Saunders 2018-2019 Strategies for Test Success & Passing Nursing School

414 Pages·2019·7.65 MB·English

Saunders 2018-2019 Strategies for Test Success
Passing Nursing School and the NCLEX® Exam
FIFTH EDITION
Linda Anne Silvestri, PhD, RN
Instructor of Nursing, Salve Regina University, Newport, Rhode Island
President Nursing Reviews, Inc., Henderson, Nevada
Elsevier Consultant, HESI NCLEX-RN® and NCLEX-PN® Live Review Courses
Angela Silvestri, PhD, RN, CNE
Assistant Professor, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada
Associate Editor
Marilyn Greer, MS, RN
Associate Professor of Nursing, Rockford College, Rockford, Illinois
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Table of Contents
Instructions for online access
Cover image
Title page
Copyright
Dedication
About the Authors
Contributors
Reviewers
Preface
Welcome to Saunders Pyramid to Success!
Organization
Special Features of the Book
How to Use This Book
RN Products
PN Products
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: Preparing for Nursing Examinations
When and Why Are Nursing Exams Administered?
The Beginning Nursing Student: What Should You Think About?
What Can You Expect on Nursing Exams?
Your Course Syllabus: Why Is It Important?
How Can You Best Use Your Textbook to Get Ready for a Nursing Exam?
Classroom Notes: How Can You Best Use Them?
Study Guides
Study Groups
Standardized Testing: Why Is It So Important?
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Chapter 2: Developing Study Skills
What Are Good Study Skills?
How Do You Identify and Plan Your Study Times?
What Study Habits Do You Need to Develop?
What Study Skills Are Important?
When Should You Start to Study for an Exam?
Will a Study Group Work for You?
Chapter 3: Reducing Test Anxiety
What Is Test Anxiety?
How Can You Know If You Have Test Anxiety?
What Causes Test Anxiety?
What Will Help Prevent Test Anxiety?
What Can You Do When You Are Experiencing Test Anxiety?
What Is Positive Pampering, and Why Is It Important?
What Should You Do the Night Before the Exam?
How Can You Control Your Test Anxiety Before the Exam?
How Can You Control Your Test Anxiety During the Exam?
That Positive Attitude: How Can You Maintain It?
Chapter 4: NCLEX® Preparation
Where Does Preparation Begin?
The NCLEX Test Plan: Why Is It So Important?
What Are the Steps for Preparing?
Chapter 5: Alternate Item Formats
Introduction
What Is an Alternate Item Format?
What Test-Taking Strategies Are Helpful for Answering Fill-in-the-Blank Questions?
What Test-Taking Strategies Are Helpful for Answering Multiple Response Questions?
What Test-Taking Strategies Are Helpful for Answering Prioritizing (Ordered Response) Questions?
What Test-Taking Strategies Are Helpful for Answering Figure/Illustration Questions?
What Test-Taking Strategies Are Helpful for Answering Chart/Exhibit Questions?
What Test-Taking Strategies Are Helpful for Answering Graphic Item Option Questions?
What Test-Taking Strategies Are Helpful for Answering Audio or Video Questions?
What Test-Taking Strategies Are Helpful for Answering Testlet (Case Study) Questions?
Chapter 6: How to Avoid “Reading into the Question”
Clinical Reasoning
Ingredients of a Question
Strategic Words or Strategic Phrases
The Subject of the Question
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Using Nursing Knowledge and the Process of Elimination
Chapter 7: Positive and Negative Event Queries
Positive Event Queries
Negative Event Queries
Chapter 8: Questions Requiring Prioritization
Prioritizing
Priority Classification System
Strategic Words or Strategic Phrases
The ABCs
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory
Nursing Process (Clinical Problem-Solving Process)
Chapter 9: Leading and Managing, Delegating, and Assignment-Making Questions
Delegation and Assignment-Making
Time Management
Chapter 10: Communication Questions
How Are Communication Concepts Tested in a Question?
What Guidelines Can Be Used to Answer Communication Questions?
