The National Council Licensure Examination, which has the acronym NCLEX, is a body that was constituted in 1982 to evaluate nurses in the USA and Canada. It can be an intimidating test, but with proper preparation it can help you launch your new career. Some mistakes to avoid while preparing for that exam are as below:
Quick reading as if you already know the answer.
In preparation for the NCLEX tutor exam, one needs to dedicate a lot of time to their studies. Most of the concepts that are tested on the exam are designed to test not competency and knowledge, but rather critical thinking, judgement, and the ability to think through a question and reflect upon it before any attempt to answer is made.
Cramming before the actual test.
Cramming before the test has been shown not to work, because in most cases (such as with the NCLEX exams) when the test doesn’t focus on direct concept but rather tests on conceptualized ideas, you need to have more of an emphasis on critical thinking. Cramming can lead to mix ups during your NCLEX prep and can negatively impact your score on exam day.
Avoid thoughts about the actual test day.
In most cases, we try to avoid thinking about things that might cause us anxiety, but sometimes that level of preparation is very important. For NCLEX preparation, one has to think through things like what time should I have my studies scheduled, or when to wake up for self-studies, as these gives an edge on the exam preparation.
You should also take the time to decide whether you would like to utilize an NCLEX tutor. That is something that will require you to plan ahead but having a tutor can help you better use your study time.
Locking yourself in a room.
Having yourself locked up in a room to try to force yourself to study is not a good idea. It is advised that during periods of preparation you need to take breaks to exercise and get endorphins going to keep yourself from burning out. This is important as it will give you a relaxed mind that can be able to critically think and absorb concepts needed to pass the NCLEX exam.
Taking in a lot of stimulants/energy drinks.
It has been noticed that most students drink a lot of either caffeine or energy drinks to be able to stay awake for long during studies and hence be in a position to absorb more. However, this is the greatest mistake many will do. Instead of keeping you focused, to much caffeine will just make you jittery and more likely to crash, thus not absorbing as much of the material as you intended.