What exactly is the NCLEX?
In general, the NCLEX, which stands for National Council Licensure Examination, refers to one of the two standardized examinations that nurses must pass to become either a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or a registered nurse (RN) in the United States (RN). Nursing applicants must have an authorized nursing degree and pass either the NCLEX-RN (for registered nurses) or the NCLEX-PN (for practical nurses) exams to become licensed (for LPNs). This phase is critical because it provides states with a method of independently verifying their nursing knowledge and determining their capacity to practice nursing safely in their jurisdiction.
THINKING THE NCLEX IS AS EASY AS ANY OTHER NURSING EXAM:
Your nursing school exam may have gone well, but the NCLEX is on a whole other level. Both examinations are distinct in more than one way, and success in either cannot be equated. Nursing school tests assess your knowledge, while the NCLEX assesses your presence of mind or how effectively you evaluate problems and use your abilities to develop a solution. Overall, the NCLEX tests your logical and critical thinking skills.
IMPROPER READING OF THE QUESTIONS:
When taking such an important test, you must be patient and careful when reading the questions. Aside from your information, your evaluating ability, logic, and critical thinking are also important. If you come across a question that appears similar, don’t answer it right away; instead, reread the question; it may be different.
RESISTING THOUGHTS ABOUT THE TEST DAY:
For major life events such as the NCLEX, preparing for the worst is usually the best course of action. However, avoiding thoughts on test day would not help. It should be better if you addressed all of the questions ahead of time, such as, where will I park? What papers should I bring to the test center, and what time should I set my alarm on exam day?
BEING OVERLY CONFIDENT IN YOUR NOTES
Your study app will not be enough to prepare you for the NCLEX. Even if you combine this with your notes, you may fall short since the NCLEX is about critical thinking abilities, which bookish knowledge will not instill. You will need high-quality study materials, which you may get online.
WORKING ON QUESTIONS WITHOUT READING THE RATIONALES
The secret to passing the NCLEX is to practice as much as possible. The best method to go about this is to take the practice exam and then look through every explanation for questions you got correct or incorrect. Reading the material helps you retain track of your line of thought for the questions you got wrong or guessed.
ISOLATING YOURSELF INDOORS
The NCLEX is a significant step toward your future, but isolating yourself from your environment is not the way to go about it. Going out and engaging in some modest action, such as jogging, can energize you and keep your energy directed for the day. These workouts will increase endorphin levels in your body, providing you with much-needed confidence and perspective.
OVER-CAFFEINATING
On the test day, many students may drink coffee or red bull to stay awake. Other times, people will stop their regular caffeine consumption habit on the test day. Neither of them is a brilliant idea since it may cause coffee withdrawal symptoms or impair your performance during the test. If you desire, you should keep a general caffeine consumption, but try to keep the amount low. Any abrupt alterations in your nutrition will only harm your performance.
NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP
Sleep is a terrific stress reliever and energy booster. A seven-hour uninterrupted sleep pattern is advised for adults. You may believe that skipping a night’s sleep would allow you more time to study, but this will negatively impact your efficiency. Throughout your preparation, you must maintain a good sleep cycle, which will preserve your circadian rhythm, which in turn will sustain the functioning of your mind and body. Even on the test day, you must get a decent night’s sleep to keep the tension at bay. Nobody can assist you with the questions you’ll confront, but you can help yourself by figuring out how to face them with grit.
Conclusion
It may be a little scary for nursing students to realize that this is much different from a simple four-answer question, but do not worry. We have got you covered. To alleviate test anxiety associated with the NCLEX, we created SIMCLEX, a computer adaptive NCLEX simulator that matches the adaptive nature of the actual NCLEX exam.