Communication Techniques
Why Are Cultural Considerations Important?
Other Cultural Considerations
Sample Communication Questions
Chapter 11: Pharmacology, Medication, and Intravenous Calculation Questions
Pharmacology: General Guidelines to Follow
Pharmacology: Assessment/Data Collection Guidelines
Pharmacology: Assessment/Data Collection Guidelines to Follow
Medication Effects
Medication Names
Medication Classifications
Commonalities in Medication Names
What Strategies Will Help When Answering Medication and Intravenous Calculation Questions?
Chapter 12: Additional Pyramid Strategies
Eliminating Options That Contain Closed-Ended Words: How Will This Help?
Eliminating Options That Contain Medical Rather Than Nursing Interventions: How Will This Help?
Eliminating Comparable or Alike Options: How Will This Help?
Ensuring That All Parts of an Option Are Correct: How Will This Help?
Selecting the Umbrella Option: How Will This Help?
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What Strategies Will Help When Answering Questions Related to Laboratory Values?
Visualizing the Information in the Case Event, Question Query, and Options: How Will This Help?
Looking for Concepts in the Question That Are Comparable or Alike to a Concept in One of the Options: How Will This Help?
What Strategies Will Help When Answering Questions Related to Client Positioning?
What Strategies Will Help When Answering Questions Related to Therapeutic Diets?
What Strategies Will Help When Answering Questions Related to Disasters?
Chapter 13: Fundamentals of Care Questions
Chapter 14: Adult Health Questions
Chapter 15: Mental Health Questions
Chapter 16: Maternity Questions
Chapter 17: Pediatric Questions
Chapter 18: Pharmacology Questions
Chapter 19: Delegating/Prioritizing Questions
Chapter 20: Leadership/Management Questions
References
Index
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Copyright
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Saunders 2018–2019 Strategies for Test Success, Fifth Edition
ISBN: 978-0-323-47960-8
Copyright © 2018 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
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Notices
Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience
broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical
treatment may become necessary.
Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in
evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In
using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of
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With respect to any drug or pharmaceutical products identified, readers are advised to check the
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NCLEX®, NCLEX-RN®, and NCLEX-PN® are registered trademarks of the National Council of
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Previous editions copyrighted 2016, 2014, 2010, and 2005.
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Last digit is the print number: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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Dedication
To all nursing students, your commitment to becoming successful, and your dedication to the
profession of nursing, will bring never-ending rewards!
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About the Authors
Linda Anne Silvestri, PhD, RN
As a child, I always dreamed of becoming either a nurse or a teacher. Initially I chose to become a
nurse because I really wanted to help others, especially those who were ill. Then I realized that both
of my dreams could come true: I could be both a nurse and a teacher. So, I pursued my dreams.
I received my diploma in nursing at Cooley Dickinson Hospital School of Nursing in
Northampton, Massachusetts. Afterward, I worked at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield,
Massachusetts. While there, I cared for clients in acute medical-surgical units, the intensive care
unit, the emergency department, pediatric units, and other acute care units. Later I received an
Associate Degree from Holyoke Community College in Holyoke, Massachusetts; my BSN from
American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts; and my MSN from Anna Maria
College in Paxton, Massachusetts, with a dual major in Nursing Management and Patient
Education. I received my PhD in Nursing from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and conducted
and published research on self-efficacy and the predictors for NCLEX® success. I am also a member
of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, Phi Kappa Phi, the American
Nurses Association, the National League for Nursing, the Western Institute of Nursing, the Eastern
Nursing Research Society, and the Golden Key International Honour Society. Additionally, I
received the 2012 Alumna of the Year/Nurse of the Year Award from the University of Nevada, Las
Vegas, School of Nursing.
As a native of Springfield, Massachusetts, I began my teaching career as an instructor of medical-
surgical nursing and leadership-management nursing at Baystate Medical Center School of Nursing
in 1981. In 1989, I relocated to Rhode Island and began teaching medical-surgical nursing and
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