouble before taking the next test.

This will help you sharpen your test-taking skills. Top 10 Strategies to Raise Your Score In taking the NCLEX-PN exam, some strategies are more useful than others. The following tips will help you raise your score. 1. Create a study plan and stick to it. The right study plan will help you get the most out of this book in the time that you have. Review key test elements daily for several weeks before the exam. Reread the Test Plan to be sure that you understand the categories and subcategories, and reread the information about alternate test formats. 3. Complete all the exercises in this book. Doing so will help you recognize your areas of strength and discover which areas need improvement. 4. If possible, visit the test center before the day of the exam. This will help you become familiar with the location and how long it takes to travel there. If possible, visit the test center before the day of the exam. This will help you become familiar with the location and how long it takes to travel there.

On the day of the exam, leave plenty of time to get to the test center in case the buses/subways/trains are running late, the weather is bad, or parking your car is a problem. 5. Avoid cramming the night before the exam. This will only make you feel more nervous. It is not likely to help you learn enough to make a difference on your test score. 6. Relax the night before the test. Try to take your mind off the exam for a while.

Go to a movie or hang out with a friendbut not with someone who will be taking the test with you. 7. Place your Authorization to Test (ATT) and two forms of identification where you will see them in the morning before leaving for the test center. You will not be able to take the exam without these documents. 8. Listen to what the test administrator tells you, and pay attention to the tutorial. Dont worry, however: You dont need to be a computer whiz to take the test. Read every word of every question on the exam. Pay attention to details. Read every word of every question on the exam. Pay attention to details.

They provide clues to the answer and help prevent you from selecting the wrong answer choice. 10. Dont spend too much time on any one question. You have up to 5 hours to complete your exambut you still cant afford to spend too much time on any one question. Try to maintain a steady pace of about 1 minute per question. If you take more than 2 minutes per question, you wont get to all the questions in the allotted time. Give Us Your Feedback Petersons publishes a full line of resources that can help guide you through the career process.

Petersons publications can be found at your local bookstore, library, and office of higher education. You can also access us online at www.petersons.com. We welcome any comments or suggestions that you may have about this publication and invite you to complete our online survey at www.petersons.com/booksurvey. Your feedback will help us make your education and career dreams possible. Youre Well On Your Way To Success! Remember that knowledge is power. Using Petersons Master the NCLEX-PN will help you become familiar with the kind of content that appears in the actual NCLEX-PN exam.

We look forward to helping you obtain your PN certification. Good luck! ALL ABOUT THE NCLEX-PN EXAM About Practical Nursing and the Job Outlook The practical nursing profession began in the late 1800s. Women were trained for careers as home attendants caring for invalids, the elderly, and children in home settings. The profession moved outside the home during World Wars I and II, when the country had an acute need for nurses to care for wounded soldiers. In the 1940s, the National Association of Practical Nurse Education was formed. The organization developed a curriculum for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), and in the late 1950s, the National League for Nursing began accrediting LPN schools in addition to those that trained registered nurses (RNs).

Today, more than 1,500 state nursing board-approved training programs for practical nurses/vocational nurses (PN/VNs) are offered through vocational and technical schools and community and junior colleges. Some high schools, hospitals, colleges, and universities also offer PN/VN programs. Most are one year long and most cost about $2,000. Admission generally requires a high school diploma or its equivalent. Programs are typically one-third class work and two-thirds clinical work, but class content is just as important as gaining clinical experience. Courses usually cover basic nursing concepts and client-care subjects, including anatomy, physiology, pediatrics, obstetrics, psychiatric nursing, drug therapy, medical-surgical nursing, nutrition, and first aid.