Studying Hard Vs. Studying Smart

In this fast-paced and busy world that we live in, who has all the time to sit and absorb so much information…in a short time?  So why not come up with more efficient and effective ways to study.  Instead of focusing on retaining quantity of information, you should be focusing on improving the quality of your thought process.  Thinking like a nurse is thinking through content, situations, and possible solutions to a problem.  Value is not only placed on how much you know, but even more on: if you know where to get information, identify the most accurate information, and what you can do with the information.  Hopefully, the table below will help you strategize how to get through nursing school with better retention of information, quality thought processes, and better chances of passing your NCLEX.

Studying Hard (Okay)	Studying Smart (Better)
Reading textbook word for word	Reading chapter summary, tables, picture captions, and read areas that still remain confusing.
“Highlighting the entire book”	Placing restrictions: for example, you can only highlight five words in every paragraph!  This will build on your ability to think creatively, prioritize, and keep you thinking on the big concept.
Reviewing your notes from class by reading them	Rewriting while reorganizing your notes from class, using categories, diagrams, concept maps, etc.
Writing down word for word what the teacher is saying during lecture	Summarizing what the teacher said in your own words
Choosing your best friend(s) as your study buddy	Having group study sessions with a group of students you know are excelling in the class
Wait for teacher lecture on the topic	Skim content ahead of class and write down questions to ask during class
Memorizing as much information as you can	Understanding the big idea and create connections and generalizations for you to use in problem solving activities
Knowing the right answer(s)	Knowing why it is the right answer and why the others are wrong.
Identify a problem and find a solution	Identify a problem and explore alternate solutions

5 TIPS FOR STICKING WITH YOUR STUDY PLAN THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS

Between planning the menu for your family’s many holiday feasts, and a strategy to maximize the money-saving deals of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and on and on, when will you ever find time to study?  Try any of these tried and effective study strategies from our past candidates:

1. Plan for short study sessions– The holiday season is not the best time to schedule around-the-clock studying or cram.  It is unrealistic to stay focused while deep inside you want to party and hang out with your loved ones.  Sneaking in 30 minutes here and there will add up and leave you feeling confident that you are still on track.
2. Maximize travel opportunities– A lot of you are travelling to destinations to celebrate the holidays so it might be the perfect time to pull out those mobile devices to access your videos and reading materials to kill some time.
3. Late to bed and early to rise– Take advantage of the time when everyone is sleeping to take an exam uninterrupted.  Try to find a routine that works for the unique situation you are in.
4. Enjoy time with your loved ones– Remember what motivates you to pursue nursing and finally get your license…for most of you it is your family.  So spending time with them will help reignite the drive and motivation for why you are working so hard.
5. Take time off– Schedule a few days off completely from any studying.  The best days are probably: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Years Eve.  Giving your brain time to recover and relax may help in absorbing the information more effectively when you pick up the books again. 

These study techniques will keep you stay focused on your goal of passing the NCLEX, while allowing you to take some time off and relax with your family and friends.

Failed the NCLEX. Where are they now? Jonathan Reid

As promised, another story of a successful candidate who failed with his 1st attempt and decided he would not let that define him.  He moved on and he passed!  Meet Jonathan Reid:

“It was hard headed to say the least when it came to taking the NCLEX, I did not prepare that well for the test. I thought it was going to be a walk in the park since through nursing school I had better than B average. Well I was wrong. I failed my first attempt. I was very down after this, thinking that maybe I shouldn’t be a nurse and what have I been doing over the past 2 years of school. I contacted D&D and went through the week long intense review class and the instructors really made the 2 years of school make a lot of sense. I took the test a week after completing the review and I passed in under 100 questions!!

Now that I have my LVN license, I am finding it hard being a new nurse to find a job, most place want 1 year of experience minimum.

As far as my nursing career goes I just found out today that I have been accepted into a RN BSN program!!!”

Failed the NCLEX. Where are they now? Kayla Revel

“I graduated from Gurnick in 2012, and it hasn’t been the easiest road I’ve been on. I lucked out and got a Nursing Assistant job for almost a year for a quadriplegic doctor from Sweden, staying to teach Economics at Cal Berkeley. It was an awesome home health job, and helped me get some experience while waiting for my ATT number to take the NCLEX. I received my ATT in November, and I was so busy and exhausted from my 12 hour shifts with my job that I put NCLEX off for the rest of the year. Not a good idea. It was a struggle to work and try and study at the same time, but I did it. My first attempt, unfortunately, was in February of 2013. I studied on my breaks, before work after work, and even during my second job as a waitress. I studied for almost 2 months before taking it. I thought I was ready so I took it. I didn’t pass. I was so devastated and felt defeated. I had even signed up for an IV therapy and Blood Withdrawal course, in which some of my old classmates were in. They all had passed, and I felt so embarrassed not knowing if I passed or not. That is when I decided to take the course with D&D.

