self study/review for the NLE???

[mackylee]

for all the RNs who passed the NLE and did not attend any review centers i need your help.

i dont know where to start actually.

what are the pros and cons? i mean will review centers give you a lot of infos that you cant find in your med-surg , funda, maternal health text books???

i heard review centers will also give you tips on how to answer/ elicit choices etc...

what are the chances that you'll pass the boards without the help of review centers?

what are the important books to buy if you want to self review?

please help me get started....

[Steadily Green]

A friend didn't enroll in review centers but was able to pass. He just read textbooks cover to cover. Brunner & Sudharts for MS, Pilliteri for Maternity & Pediatric Nursing, Videbeck for Psych, PHN White book for Community Health Nursing, and the rest were notes from our lecturers. Did some practice exams on the side too.

Me I enrolled in a review center. The lectures were great, you'd really appreciate the subject matter, then after the lecture I'd read the books again. Never depended on the practice exams, just the lectures.

So in summary, your good to go if you're able to hold on to the 4 years worth of lecture and readings of your books, you don't really need to enroll in a review center. Goodluck!

[soaringeagle]

@mackylee: Possible naman na makapasa without review center all you need is DISCIPLINE. Personally I enrolled myself in a review center because there were so many subjects to review but so little time but before I start my review center I promise myself to finish question and answer ni saunders ang ginamit ko. 3x ko syang binasa the same with udan for MS. To take review center or not to take, It is best that you equipt yourself and not rely too much on review center. Self-review rin talaga. Sa review center ko before ang tip nila sa amin is everyday iba2x subjects like for example monday ms tue psyche wed maternal thur fund fri community. Tingin ko mas ok sya kasi in your limited time mattackle mo lahat ng subjects. Practise ka how to answer questions and maging time conscious ka din. july naman ang board exam nyo diba so review ka nalang ng mga bullet time. Mabilisan na ndi *** libro talaga. Once in a while give yourself a much needed break. You deserve it. Kung hindi rin kayang icomprehend ng utak wag pilitin.

[soaringeagle]

sorry typo error. sa june puro bullets na *** rereviewhin mo ndi na *** buong libro.

[purplink99]

Hi! ^_^ I am one of those nursing grads who did self review and was fortunate to pass NLE on my 1st try last June 2009. I think before deciding to do self-review, you have to ask yourself first what method of studying works best for you. I did not enroll in a review center because when we had review during our senior year, I cannot concentrate in an auditorium jampacked with students.

If ever you decide to push thru with self-review, here are some tips:

1. Make a timetable.
Since you are going to be studying most of the time at home, the temptations of the internet, tv, playstation, etc are there. So it is best if you make a schedule and stick to it. My schedule before was 1-2 weeks concentrated on a certain subject like MS, Pedia and then I will do some practice tests on the RCAP questionnaire I bought and also answer practice exams on the internet.

2. Be informed
I know that some review centers will tell you to concentrate on a certain subject even though there is no guarantee that it will be on the exam. Nevertheless, you should still try to be informed from your friends and on the internet. There is a site called PRNSter where you can get some updates from people that are reviewing for the NLE. There are also some neat downloads that you can use for your review on the site.

3. Summarize
Since NLE is only a few months away, it is hard to read books with a thousand pages or more. What I used in my review was Udan's MS and Funda book. I understood the concepts easily even though some concepts are just summarized because the important points were not left behind. Also, I am not that great in maternal subject so I bought Sia's maternal book. It is nice too since it has practice questions after every chapter.

4.and last but not the least, STUDY WHEN YOU ARE IN THE MOOD
I guess we all have those times when we are too lazy or sleepy to study and we still try to read our textbooks even though nothing is registering in our brains. Though I said to stick to a schedule, studying when you are in the mood is still more important because if you do not understand but still study, then it is just a waste of time.

It is embarrassing to admit that while studying I do slack off once in a while to go online or watch tv. I made up that time through extra effort once I realized I was way behind schedule. I was so in the mood to study the IMCI chart, hehe. (tip:Make sure you understand the chart since it usually appears on the exam.I know that a chart comes with the maternal book but I also recommend the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness: A Condensed Module for Nurses by Rouena Villarama.)

I wish you good luck in the exam and just believe in yourself. It does not matter whether you went to a review center or not. You are the one that will be taking the exam so it is all up to you. If you have any questions, just message me. I will gladly help a fellow nurse. ^_^

[mackylee]

wow! thanks a lot for inspiring me to acquire my license thru self study especially to purplink99 , that was really helpful.

i have a couple of questions parin. what books should i be buying by this time?

i have been hearing a lot of good reviews on Udan's books. im not familliar with the author tho. saan ba nabibili ang books niya? much easier to understand ba si Udan compared to kozier and brunner?

how about yung IMCI ni Villarama? i have the imci book na kasi but i dont have the chart. mas ok bang maging reviewer ang book ni villarama?

for the maternal and child i have piliteri na. purplink99, you said something about a maternal book by sia. is that very helpful as a review material? available ba sa national bookstore ang books niya?

what is an RCAP questionnaire? im interested

for psychiatric nursing, anong book ang marerecommend niyo to buy?

for community nursing naman, ok naba yung white book?

should i still buy books about nursing research, leadership, professional adjustment and copar?

would you also recommend those books endorsed by carl balita, gapuz ....?

sorry ang dami kong tanong, medyo naooverwhelmed lang kasi ako sa dami ng aaralin

[mikeru22]

wow! thanks a lot for inspiring me to acquire my license thru self study especially to purplink99 , that was really helpful.

i have a couple of questions parin. what books should i be buying by this time?

i have been hearing a lot of good reviews on Udan's books. im not familliar with the author tho. saan ba nabibili ang books niya? much easier to understand ba si Udan compared to kozier and brunner?

