Category: Reflection (Page 1 of 4)
I think that this exam went really well for me. I was very pleased with my score and I did not expect do that well. I really tried to focus on that exam as chunks at a time and not as 180 questions. I looked at it as mini 20 question quizzes. I also put my ear plugs in and really focused didn’t look around the room at all. I also took a break around question 100 for 2 minutes. I think that really helped even though it was small I got up and walked for a second. I believe that it refreshed my brain. I also did not linger on any question too long or change my answers. I think that was key because sometimes if I spend too long on a question my head gets spiraling and I lose what my instinct would have been. I would like to improve my select all that apply question testing skills. Overall I think that this exam went well for me.
I used my individual performance profiles for each ATI when looking at specific topic areas that I needed to improve on. I also looked for areas that were below the average benchmark for each exam. In those areas I would do extra questions on U-World in those specific areas to hopefully gain more knowledge. Towards the end of the semester, I would reread my remediation sheets as well as doing the practice exams again. Another thing that I believe really helped me is reading all the rationales as I went on the practice exams.
I used the content gaps identified through my other ATIs to further get experience with those types of questions by using U-World, Saunders NCLEX review book, and my class materials throughout junior and senior year. The differences that I have noticed is an increase in my scores by about 10 points. I think this is due to putting in the extra 1 hour a day in reviewing materials. I am happy to see that it is finally paying off.
There really weren’t many self-care strategies that I adopted to better prepare myself. The only thing that I have been really trying to do a better job at is getting more sleep. As well as doing my practice questions in the morning when my brain is fresh. I also realized how much I want to pass this test on the first attempt and that I need to put in the extra effort now so that I can be successful and do that. Going forward I will use these skills to continue my use of U-World, Saunders NCLEX book, and my class notes to continue to prepare myself for the NCELX. I plan to do 100 questions a day throughout the month of May. My goal is to take the NCLEX as early in June as possible. I do not want to lose all that I have learned and get out of my routine.
One of the major insights that I took away from Dr. Guglicci’s presentation is to always ask the patient more. How are they feeling? What do certain things mean to them? Can I explain anything in a different way? I think that it is so important to check in with the patient and explain things in a different way each time just in case they might be too embarrassed to ask for it to be explained again. Looking back on one of my patient situations last summers I had an encounter with an older adult who had a very minor hearing loss to the point where she never asked for anything to be repeated. In me spending time with her I picked up on this and I would repeat things in a tone when there was no background noise. This is when I realized that she was missing small parts of things because she was like oh okay now, I understand what the provider was saying. This is when I told her to never hesitate in asking questions or for something to be repeated.
Another big take away from Professor Hyde’s class is that age does not define the individual. They are only as old as they feel. This goes in hand with helping maintain their independence as they age. The longer they maintain their functional independence both mentally and physically the longer this will stay with them. One time when taking care of an older adult she was a spry elderly lady who presented with a minor UTI, she ended up being resistant to 4 antibiotics that were given so this allowed the infection to get worse. She ended up being hospitalized for over 2 weeks and losing some of her physical functioning in that process due to being less active than she was at home. She was able to regain most of her function through physical therapy.
In conclusion it is important to treat elderly with the same respect as any other patient. It is important to help support them in maintaining their independence. I also find it even more important to not humiliate them with our actions. Just because their 80 doesn’t mean they can’t go out and run a mile. This class has been truly eye opening and there are many other key points that I will carry with me throughout my career.
This exam I was able to focus better and took more deliberate breaks however I didn’t do as well as I wanted to. I need to read the questions and answers more carefully. On some of these I missed out on keywords that I should have picked up on because I knew the answer to the question. And absolutely no more changing my answers it is causing me to get 10+ questions wrong. My goal for the next one is to not change my answer, every time I think about it I will speak in my head don’t do it. Overall this one was a good review of all the stuff we have done in school so far. It is nice to review stuff from adult health 3 that we have not seen in a while.