D&D was not only a refresher course for the material I studied for hours, but they taught us a specific technique to tackle NCLEX style questions. This test isn’t designed to just test you on your knowledge, and that is where I went wrong with my studies. I took this course the week prior to my second attempt at the NCLEX, and I felt so ready to take. I took it for my second time and I passed! It was the best feeling ever. I felt confident answering almost all of the questions, applying what I learned from DnD. I learned so much from this refresher course.

I passed in April of 2013, and I got offered a Charge Nurse position at an Assisted Living Facility in San Francisco, in September of 2013. It has been an interesting and challenging road for me. But I had love and support from amazing professors, my family, and I was introduced to an amazing group of people at D&D who played a huge roll in my success. I couldn’t have done it without any of them. It was hard, but it gave me the drive to continue my education, and I am looking to continue on to RN school.

Utilize the resources and the help that is offered to you. Nothing is impossible unless you let it be!”

Predicting NCLEX Results…Can You Really?

The NCLEX- associated test anxiety definitely does not end after you have taken it…until you receive your official results via expedited email/ phone message, or traditional mail, which all comes from your state board of nursing.  Many have searched far and wide for ways to predict how they did on the exam to alleviate their nerves.  Here are the common rumors regarding ways to predict your results, and discussions about their reliability.

1) “Pearson Vue Trick:” A name definitely not supported by Pearson, but what past candidates from years past have decided to called.  Primarily, it is the process of entering the Pearson Vue website once again, like when you signed up to schedule and pay for your NCLEX.  You enter your personal information and if you get a page asking you for a form of payment, then you did not pass.  Make sure you do not pay until receiving the official results from your state board of nursing.  The rumor continues with: if you do not get the payment page, then you must have passed.

Now, in the ten years of my career as an NCLEX Review Coach, many of my candidates have used this trick and it has definitely predicted their results 96% of the time.  Of course, we always caution celebrating until the official results come in.  There were a few exceptions to this data in my experience, which primarily include NCLEX candidates that did not complete the exam within the allotted 5 hours.  Also, a couple of students were not able to get a result because they immediately went to the site after taking the NCLEX.  Remember that depending on how well you did, some exams take a little more time to process and generate a result than others, so the best thing to do is check after 24 to 48 hours.

2) What if you did not complete the exam, during the allotted time.

One of our NCLEX candidates has experienced this and when she tried the Pearson Vue trick, it did not allow her to pay.  When given the official result, she did not pass.  Remember that the NCSBN has official rules about what will happen if a candidate does not complete the NCLEX within the time provided:

When a candidate runs out of time before completing the maximum number of items, the candidate will pass if their ability estimate has remained above the passing standard for the last 60 items. The candidate will fail if their ability estimate was below the passing standard for any of the last 60 items. This, however, does not mean that you have to answer the last 60 items correctly.

– NCSBN, You’ve Completed the NCLEX

3) Awareness of what level you were performing towards the end…or when the exam shut off.  The number of questions you received do not determine if you passed or not.  What matters is how you were performing towards the last half of your exam; were “performing above passing level,” meaning answering application and analysis level questions (typically “what would you do type of questions, like delegation, prioritization, evaluation of treatment/ intervention)?  If you ended your exam, answering questions that are more like: “define this, list this, anatomy and physiology type questions,” this is typically “below passing level” type of questions; we call recall/recognition level of knowledge.  This indicates a significant lack of content and is not reflective of an entry level competent nurse.

4) Pay for the quick results, which costs anywhere between $8 to 20, and is not available on all the states.  See if your state qualifies here https://www.ncsbn.org/1225.htm .  I say spend the money if you can; it will save you some sanity and alleviate your anxiety; otherwise, you would have to wait an average of 4 weeks to 6 weeks, depending on the health or your state board of nursing.

5) Of course, the only 100% and reliable way to determine your performance is to receive the Candidate Performance Report (CPR) from your state board of nursing.  Once you receive the CPR, you can see how you performed in each of the client needs categories; this video we produced can help you understand your results better https://vimeo.com/71835584 .

In summary, can you predict your results?  Sure, there are many data you can gather to help you figure out your status, but just like in nursing care, there is only one definitive diagnosis, or definitive result we can rely completely on: the official results from the Board of Nursing in your state.

Do I Need A Live Class?

Do you find yourself reading the same paragraph of material over and over because it is not sinking in?  Do you find it hard to get motivated and stick with a study plan?  Do you feel overwhelmed and discouraged staring at a pile of books and resources, and you don’t know where to start?  Do you find your scores not improving on the practice exams?  Then you might be the perfect candidate for all the advantages a live NCLEX review class can offer.

