Education is the foundation of a nursing career. But graduation day isn’t the finish line. The next step is licensure, granted by the State of Texas. Graduate nurses are given the official nod to practice based on their NCLEX-PN score, pass or fail. It’s a challenging exam for which preparation, not necessarily knowledge, is the key to success. We’ll explain.
How Do You Prepare for the NCLEX-PN Exam?
The NCLEX-PN is administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), a non-profit organization tasked with developing standardized licensure examinations for nurses. Results are used by nursing boards in all 50 states to determine the competency of LVN program candidates.
The test requires nursing knowledge, but it’s also an adaptive exam that evaluates your responses to tricky situations where you might not have all the facts. The goal is to assess your critical thinking skills and decision-making ability, things you don’t learn from a book.
This makes preparation, including your study strategies, particularly important because the usual rules don’t apply. Here’s how to be ready.
Complete a Practical Nursing Program
LVN/LPN programs help students prepare for the NCELX-PN. The curriculum covers each content area on the exam through a blend of classroom instruction and clinical experience.
Taught by industry-seasoned instructors, courses emphasize the critical thinking skills necessary to apply knowledge to real-world nursing scenarios. Upon graduation, you’ll be well-versed on each topic. The NCSBN publishes an outline of content areas and sub-categories on its website.
Review the Test Format
The number of questions on the NCLEX-PN varies. The computer adapts to your performance by progressively selecting questions tailored to your competency level. The minimum is 85, and the maximum is 205, with only 125 scored. Most are multiple-choice, and some are repetitive, assessing your ability to make safe and effective decisions in different contexts.
The test continues until you’ve demonstrated competency or reached the maximum number of questions. Five hours is the maximum time allowed. Understanding the exam format will help you better manage your time.
Develop a Study Plan
Create a manageable study schedule covering all content areas. Start early and devote a block of uninterrupted time each week to reviewing a particular subject. As test-day approaches, allocate more hours to your weakest areas.
Use Study Aids
Students have different learning styles, so it’s helpful to use study aids that leverage your strengths. Aids that benefit visual learners include flashcards, concept maps, and video tutorials. Auditory learners may prefer group discussions and listening to recorded lectures. And if you learn best by doing, explore platforms with interactive games and quizzes.
Study in Groups
Studying in groups allows you to draw on other students’ insights. You’ll benefit from their unique resources, perspectives, and approaches to problem-solving. Discussions, debates, and brainstorming reinforce your learning, and the camaraderie diffuses stress.
Take Practice Tests
Practice with NCLEX-style questions. Focusing on the rationale between correct and incorrect answers will fine-tune your critical thinking skills. When you have the hang of it, take full-length practice exams to simulate the test-day experience.
What Is Tested on the NCLEX-PN Exam?
The NCLEX-PN evaluates nursing skills in four general categories:
Safe and Effective Care Environment
Nurses work as part of a multidisciplinary team. This section focuses on safety, infection control, and care coordination. Themes include:
• Scope of practice
• Patient rights and responsibilities
• Confidentiality and privacy regulations
• Paraprofessional supervision
• Professional collaboration
• Triage, prioritizing tasks based on urgency
• Continuity of care
• Recognizing risks and unsafe practices
• Discharge and transfer procedures
• Data-based decision-making
• Environmental safety
• Risk management
• Standard precautions
• Aseptic techniques
• Patient education
Health Promotion and Maintenance
LVNs provide basic nursing and preventive care for patients of all ages.
Questions in this section address:
• Labor, delivery, and antenatal care
• Adult and geriatric needs
• Pediatric care
• Human growth and developmental milestones
• High-risk behaviors
• Chronic disease management
• Immunization and health promotion programs
Psychosocial Integrity
Psychosocial integrity encompasses the psychological and social dimensions of patient care, addressing mental, emotional, and social well-being.
Content in this category covers:
• Cultural competency
• Generational sensitivity
• Therapeutic communication
• Crisis de-escalation
• Patient autonomy
• Non-compliance issues
• Emotional wellness and self-esteem
• Cognitive impairment
• Advanced directives
• End-of-life care
Physiological Integrity
This section covers patients’ physical needs, from daily care to long-term therapy.
