The NCLEX is one of the most stressful standardized exams around. While the ACT, SAT, GRE, or GMAT are extremely important exams that heavily influence one’s chances of...
If you’re gearing up for your NCLEX-RN, you’re probably buried in cumbersome books, coffee-stained notebooks and disorganized thought. A great way to test where you are and where you should focus your study efforts is by using practice questions.
What to expect on your NCLEX-RN
The NCLEX-RN lasts for one day and you will face between 75-265 multiple choice questions. These may also include multiple response, fill-in-the-blank, and hot spot questions.
The NCLEX-RN is administered on a computer using CAT (Computer Adaptive Testing). This means that an individual will be offered more questions depending on how consistently the examinee can answer the questions correctly, with the attempt to provide a more valid and reliable measurement of competence.
According to the NCSBN NCLEX RN Test Plan, you need to prepare yourself for the following categories:
- Safe and Effective Care Environment
- Management of Care 17-23%
- Safety and Infection Control 9-15%
- Health Promotion and Maintenance 6-12%
- Psychosocial Integrity 6-12%
- Physiological Integrity
- Basic Care and Comfort 6-12%
- Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies 12-18%
- Reduction of Risk Potential 9-15%
- Physiological Adaptation 11-17%
We’ve pulled six practice questions for you to try from the BoardVitals NCLEX-RN Question bank. How many can you answer correctly?
- The nurse is assessing a teenage male client status post-unilateral orchiectomy. Which of the following should be included in the client’s long-term plan of care?
- Risk for impaired skin integrity
- Chronic pain
- Risk for sexual dysfunction
- Risk for infection
SEE ANSWER BELOW
Answer: C - Risk for sexual dysfunction
Explanation: The client is at current and future risk for sexual dysfunction.
Chronic pain is not expected and therefore is not an appropriate long-term concern.
The client has impaired skin integrity related to surgery. This is not a long-term concern.
Risk for infection is an appropriate diagnosis post-operatively, not long-term.
- You are the nurse admitting Mrs. B., who is being evaluated for increased seizures at home. Which of the following tasks can you assign to the nursing assistant as you are preparing for the admission of this client?
- Setting Mrs. B’s room up with supplies and equipment needed for seizure precautions including a vest restraint for emergency use during possible seizure.
- Setting Mrs. B’s room up with supplies and equipment needed for seizure precautions, including the sterile field.
- Receiving report on Mrs. B from the emergency department and transporting the client to her room.
- Setting Mrs. B’s room up with the supplies and equipment needed for seizure precautions.
SEE ANSWER BELOW
Answer: D - Setting Mrs. B’s room up with the supplies and equipment needed for seizure precautions.
Explanation: The only aspects of care that you, as the registered nurse, can delegate to the nursing assistant are the indirect aspects of care, including things like setting Mrs. B’s room up with the supplies and equipment needed for seizure precautions. In addition to the fact that sterile fields are not part of seizure precautions, nursing assistants are not permitted to work with sterile supplies or procedures. Lastly, restraints are not used during seizures and receiving report on a client is outside of the scope of practice for a nursing assistant.
Setting Mrs. B’s room up with supplies and equipment needed for seizure precautions, including the sterile field: Incorrect. A sterile field is not a necessary part of seizure precautions.
Receiving report on Mrs. B from the emergency department and transporting the client to her room: Incorrect. It is not appropriate for the nursing assistant to receive a report on the client.
Setting Mrs. B’s room up with supplies and equipment needed for seizure precautions including a vest restraint for emergency use during possible seizure: Incorrect. Restraints are not appropriate in this situation and are not considered seizure precautions.
- Which of the following is one of the five “Rights of Delegation”?
- The “right level of acuity”
- The “right setting"
- The “right patient”
- The “right task”
SEE ANSWER BELOW
Answer: D - The “right task"
Explanation: The “Five Rights of Delegation” are: the “right” circumstances, the “right” person or staff member, the “right” task, the “right” directions and communication, and the “right” supervision and evaluation. Nurses who delegate consider the patient circumstances and the staff members’ capabilities to do the right task with correct direction and supervision by the delegating nurse.
“The right patient” is not one of the five rights of delegation.
“The right setting” is not necessarily a right of delegation, it may be similar to the “right circumstances” but is not the same.
The “right level of acuity” may be important but it is not one of the five rights.
- You are caring for a client who had surgery 24 hours ago. The doctor has ordered the discontinuation of NOP status and the advancement of the client’s diet “as tolerated.” What should you offer this client to eat as his first meal after discontinuation of NPO status?
- Beef broth, ginger ale, and pudding
- Chicken broth, cranberry juice, and sherbet
- Chicken broth, cranberry juice, and Italian ice or pudding
- Beef broth, gelatin, and a citrus soda
SEE ANSWER BELOW
Answer: D - Beef broth, gelatin, and a citrus soda
Explanation: The client should start with clear liquids after the physician has discontinued the NPO order. Clear liquids include such items as chicken or beef broth, gelatin, and soda.
Chicken broth, cranberry juice, and sherbet: Incorrect. The client should start on a clear liquid diet, which may include chicken broth and juice, but pudding is not included in this diet.
Beef broth, ginger ale, and pudding: Incorrect. The client should start on a clear liquid diet, which may include beef broth and ginger ale, but pudding is not included in this diet.
How did you do? Whether you answered them all correctly, or fumbled through them, you’ll still want to develop a customized study plan to get you from where you are today to feeling highly confident on the day you take your NCLEX. The first step is to understand what specifically is covered on the NCLEX and how that overlaps with your knowledge and comfort answering practice questions.
The BoardVitals NCLEX-RN Review question bank offers more than 3,000 practice questions to help you pass your exam. These questions follow the CAT technology and have been written and reviewed with the NCSBN test plan in mind. Each question comes with detailed explanations and rationales for a comprehensive understanding of the topic it covers.