Now that you have realized you need a live review class, what questions should you be asking to make sure you are signing up for a class fit for you, in order to succeed?

1) Size of the class– Make sure to ask how many students are in the class.  The larger the class size, the less likely you will be able to engage in class.  Class sizes should be limited especially if you need and desire a lot of personalized and individualized attention.  Having less students to manage allows more opportunities to clarify concepts as well as answer questions.

2) Length of class– How many hours are being provided and what activities are you going to be engaged in besides lecture.  It may be that the class provides more hours lecturing on content.  However, this can lead to passive learning.  Passive learning often does not stick because it can often lead to only superficial understanding or worse, memorization of content.  If all the hours will be spent in lecturing, you might as well sit at the comfort of your own home reading, listening, or watching video lectures.

3) Activities in class must be diversified to keep you engaged and active in the learning process- questions that are discussed should be geared towards application of nursing concepts into practice and for the NCLEX.  To prepare for CAT exams (computer adaptive exams) a candidate can no longer just memorize a stack of feedbacks (info that some review centers say they got from inside sources and past test-takers on what showed up in NCLEX exams) and pass the exam.  Nurses must be able to process information to the level of understanding nursing workflow; hence it is important to have instructors, who can combine knowledge of the NCLEX with clinical experience, in order to facilitate the students’ visualization of how nursing decisions are made and lead to patient outcomes.

4) Time for evaluation and recommendations-Is your weakness just content, processing of the information, or the ability to make a decision and act like a nurse?  To really help you, time and effort must be made to evaluate how much information you were able to digest about the concept(s) that was just taught.  You must demonstrate the ability to solve problems surrounding the topic that was just reviewed.  Having an experienced NCLEX review instructor and coach, who is able to provide you with additional perspective on what areas you need to work on and help you come up with a realistic action plan will increase your chances for success.

There are many advantages to attending a live review class.  There may be many reasons why you can’t attend a live class; but for some, it is the only way to achieve your goal of passing the NCLEX.  Are you thinking about attending a live review class?  What are the reasons that may be holding you back?

Where are they now? Leo Ricafort

Every month,  I will start sharing inspiring stories of past NCLEX candidates that we have coached in hopes that you will stay motivated.  I am hoping that through their stories of determination and perseverance you can believe that you can pass your NCLEX as well and move onto a very promising career in nursing.  This week I will introduce you to Leo Ricafort, who registered for D&D’s NCLEX COMPLETE Review Program in June 2013.  He in now a registered nurse and was a delight as a student.  Here is what he has to share about his experience:

“Aside from family and friends, the DND family was also a big factor for my NCLEX success. Because of that, I made a little mnemonic and derived it from the D in DND to summarize what really helped me pass the NCLEX.

4 D’s: Dedication, Deal with the basics first, Do again, and Doze off:

– Dedication: you need to put in the time and effort in order for you to achieve your goals, in this case, passing the NCLEX. I watched every video on the online site, did as much questions as I could, studied many adjunct resources, and read the study guide that you created for us.

– Deal with the basics first: NCLEX is an exam to test basic nursing knowledge. You taught me that if you know the core concepts of nursing, you can apply that to a question in the exam and you will most likely answer it correctly.

– Do again: one technique that I use to make information stick in my brain is to repeat, repeat, and repeat. I tend to forget things really fast so by repeating the videos and taking endless practice exams over and over again, I was able to retain a lot of information.

– Doze off: During the 1-week live class session, you taught us that other than studying, getting a day or two off is also as important. If your mind says stop studying, you probably should. It will not take any more information especially if you battle your way through a headache.

With that said, thank you for helping me all throughout my NCLEX-RN journey. Without you, I would have probably studied and got nowhere as close to where I got with the program. I am glad that I enrolled with DND because now I can start looking for a job preferably in the ED or ICU where I would like to establish my career as a nurse,… and maybe someday achieve my dream profession: become a Certified Nurse Anesthetist.”

Building Enough Content for the NCLEX

Having enough content is foundation for being prepared to take the NCLEX.    It is impossible to retain 100% of content, but a candidate needs enough to pass the NCLEX.  Content are the facts learned in nursing school.  A candidate must recall and recognize enough content to be able to apply in nursing decision-making type of questions, which are the type of question a candidate needs to be able to answer and maintain to perform “above passing level.”

1) How do I know I am missing content?

– take a comprehensive exam from a credible NCLEX review program, book, or request for our free diagnostic exam.  A score of <60% means there is significant content missing.

– if a Candidate Performance Report (CPR), from a past attempt(s) of the NCLEX reveals “below passing level” on any of the Client Needs Categories.

– when reviewing exams from the past, questions that were wrong were due to the inability to recognize, remember, or understand the topic being tested.

2) How do I build enough content, without reading the entire NCLEX review book or textbook?

