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Mark Klimek notes
How to guess
- Use knowledge
- Common sense
- Guessing strategy
Psych
Nurse will examine own feeling about something-so do not counter transfer Establish trust relationship
Nutrition
Pick chicken not fried chicken Fish but not shellfish Never pick casseroles for kids Never mix meds in food Toddlers-finger foods Preschool-one meal a day is OK. Leave them alone
- expectations to have
Do not expect 75 questions-think 265 Do not expect to know everything Do not expect everything will go right
Pharm
Most tested area is side effects Do not worry about route or dose If know what drug does but do not know side effect-pick a side effect in same body system the drug is working No idea what the drug is-look to see if it is PO-pick GI side effect Never tell kids that med is candy
OB-check fetal HR Med Surg 1 st thing assess-LOC 1 st thing do-establish airway
Peds
All based on principle-give child more time to grow and develop When in doubt-call it normal
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When in doubt-pick the older age When in doubt-pick the easier task-more time to do the harder one
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General
Rule out absolutes If 2 answers say same thing-neither is correct If 2 answers are opposite-one is probably right Umbrella strategy If questions has 4 right answers and ask for priority of needs of a patient-worse consequences game-worst outcome When stuck between two answers-read the question
Sesame street rule-use only as last option
Right answer tends to be different than the rest Wrong answers are usually all similar Right answer is most unique or different
Answer based on what you know, not what you don’t know
If you dont know something in a question-pull it out of the equation-use common sense Nclex also testing on common sense-do not overanalyze-do not think like a nurse Go with gut answer-only if other answer is superior
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Prioritization
Decide who is sickest or healthiest--->based on question ABC does no work with prioritization questions
Answers will have 4 parts Age Gender Diagnosis Modifying phrase
2 are irrelevant----->age and gender In Peds pay attention to age but in prioritization age is not important Modifying phrase most important
Ex: pt has angina pectoris vs MI---- > MI is high priority
Pt has angina pectoris and unstable BP vs MI with stable VS---- >angina with unstable BP is now the priority
- rules to prioritization
- Acute beats (higher priority than) chronic
Example: COPD versus appendicitis--->appendicitis is the priority
- Fresh postop (<12 hrs) beats medical or other surgical
Example: 2 hr post op versus appendicitis--->2 hr post op is the priority
- Unstable beats stable
Stable words Unstable words Stable Chronic illness Post op >12 hrs Local or regional anesthesia Lab abnormalities A or B level Unchanged assessments To be discharged Ready for discharge Admitted longer than 24 hrs ago Experiencing the typical expected S/S of disease with which they were diagnoses Unstable Acute illness Post op <12 hrs General anesthesia (1 st 12 hrs) Lab abnormalities C or C level Changed/changing assessment Not ready for discharge Newly diagnosed Newly admitted Experiencing unexpected S/S
Example:
16 yo w/ meningococcal meningitis who has had temp of 103.8 F since admission 3 days ago. 61 yo male w/IBS who spiked temp of 103 F this afternoon. Who is higher priority and why?--->2 nd option is priority-->have more high priorities than 1 st
Always unstable no matter what-even if expected
12>12>