This exam went well given the circumstances; I had spaced that it was due this past Sunday, so I made myself do it late Saturday night which was not the most conducive to my learning. I did better than I expected to, but I wanted to do way better than that. I need to read slower and more carefully next time because some of the mistakes I made could have been avoided. I did have a quiet environment, but I was tired. My goal for next time is to take a break about halfway through and do this during the daytime. If I don’t understand the question when I first read it I need to breathe and then reread it calmly instead of freaking out. I liked taking the assessment though because it is making me feel more and more prepared to do this at the end. I am thankful for these ATIs.
During this assessment I was able to maintain my focus through 60 questions which is 10 more than our classroom exams. I took a small break at the 60-question mark and then started back in expecting it to last a lot more questions than it did. I think that might have had something to do with me being able stay focused until that point. I need to improve my indecisiveness; I can’t keep changing my answers for no reason it is not good. It definitely impacts my score. I also need to go back to thinking about priority questions like if I can only go in the room and do one thing only. For the next exam I want to apply that strategy and try taking a break every 30-40 questions in case it does lasts longer and that way I can hopefully maintain focus.
This might have been one of the worst testing environments I have ever been in. I was unable to get into a groove and find my way through each question. The door to the classroom was constantly opening and closing, slamming, people were coughing and sneezing, it was not good. It was also bad because we had just taken an exam earlier in the day for geriatrics. It would have been better for me if this was before my other exam. I felt like for the “bad” side of this I controlled what I could, I slept well the night before, ate and was hydrated before the exam, and taken time to breathe before. What needs improvement is my ability to focus in these situations and also for the testing environment to improve. This was definitely not conducive to encouraging test taking strategies or improving anybody’s confidence in their test taking skills. I hope that the next one goes a lot smoother and that I am able to find my focus and groove. My goal for the next exam is to sit away from the door and shove my ear plugs as far as I can in my ears.
I plan to become licensed in the state of New Hampshire. New Hampshire is a compact state and is included in the Nurse Licensure Compact.
To register to take the NLCEX in NH all of the following needs to be included:
- Copy of a state issued drivers license uploaded into the online application
- Official transcriptions need to be submitted from the degree institution to nursing@oplc.nh.gov
- RN Comparable Education Verification Form – completed by Nursing Director and sent to nursing@oplc.nh.gov
- Criminal background check
- Pre-register with Pearson Vue (NCLEX), https://home.pearsonvue.com
It is the responsibility of nurses and nurse managers to report all suspected abuse or impairment of any kind. Many of these nurses who are impaired or have substance abuse problems go unnoticed. It is important to recognize that healthcare workers are not immune to developing or having substance use disorder. These substance use disorders do not discriminate against who they will affect. A nurse can enter an alternative to discipline program that is designed to help get the nurse treatment, monitoring, and recovery recommendations. There are resources available, and nurses should be familiar with them as well as behavior changes, physical signs and signals of drug diversion that can help them, their peers, and patients. In April of 2019, New Hampshire developed a program to encourage self-reporting, when they do self-report, they will be referred to treatment programs and monitored through their transition to return to duty. This program is designed to treat the issue without penalty to preserve the nurse’s license. The goal of this program is to remove the stigma, provide resources for care and treatment, and keep nurses in the workforce. This program is called an alternative recovery monitoring program.
I will protect my license from the legal issues listed above by always living by the standards and guidelines put before me. If I have a question about something I will review the process and what should be done before I do it. At first, I will also consult my preceptor or my experienced peers before being involved/doing tasks related to these issues. I understand that I cannot possibly know everything so knowing that there are resources and people out there for me to consult. I also know that having a general idea of these issues before transitioning to practice is very important because at that point I will know what is right and wrong and what involves further follow-up or action.
This ATI went really well, I was able to maintain my focus and focus on what I do know versus what I do not know. I also realized that when I do that I am able to think through the question better than just automatically saying that I don’t know. It is definitely a reverse psychology thing. For next time I hope to be able to actually answer the questions based on knowledge and not just on guessing. I do believe that these ATIs have helped me develop my test taking skills. For the next ATI I am looking to continue with my philosophy of focusing on what I do know versus what I don’t and that way I can make that become second nature.