– take exams with the freedom to “hunt for the answer,” like an open-book exam.  Make sure to only use resources as needed.  If the information is used, it is more likely to be retained.  Just make sure to minimize having to use resources as scores improve on the exams.

– after taking an exam, review the questions that were wrong and read just on those topics.  Make sure to test yourself again, using different questions on the same topic.  Focus not just on memorization, but be able to apply the information right away by answering application type of questions.

3) What if my scores are not improving?

Scores on the exams may vary, based on topic weaknesses; however, focus on comprehensive exam results, which should be taken at least once a week to assess overall progress.  If scores are not improving, make sure to follow every step above and focus on quality review vs. quantity.  Do not rush through exams just to complete them and memorize the right answer, with the thought that they will show up in the NCLEX exactly like that.  The questions in the NCLEX will seem different because it may be stated differently, or under a different circumstance, so understanding the topic and overall concepts is a must.

Is content the problem?  Which content is your weakness?

D&D’s MINE DEEP Approach to Nursing Competence

Always get stuck trying to figure out which of the last two multiple choice options is better on a nursing exam? There are ways to process which of the two is better, we call it the MINE DEEP approach. It is the process nurses use everyday for clinical decision making. Try it on your exams today and boost your scores.

7 Things that Sabotage Your NCLEX Preparation

There are many reasons why you may not stick with the study plan and essentially sabotage yourself, or allow environmental factors sabotage your NCLEX preparation.  Here are 7 ways to sabotage your preparation and tips on how to keep yourself on track and onto NCLEX success.

1. Unrealistic Study Plan– Do you set a goal for yourself that is so unrealistic to your current lifestyle and what level you are starting from (baseline), that it becomes impossible for you to stick to the plan?  For example, are you considered a “high risk” for failure candidate (multi-attempt, ESL, long-time graduate, have children, and working full time) and want a study plan that will force you to study 8 hours per day so you can be ready for the exam in less than one month because your authorization to test is expiring?  As a general rule, design a study plan following the rule of “small and frequent” vs. “large and occasional.”  Spreading out short segments of preparation times throughout the day vs. cramming a 4-hour study session at the end of a workday is more likely to be followed.  Focus on quality vs. quantity.  You are more likely to absorb more information by allowing small amounts of content to be digested throughout the day.

2. No sense of urgency: Urgency is the most challenging to simulate because you can live with or without the license.  Usually, you already have a job that pays well or you have no pressure to test because you are financially supported by a family member.  If you lack a sense of urgency, start by committing to a test date so it officially creates a goal in mind.  Also, keep in mind that even if there is no need for the license right now, such a need may eventually arise.  The longer you put off studying, the harder it is to pick it up again in the future, and worse case scenario is having to start from scratch.

3. Unsupportive Family & Friends– Unfortunately, you may have the hurdle of having to deal with the negativity or distraction from family members and friends.  It is very important to minimize interaction with these types of people for the duration of the study plan; focus on why you want to be a nurse, and surround yourself with supportive people like mentors, study buddies, and your NCLEX coach.  Stay positive and on track by keeping yourself accountable to someone who cares and is supportive of your goal.

4. Disorganization & Overwhelming Materials: The first step of your study plan is to organize your time and materials.  This is the most common and simplest hurdle that candidates overlook.  It is important to have short term (complete readings and exam on OB by the end of the week) and long term goals (by the end of the month my test average will increase by 10%).  Next, time management is important in finding areas in your life where you can squeeze in the time to study.  Finally, filter your resources.  Make sure you only have one or two resources at the most.  When choosing, which tools to use for your preparation, ask yourself the following: can you connect or engage with the material and is the content digestible and easy to understand? I will discuss choosing the most ideal content for you in another blog, coming up next month.

5. Overcommitment: In life, you can only fit in three priorities at any given time, for most this is family, job, and social life.  Your priorities should be able to adjust when needed to accomplish short term goals.  When you have decided to commit to a review program, it should move up to the top three, and everything else can wait for a while.

6. “Throwing the baby out with the bathwater:” Do you always strive for perfectionism; do you think to yourself that “if it isn’t perfect, then what’s the point?”  Do you easily get disappointed and lose motivation when your scores are low or don’t improve immediately?  Then you think to yourself: “I’ve blown it. I might as well completely throw out the study plan!”  If you have a little setback or mini-failure, consciously stop yourself from throwing it all away and seeing the ‘whole thing as just ruined’ and then really ruining it.

7. The familiarity of ‘failure’: Are you used to situations not working out, or being around ‘dysfunctional people’ that it feels easier to sabotage yourself, by behaving in some way that either worsens or destroys your progress rather anticipate failure.  You will need to build your confidence.  You will need frequent reassurance, preferably from a professional, to help you see how much progress you are making every step of the way.