Topics include:
• Activities of daily living
• Mobility and adaptive equipment
• Pain management
• Catheter and tracheostomy care
• Enteral feeding
• Pharmacology
• Medication administration
• Diagnostic testing
• Venipuncture
• Wound care and suture removal
• Intake and output
• Nutrition and therapeutic diets
• Reporting changes in condition
• Post-mortem care
What Do You Learn During an LVN Program?
Vocational nursing programs provide the knowledge and skills you need to succeed as a professional nurse, including the scientific knowledge required to make clinical judgments. The NCLEX exam plan assumes that candidates will apply what they learn in these classes to interpret and answer complex questions:
Health Science
This course incorporates a variety of health sciences, from microbiology to anatomy and physiology. The goal is to give students a broad overview of the scientific principles that drive nursing practice.
You’ll take a deep dive into how the human body is made and how it functions, including the major body systems and the biological and chemical processes that impact health.
Pharmacology
Administering medications is a significant part of a vocational nurse’s role. Students examine the principles of drug administration, including medication classifications, indications, routes of administration, and potential side effects. Building on knowledge acquired in the Health Sciences course, you’ll learn how the body absorbs, metabolizes, and eliminates drugs.
Medication Administration
This hands-on course teaches you to take physicians’ orders, prepare medications, calculate drug dosages, and give injections. The emphasis is on error prevention. Students discuss safety protocols, including patient identification, emergency response, proper drug storage, and injury prevention.
Nursing in Health and Illness
This course explores the nursing process, a holistic, multi-step approach to patient care. You’ll learn to gather data, identify problems, set wellness goals, and evaluate clinical responses. The goal is to help patients manage their health through a continuum of ups and downs using acute and preventive care strategies.
Basic and Advanced Nursing Skills
Nursing skills are fundamental to patient care. You’ll start with the basics, such as learning to take vital signs, manage mobility equipment, and assist with activities of daily living, such as personal hygiene.
Advanced skills include:
• Inserting urinary catheters
• Maintaining a tracheostomy
• Administering tube feedings
• Measuring blood glucose
• Managing oxygen and respiratory treatments
• Specialty wound care
• Emergency response
Students are familiarized with various medical equipment, from ventilators and CPAP devices to insulin pumps and crash cart supplies.
Maternal-Neonatal Nursing
LVNs provide direct care to pregnant women and their newborns, from labor through childbirth and beyond. Students learn about newborn care, exploring neonatal assessment, vital sign monitoring, feeding, nutrition, and preventive healthcare. If you’re lucky, you’ll have the opportunity to work with a new mother in a clinical setting, supporting her through the birth and antenatal period. Nurses are vital in preventing postpartum complications, including bleeding and depression.
Pediatrics
LVNs learn specialized skills related to the care of infants, children, and adolescents. This course helps you understand the unique developmental needs of these age groups. Topics include common health issues among children, growth and development expectations, preventive care, such as nutrition and immunizations, and child advocacy.
Clinical Vocational Nursing
Once prepared, students head into the field, practicing their skills in real-world clinical settings. You’ll work side-by-side with your instructors and other licensed nurses, caring for patients under supervision while learning the ropes. Nothing builds confidence like hands-on experience.
Leadership and Professional Development
Nurses are natural leaders. This course equips them with the skills and mindset they need to embrace their roles as patient advocates while developing their careers. Students examine the steps they can take to learn, build self-confidence, and position themselves for advancement in a competitive industry. Your personal and professional growth doesn’t end with passing the NCLEX; it’s just the beginning.
Final Thoughts
Failing the NCLEX is every nurse’s nightmare. But don’t be intimidated because the truth is more encouraging than fiction; most graduates pass the first time. Preparation is paramount, however, beginning with believing in yourself and trusting the process. Knowledge gives you power, but confidence inspires success.
Licensed Vocational Nurse
Classes for the Vocational Nursing program are conducted in a student-friendly atmosphere conveniently located in Austin, Texas. After graduating from the Licensed Vocational Nursing program, students can apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN), become a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), and start their exciting new career immediately.
Contact us today to learn more about our CyberTex Austin campus.