Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN® Examination

Description:

Prepare for success on the NCLEX-RN^® exam with this complete review! Often called the best NCLEX^® exam review book ever, Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN^® Examination reviews all nursing content areas related to the current test plan. This new edition includes 5,700 NCLEX exam-style questions in the book and online, including alternate items formats and Next Generation NCLEX questions. Don’t make the mistake of assuming the quality of the questions is the same in all NCLEX exam review books; only this book includes the kinds of questions that consistently test the clinical judgment skills necessary to pass today’s NCLEX exam. Even better, all answers include detailed rationales to help you learn from your answer choices as well as test-taking strategies with tips on how to best approach each question. Written by the most trusted names in NCLEX review, Linda Anne Silvestri and Angela Elizabeth Silvestri, this is THE book of choice for NCLEX preparation. But don’t just take our word for it ― read any customer review or ask your classmates to see why there’s nothing else like it!

• More than 5,700 practice questions in the text and on the Evolve website offer ample testing practice.
• UNIQUE! Detailed test-taking strategy is included for each question, offering clues for analyzing and uncovering the correct answer option, with rationales provided for both correct and incorrect answers.
• UNIQUE! Pyramid Points icons indicate important information, identifying content that is likely to appear on the NCLEX-RN^® examination.
  • UNIQUE! Pyramid Alerts appear in red text and highlight important nursing concepts, and identify content that typically appears on the NCLEX-RN examination.
    • UNIQUE! Priority Concepts ― two in each chapter ― discuss important content and nursing interventions, and reflect the latest edition of Giddens’ Concepts for Nursing Practice text.
      • UNIQUE! Priority Nursing Action boxes provide information about the steps you will take in clinical situations requiring clinical judgment and prioritization.
        • UNIQUE! Audio review summaries on Evolve cover pharmacology, acid-base balance, and fluids and electrolytes.
        • New graduate’s perspective is offeredon how to prepare for the NCLEX-RN, in addition to nonacademic preparation, the CAT format, and test-taking strategies.
        • Mnemonics are included to help you remember important information.
        • Alternate item format questions cover multiple response, prioritizing [ordered response], fill-in-the-blank, figure/illustration [hot spot], chart/exhibit, video, and audio questions.
        • 75-question comprehensive exam in the book covers all content areas in the book in the same percentages that they are covered on the actual NCLEX-RN test plan.
        • Practice questions on Evolve areorganizedby content area, cognitive level, client needs area, integrated process, health problem, clinical judgment, and priority concepts, allowing completely customizable exams or study sessions.
        • NEW! Next Generation NCLEX^® (NGN) examination-style questions prepare you for the biggest change to the NCLEX-RN^® test plan to date.
        • NEW! Thoroughly updated content incorporates clinical updates and reflects the latest NCLEX-RN test plan.
        • NEW! Clinical Judgment boxes identify clinical judgment situations, each addressing one of the six cognitive skills of the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model.
        • NEW! Additional questions cover health problem areas and complex care.
        • NEW! Urinary and Bowel Elimination and Hygiene, Mobility, and Skin Integrity chapters are added to this edition.

Preface

Welcome to Saunders Pyramid to Success!

An Essential Resource for Test Success

Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN® Examination is one in a series of products designed to assist you in achieving your goal of becoming a registered nurse. This text will provide you with a comprehensive review of all nursing content areas specically related to the current test plan for the Next Generation NCLEX-RN examination, which is implemented by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. This resource will help you achieve success on your nursing examinations during nursing school and on the NCLEX-RN examination.

Organization

This book contains 19 units and 70 chapters. The chapters are designed to identify specic components of nursing content. They contain practice questions, both multiple-choice and alternate item formats, that reect the chapter content and the current test plan for the NCLEX-RN examination. All questions in the book and on the Evolve site are presented in NCLEX-style format.

The NCLEX test plan identies a framework based on Client Needs. These Client Needs categories include Safe and Effective Care Environment, Health Promotion

and Maintenance, Psychosocial Integrity, and Physiological Integrity. Integrated Processes are also identied as a component of the test plan. These include Caring, Communication and Documentation, Culture and Spirituality, Nursing Process, and Teaching and Learning. All chapters address the components of the test plan framework.

Special Features of the Book

Pyramid Terms

Pyramid Terms are important to the discussion of the content in the chapters in each unit. Therefore, they are in bold green type throughout the content section of each chapter. Denitions can be reviewed in the Audio Glossary on the Evolve site.

Pyramid to Success

The Pyramid to Success, a featured part of each unit introduction, provides you with an overview, guidance, and direction regarding the focus of review in the particular content area, as well as the content area’s relative importance to the test plan for the NCLEX-RN examination. The Pyramid to Success reviews the Client Needs and provides learning outcomes as they pertain to the content in that unit. These learning outcomes identify the specic components and cognitive skills to keep in mind as you review each chapter.

Priority Concepts

Each chapter identies two Priority Concepts reective of its content. These Priority Concepts will assist you to focus on the important aspects of the content and associated nursing interventions. These Priority Concepts are also helpful for those students who are learning in a concept-based curriculum.

