www.littlenars.com | Dianne Peña

TOP 10 DISEASES IN THE NURSING BOARD EXAM

These are the most common diseases that are frequently in the Nursing Board Exam. For these diseases you need to know the etiology, drug of choice, priority nursing diagnosis and nursing intervention.

10. Diabetes Mellitus
9. COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
8. AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome)
7. DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis)
6. Burns
5. Pneumonia
4. Suicide
3. Schizophrenia
2. Renal Failure
1. Cancer

Disclaimer: This is just a compilation of the common topics that is included in the Nursing Board Exam. It is also stated in the PRC-Board of Nursing syllabus.

TOP 10 DRUGS IN THE NURSING BOARD EXAM

These are the most common drugs/medications that you need to know its action, indication, side/adverse effects and most importantly NURSING CONSIDERATION when administering because it frequents the Nursing Board Exam.

10. Valium
9. Cytoxan
8. Dilantin
7. Rifampicin
6. Isoniazid
5. Prednisone
4. Neomycin
3. Flagyl
2. Co-Trimoxazole
1. Lithium

Disclaimer: This is just a compilation of the common topics that is included in the Nursing Board Exam. It is also stated in the PRC-Board of Nursing syllabus.

Pencil is one of the most important thing you need to consider in passing the Nursing Board Exam with that, I give you these tips:

Number 2 pencil doesn’t necessarily mean its MONGOL. I mean, Mongol is pretty much overrated already. Choose any #2 pencil that you are comfortable with. I personally used #2 green Faber Castel pencil during the actual board exam and #2 black Stabilo during our Nursing Audit.

Never use a new pencil during the actual board. Use a pencil in which you are used to using already. Any brand of pencil will do as long as it is #2. New pencil can affect your shading. Jut sharpen the pencil you have practiced your shading skills with during the board exam. Shading/Technicalities are some of the controversial issues in the board exam.

Use an eraser with the same brand as your pencil. If you are using Faber Castel, use a Faber Castel eraser, Stabilo pencil and Stabilo eraser, Mongol pencil and WHAT??? Well, that is the problem with Mongol. They have no separate eraser, yeah it has an eraser at the tip but it leaves an orange/rd mark to your answer sheet. Plus, it doesn’t erase the pencil mark completely. Don’t be thrifty with the things you use for the Nursing Licensure Exam because its much better to spend than to repeat.

Beware of fake pencils. Make sure you buy your things in a bookstore not just in any vendors. I am pretty much sure that Mongol pencils have imitations an I’ve bought 1. When I used it without even doing any erasures, 7 points have deducted in my score during the review. It’s quite big right? So don’t risk it.

Take care of your answer sheet. Don’t leave any marks on the answer sheet and as much as possible, don’t make any erasures. Answer 1st in your questionnaires. It is not prohibited. When you shade, make sure you are in the right number. Many have troubles when transferring their answers when they have overlooked one number.

Bonus tip: They say bring extra pencil, I say, Bring an extra but use only 1 pencil throughout the whole board exam, just sharpen every time so that your way of shading would still be the same.

Disclaimer: I am not against Mongol. I just had the luxury to experiment with the pencil that I am going to use for the Nursing Licensure Exam because we had multiple exams in our review center provided with pseudo-Nursing Licensure Exam answer sheets that is why I know the difference.

I believe Multiple Choice is the hardest type of exam because you are given 4 seemingly similar choices that you need to analyze from. With that, I give you… The power of ELIMINATION.

Take note of the STRATEGIC words. When you are being asked about or when the question contains these words:

• PRIORITY- Use the principle of ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation)
• INITIAL- Use the principle of Nursing Process (Assessment, Diagnosis, Prioritization, Implementation, Evaluation)
• MOST IMPORTANT- Use the principle of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Physiologic Needs, Safety Needs, Love and belongingness, Self-Esteem, Self- Actualization)
• BEST- Look for the option that also speaks of the other options combined, universal, broader, general— the “Umbrella Effect”. At times, it is the longest option

Beware of the tricky phrases. Determine if it is a positive or a negative query. If it is positive, then select the positive option. If it is negative, then select the negative option. Here are some examples:

Eliminate the absolute and same words in an option. Some options have the same idea, which are definitely considered wrong, so erase them in you choice. The words “all, always, every, must, none, never, only” indicates fixed and extreme meanings which are usually incorrect. Options with “may, usually, normally, commonly, generally” should be considered as possible correct answer.

Take note of the subject in the question. The gender, age (developmental stage), disease condition or medication. Put it in a box because it is of big point for consideration. This tip is most effective when you are being asked on the action of a certain drugs—just refer to what type of disease and you’re good.

Often times, the correct answer is between the 2 opposite option. Example:

a. Low BP

b. High BP

c. High PR

d. Low RR

2 opposite option are letters A and B so most probably, the correct answer is between the 2.

Read all of the choices before choosing one. When you already eliminated all the possible wrong answers, you may probably be in a dilemma of choosing between the last 2 very similar options. When you do, re-read the question again, apply all the techniques, then if all else fails trust your instinct, call up to God and believe in the power of intelligent guessing.

That’s another round of tips. Hopes this would be of help, even just a bit. LOL!
GOOD LUCK ANFD GOD BLESS FUTURE RNs

P.S

Reference for some of the tips is Saunders NCLEX-RN book.

Since critical phase in a Nursing Licensure Exam review program is approaching, I might as well give you “some” tips regarding test-taking strategies.

Here are some FACTOIDS:
Fact Number 1: Some questions in the board exam are easy but have complicated choices
Fact Number 2: Some questions are so long that you get lazy in reading it but have the shortest options
Fact number 3: Sometimes, the second best answer is the correct answer because the “true” best answer (the one they taught us in schools and review centers) is not given as a choice
Fact number 4: Some of the questions are out of nowhere. Which surprises you and makes you peevish. (true for me!)
Fact number 5: Most of the questions needs analysis and in-dept comprehension. When I say comprehension, it also goes with “Common Sense”. Memorization is just of a little priority.

Read the ENTIRE question. The most basic rule in test taking. Read each word/phrase carefully. Before looking through the options, do a quick think on what is the correct answer. You can translate the question to Filipino or to any other language you are most comfortable with to better understand the question.

Be aware of the time. Your watch has a purpose (to wear it and to tell you the time). Take note of the time you started and the tie you should finish. In the actual board exam, you will be given 2 hours to answer 100 items, so you have roughly 1.2 minutes in answering each item. Have a habit of approximating the time for each number. Skip the difficult questions. Don’t consume all your time (and neurons) in one item only.

Don’t Overanalyze. Avoid asking yourself “Well… What if…” or in Filipino “Ehhh… Paano kung ganito, Paano kung ganyan…”. Read Read the question as is. Don’t add anything to the story/situation. Answer the question with an answer and not with another question, also goes with this tip.

Don’t be afraid to mess up your questionnaire. Underline keywords and phrases essential in arriving to the correct answer. You can even encircle, box cross or whichever you like —not only the questions but also the options. It helps you focus as to what is being asked.

Answer per situation (and not by each item). In the board exam, it is a given fact that you’ll answer situational questions. Fact number 5 is the key to answering this type of question. Seems pretty hard right? BUT there’s a trick for this… The questions are most probably interrelated which means that the answer for a particular question can be found or is stated on the next question. So if you’re stuck up with a particular number, just read through the next. Answer in bundles to avoid mistakes and even erasures.

Stay tuned for more for the tips about the power of Elimination.

Hope this helps. Good Luck!