Avoiding pitfalls

attempts to interpret the clients behavior

rather than allow the client to verbalize his
own feelings
offers a response that focuses on the
nurse, not the client.

Ah, thats better!

When answering NCLEX questions, look for
responses that:
allow the client time to think and reflect
encourage the client to talk
encourage the client to describe a
particular experience
reflect that the nurse has listened to the
client, such as through paraphrasing the
clients response.

Avoiding pitfalls
Even the most knowledgeable students can
get tripped up on certain NCLEX questions.
(See A tricky question, page 14.) Students
commonly cite three areas that can be difficult
for unwary test-takers:
knowing the difference between the
NCLEX and the real world
delegating care
knowing laboratory values.

NCLEX versus the real world

Some students who take the NCLEX have
extensive practical experience in health care.
For example, many test-takers have worked
as licensed practical nurses or nursing
assistants. In one of those capacities, testtakers might have been exposed to less than
optimum clinical practice and may carry those
experiences over to the NCLEX.
However, the NCLEX is a textbook examination not a test of clinical skills. Take
the NCLEX with the understanding that what
happens in the real world may differ from
what the NCLEX and your nursing school say
should happen.

313419NCLEX-RN_Chap01.indd 13

13

Dont take shortcuts

If youve had practical experience in health
care, you may know a quicker way to perform
a procedure or tricks to get by when you dont
have the right equipment. Situations such as
staff shortages may force you to improvise.
On the NCLEX, such scenarios can lead to
trouble. Always check your practical experiences against textbook nursing care, taking
care to select the response that follows the
textbook.

Delegating care
On the NCLEX, you may encounter questions
that assess your ability to delegate care. Delegating care involves coordinating the efforts
of other health care workers to provide effective care for your client. On the NCLEX, you
may be asked to assign duties to:
licensed practical nurses or licensed vocational nurses
direct-care workers, such as certified
nursing assistants and personal care aides
other support staff, such as nutrition assistants and housekeepers.
In addition, youll be asked to decide
when to notify a physician, a social worker, or
another hospital staff member. In each case,
youll have to decide when, where, and how to
delegate.

Shoulds and shouldnts

As a general rule, its okay to delegate
actions that involve stable clients or standard,
unchanging procedures. Bathing, feeding,
dressing, and transferring clients are examples of procedures that can be delegated.
Be careful not to delegate complicated or
complex activities. In addition, dont delegate
activities that involve assessment, evaluation, or your own nursing judgment. On the
NCLEX and in the real world, these duties fall
squarely on your shoulders. Make sure that
you take primary responsibility for assessing and evaluating the client and for making
decisions about the clients care. Never hand
off those responsibilities to someone with less
training.

Remember,
this is an
exam, not the
real world.

4/7/2010 5:08:59 PM