Pyramid Points

Pyramid Points ( ) are placed next to specic content throughout the chapters. The Pyramid Points highlight content that is important for preparing for the NCLEXRN examination and identify content that is likely to appear on the NCLEX-RN examination.

Pyramid Alerts

Pyramid Alerts are the red text found throughout the chapters that alert you to important information about nursing concepts. These alerts identify concepts that are important to remember and relate to content that typically appears on the NCLEX-RN examination.

Clinical Judgment Boxes

Clinical Judgment (CJ) Boxes are located in every chapter in the book. These boxes present a clinical scenario that relates to one of the six cognitive skills (recognize cues, analyze cues, prioritize hypotheses, generate solutions, take action, evaluate outcomes) that will be measured in the Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) exam. These CJ boxes provide the thinking process needed and necessary information to make a clinical decision.

Special Features Found on Evolve

Pretest and Study Calendar

The accompanying Evolve site contains a 75-question pretest and a 75-question posttest that provide you with feedback on your strengths and areas in need of improvement. The results of your pretest will generate an individualized study calendar to guide you in your preparation for the NCLEX examination. Once you have completed your review of the practice questions in this resource, you can take the posttest to evaluate your improvement and need for any additional review in preparation for the NCLEX. After completion of each test you are provided with the opportunity to review the answers, rationales, and strategies, and we highly encourage you to do this.

Audio Questions

The accompanying Evolve site contains Audio Questions representative of content addressed in the current test plan for the NCLEX-RN examination. These questions are in NCLEX-style format, and each question presents an audio sound, such as lung sounds, as a component of the question.

Next Generation NCLEX® (NGN) Case Studies and NGN Test Questions

The accompanying Evolve site contains stand-alone items and unfolding case studies. The clinical judgment stand-alone items provide a clinical scenario and are accompanied by one NGN test question in either a Bowtie or a Trend item format. These stand-alone items can measure up to all of the cognitive skills of the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (NCJMM). These cognitive skills include Recognize Cues, Analyze Cues, Prioritize Hypotheses, Generate Solutions, Take Action, and Evaluate Outcomes. Each unfolding case study is accompanied by six NGN test items, each measuring one of the cognitive skills in sequential order.

Audio Review Summaries

The companion Evolve site includes three Audio Review Summaries that cover challenging subject areas addressed in the test plan for the NCLEX-RN examination, including Pharmacology, Acid-Base Balance, and Fluids and Electrolytes.

Practice Questions

While preparing for the NCLEX-RN examination, it is crucial for students to practice answering test questions. This book contains multiple-choice and alternate item format questions. The accompanying software includes all the questions from the book, plus additional new Evolve questions for a total of more than 5700 questions. The alternate item format questions in the book and on the accompanying Evolve site may be presented as one of the following:

◼ Fill-in-the-blank question

◼ Multiple-response question

◼ Prioritizing (ordered response) question

◼ Figure/illustration question

◼ Graphic options question, in which each option contains a gure or illustration

◼ Chart/exhibit question

◼ Audio question NGN stand-alone items and unfolding case studies

The NGN stand-alone items and unfolding case studies provide you with practice in prioritizing, decisionmaking, and critical thinking, and strengthen your clinical judgment skills.

Multiple-Choice and Alternate Item Format Questions

Starting with Unit II, each chapter is followed by a practice test. Each practice test contains several questions reective of the content in the chapter and those presented on the NCLEX-RN examination. These questions provide you with practice in prioritizing, decisionmaking, critical thinking, and clinical judgment skills. Chapter 1 of this book provides a description of each question type. The Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) is also discussed in this chapter.

The answer section for each practice question throughout the chapters and on the Evolve site provides the correct answer, the rationale for the correct and incorrect options, and a test-taking strategy that will assist you in answering the question correctly. The test-taking strategy is highlighted in bold blue type. This highlighting will provide you with guidance and direction for further remediation in the Saunders Clinical Judgment and Test-Taking Strategies: Passing Nursing School and the NCLEX® Exam.

The categories identied in each practice question on the Evolve site include Level of Cognitive Ability, Client Needs, Integrated Process, Clinical Judgment/Cognitive Skill, the nursing Content Area, the Health Problem, and Priority Concepts. Every question on the accompanying

Evolve site is organized by these question codes, so you can customize your study session to be as specic or as generic as you need. Additionally, a link to view normal laboratory reference intervals is provided with each practice question.

Pharmacology and Medication Calculations Review

Students consistently state that pharmacology is an area with which they need assistance. The NCLEX-RN test plan continues to incorporate pharmacology in the examination, but only the generic drug names will be included. Therefore, pharmacology chapters have been included for your review and practice. This book includes 13 pharmacology chapters, a medication and intravenous prescriptions calculation chapter, and a pediatric medication administration and calculation chapter. Each of these chapters is followed by a practice test that uses the same question format described earlier. This book contains numerous pharmacology questions. Additionally, more than 1000 pharmacology questions can be found on the accompanying Evolve site.

Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) Questions

As described above, the accompanying Evolve site contains stand-alone items and unfolding case studies. The NCSBN has conducted rigorous research over the past several years to develop NGN case studies and test items that will effectively measure clinical judgment. The NCSBN will launch the NGN questions on the examination starting in April 2023, and these item types are designed to test the candidate’s ability to make safe and competent clinical judgments. The information in this book about the NGN reects the most up-to-date information at the time of the printing of this book. Since the NCSBN continues to research and collect data on the NGN items, additional and continuous changes could be made. We encourage you to access the NCSBN website at www.ncsbn.org for these latest updates. The Evolve site for this resource provides you with NGN stand-alone items and unfolding case studies with accompanying test items that are reective of the item types that NCSBN has indicated (as of the time of this publication) will be presented.

How to Use This Book

Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN® Examination is especially designed to help you with your successful journey to the peak of the Saunders Pyramid to Success: becoming a registered nurse! As you begin your

journey through this book, you will be introduced to all of the important points regarding the current NCLEXRN examination, the process of testing, and unique and special tips regarding how to prepare yourself for this very important examination. You will also be introduced to the NGN and the types of case studies and test items that will be on the NCLEX-RN.

You should begin your process through the Saunders Pyramid to Success by reading all of Unit I in this book and becoming familiar with the central points regarding the NCLEX-RN examination, including the NGN. Chapter 2 describes self-efcacy and the unique and special tips regarding how to prepare yourself both academically and nonacademically for this important examination. Be sure to read Chapter 3, written by a nursing graduate who recently passed the examination, and note what the graduate has to say about the testing experience. Chapter 4 will provide you with the critical testing strategies that will guide you in selecting the correct option or assist you in selecting an answer to a question if you must guess. Keep these strategies in mind as you proceed through this book. Continue by studying the specic content areas addressed in Units II through XIX. Review the denitions of the Pyramid Terms, located in each chapter, and the Pyramid to Success notes and the Client Needs and Learning Outcomes, located in each unit introduction. Read through the chapters and focus on the Pyramid Points and Pyramid Alerts, which identify the areas most likely to be tested on the NCLEXRN examination. Pay particular attention to the Clinical Judgment boxes because they provide information about the cognitive skills in the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model and the thinking processes in making an interpretation or decision.

As you read each chapter, identify your areas of strength and those in need of further review. Highlight these areas, and test your abilities by taking all practice tests provided at the end of the chapters. Be sure to review all rationales and test-taking strategies.

After reviewing all chapters in the book, reect and identify any areas requiring further review; then take the time to review those areas in both the book and the companion Evolve site. In preparation for the NCLEXRN examination, be sure to take the pretest on the Evolve site and generate your study calendar. Follow the calendar for your review because the calendar represents your pretest results and the best study path to follow based on your strong areas and content areas in need of review. Also, be sure to access the NGN cases and items and the Audio Review Summaries as part of your preparation for the NCLEX-RN examination.

Climbing the Pyramid to Success

The purpose of this book is to provide a comprehensive review of the nursing content you will be tested on during the NCLEX-RN examination. However, Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN® Examination is intended to do more than simply prepare you for the rigors of the NCLEX-RN examination; this book is also meant to serve as a valuable study tool that you can refer to throughout your nursing program, with specic customizable Evolve site selections, including a selection for NGN cases and test items, to help identify and reinforce key content areas and prepare you for your nursing exams.

After using this book for comprehensive content review, your next step in the Pyramid to Success is to get additional practice with the Q&A review product. Saunders Q&A Review for the NCLEX-RN® Examination offers more than 6000 unique practice questions in the book and on the companion Evolve site. The questions are focused on the Client Needs and Integrated Processes of the NCLEX-RN test plan, making it easy to access your study area of choice. The Evolve site for this book also provides you with NGN cases and test items. For on-the-go Q&A review, you can pick up Saunders Q&A Review Cards for the NCLEX-RN® Examination.

Your nal step on the Pyramid to Success is to master the online review. The HESI/Saunders Online Review for the NCLEX-RN® Examination provides an interactive and individualized platform to get you ready for your NCLEX exam. This online course provides 10 high-level

content modules, supplemented with instructional videos, animations, audio, illustrations, case studies, and several subject matter exams. End-of-module practice tests are provided, along with several Crossing the Finish Line practice tests. In addition, you can assess your progress with a Pretest, Test Yourself quizzes, and a Comprehensive Exam in a computerized environment that prepares you for the actual NCLEX-RN examination. NGN cases and test items are also provided.

At the base of the Pyramid to Success are our testtaking strategies, which provide a foundation for understanding and unpacking the complexities of NCLEX-RN examination questions, including alternate item formats, NGN stand-alone items, and unfolding case studies with accompanying NGN items. Saunders Clinical Judgment and Test-Taking Strategies: Passing Nursing School and the NCLEX® Exam takes a detailed look at clinical judgment and all of the test-taking strategies you will need to know in order to pass any nursing examination, including the Next Generation NCLEX-RN. Special tips are integrated for nursing students, and more than 1200 practice questions are included so that you can apply the testing strategies. NGN questions are included on the Evolve site.

Good luck with your journey through the Saunders Pyramid to Success. We wish you continued succe