Patrick R. Coonan - NCLEX-RN For Dummies with Online Practice Tests

NCLEX-RN For Dummies, 2nd Edition with Online Practice

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Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2020941814

ISBN: 978-1-119-69282-9 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-1-119-69280-5 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-69269-0 (ebk)

1. Chapter 3
2. Chapter 6
3. Chapter 10
4. Chapter 11

1. Chapter 3
2. Chapter 4
3. Chapter 12

Welcome to NCLEX-RN For Dummies. Dont worry, youre definitely not dumb for picking up this book. Like millions of other future nurses worldwide, you want straightforward advice and information without having to carry around 4,000-question test prep books. Trust me, you dont want to tackle the NCLEX-RN without understanding how the test is put together and what its really all about.

The NCLEX-RN is one important test. Clearly, you need a readable, concise, structured resource to help you tackle the exam. Youve come to the right place. NCLEX-RN For Dummies puts everything you need to know to conquer the exam at your fingertips. I give you a complete review of concepts covered on the test and provide insight on how to avoid the pitfalls that the test developers have designed to test your knowledge. And I do all this in an enjoyable, easy-to-understand way.

I take NCLEX-RN test prep one step farther by guiding you through some of the more difficult areas of the exam and sharing techniques for answering questions when you dont know the answers. I even cover what you need to do throughout the exam process, from registration to test day, and how you become licensed in a state of your choice in the United States or its territories. I also share information about compact or multistate nursing licensing. If youre coming from an international school to practice nursing in the United States, I tell you what you need to do, too.

You may have heard horror stories about the NCLEX-RN, perhaps about how you have to take it on a computer or how the questions get more difficult as you go along. Yes, the NCLEX-RN is no walk in the park, but its not the hardest test youre ever going to take.

The NCLEX-RN measures minimal competency and your clinical judgment, and the fact that youve graduated from nursing school is an indication that youve attained minimal knowledge competency already. From there, the NCLEX-RN expects you to be able to read carefully and quickly and then apply what you know from your nursing program classes to the situation presented in the question. You already have the nursing knowledge you need to succeed on the NCLEX-RN you just have to apply your critical thinking skills to each situation to come up with the right answers. This book helps you refine those skills and apply them to the questions on the examination. Reading through this book and doing the practice questions (and I provide a lot of them both in the book and online) can give you a pretty good idea of what youll face on test day.

I suspect you arent eagerly anticipating sitting for the NCLEX-RN, and you probably arent looking forward to studying for it, either. The good news is that you already know everything you need to know for this exam, so studying is just identifying and sharpening your weak areas. What I do in this book is give you some points to concentrate on. I make the preparation process easier for you by breaking down the information you need to know into easy-to-process bites.

Each chapter of NCLEX-RN For Dummies includes sample questions that illustrate just how the NCLEX-RN tests particular concepts. I want you to be comfortable with the way the NCLEX-RN phrases questions and expresses answer choices, so the sample questions read just like actual test questions. This book also gives you access to two practice exams: The exam that appears in the book is complete with answers and rationales, and the exam online presents the questions in a manner similar to the actual exam. (I provide the answers and rationales for these questions, too.) Each of the practice exams contains 250 questions.

Theres no silver bullet for passing this exam, but you can start out on the right foot by considering my advice for how to study and relax before you go in for the test. Time is of the essence when taking the NCLEX-RN, so I provide techniques for answering particular kinds of questions in the shortest amount of time. I also show you how to quickly eliminate incorrect answers and make educated guesses. The key to success on the test is harnessing your ability to draw upon the knowledge you picked up in school and think through the questions and answers. Knowing what the question is asking and then picking the right answer is the key to success, and this book helps you do just that.