Udan's book is good because it is a very comprehensive outline of the concepts. The best part of the book is the compilation of diagnostic & comprehensive exams . The book will be most helpful to you especially if you only have a limited time. It is available at National Bookstores.

how about yung IMCI ni Villarama? i have the imci book na kasi but i dont have the chart. mas ok bang maging reviewer ang book ni villarama?

The IMCI manual itself is okay, just get a chart for quick reference.

for the maternal and child i have piliteri na. purplink99, you said something about a maternal book by sia. is that very helpful as a review material? available ba sa national bookstore ang books niya?

Sia's book is just like an outline of Pilliteri's book. I used MCN by Old when I was taking MCN but later on, I bought Pilliteri and I found it more helpful than Old's.

what is an RCAP questionnaire? im interested

RCAP, what's that? I never heard of such book before.

for psychiatric nursing, anong book ang marerecommend niyo to buy?

I suggest you use Videbeck for Psych.

for community nursing naman, ok naba yung white book?

The white book (PHN in the Philippines by Cuevas) is sufficient to make you pass NP II.

should i still buy books about nursing research, leadership, professional adjustment and copar?

There are basic COPAR concepts integrated in the white book (Cuevas). Nursing research is a must buy book (I took the NLE last Nov. 2008 and there were 5-10 nursing research questions per chapter and I felt doomed that I did not pay much attention to this subject).

Nursing Leadership & Nursing Jurisprudence (Venzon) are most helpful for situational questions requiring your righteous judgement as a nurse.

would you also recommend those books endorsed by carl balita, gapuz ....?

My friends had RA Gapuz comprehensive review, I had carl balita, they are good references but they may be confusing especially when it comes to normal laboratory values.

sorry ang dami kong tanong, medyo naooverwhelmed lang kasi ako sa dami ng aaralin

I feel for you. That's pretty normal especially if you haven't started anything yet. Don't buy a lot of review materials especially if you know you won't be able to use them. Use what you already have and once you have mastered those materials, then buying new materials won't make you feel more stressed out.

[brrrrr!!!]

RCAP questionnaires are just practice tests by RCAP, a review center. You can find piles of questionnaires in Recto. But don't believe the answer keys, gawa-gawa lang nila ate at manong mga yon. Haha.

[soaringeagle]

I suggest you buy your own Udan MS and Funda. Laking tulong talaga sya seriously. Hindi man sya kompleto pero andun *** mga important details. May in-house review pa kami before while I was studying and my instructor eh nagtturo din ng review sa ibang colleges and nagulat sya kasi every time na nagttanong sya nakakasagot *** mga estudyante sa kanya and she reveal to us the secret. Students were using Udan and personally mas naintindihan ko at nappreciate *** MS nun binasa ko *** Udan. Gumamit din ako ng saunders q and a, bagong book ni carl balita na puro questionnaires and mga libro ni gapuz sa ibang subjs like MCH and psyche. White book din kailangan basahin sya back to back and IMCI. Kapag nagrereview ka make sure na iniintindi mo *** binabasa mo ndi lang *** basa. Kasi pagnaintidihan mo kahit iliko2x kung tanong masasagot mo ng tama. Same goes with the question kailangan naitindihan mo *** tanong bago ka bumanat ng sagot.

[purplink99]

I believe nasagot na ni Mikeru22,brrr and soaring eagle ang karamihan sa questions mo. Available ang Udan sa National Bookstore. 400+ ata ang book if I am not mistaken. Sayang talaga na I just discovered Udan noong nagrereview na ako. It would have been a big help sana during my college days.

Regarding the IMCI book, no need to buy na kung meron ka naman. Yung sa maternal book, ok naman siya because outline form and I can use the book if ever I decide to take the Midwifery exam.

RCAP is a compilation of old board exam questionnaires. I bought it online and sobrang kapal nung book, hehe. Sa sobrang kapal, di ko nasagutan lahat! In fairness, may lumabas na 3 questions galing dun. Not the exact question but similar in nature.

For psychiatric nursing, I just used my psych book and handouts. Then I also downloaded some psych notes on the internet. Nagfocus lang ako sa mga basic psych concepts. I did the same with Community Nursing= own book + download community notes formula

Tama si Mikeru. Buy what you need lang kasi kung madami kang bibilhin, sayang lang kung hindi mo magagamit.

[gblaire]

for all rn this is the new tips after graduation and so on.

http://bit.ly/9nFZwD
http://bit.ly/ds72zs

[purplink99]

^ please don't spam this thread. you are misleading people with your links.

[pyxis_user]

Here's what I did for the local board:

I attended the review center until all of the subjects/classes were covered. Hindi na ko nag attend ng mock exam, I probably wouldn't have done well anyways because group review doesn't work for me. All I wanted was to get the center's reviewers, tips/pointers, and some notes from the instructors, which I could have also gotten from my friends if I did not enroll to it.
Then I gave myself PLENTY of disciplined time (as in months) prior to the board exam. Nasa bahay lang talaga ako to read the books that I acquired from my school and the review center. I called my classmates from time to time to see if they have any pointers to share. Syempre kailangan din ng time to unwind para hindi mabuang, kaya i did go to the movies/malls sometimes. I don't know if anyone has done this but I wrote some important lab values and other things I needed to remember on big manila papers and pasted them on the walls of my bedroom so that if I am resting or snacking and I look on the wall, madali ko silang matatandaan. I tell you it really worked! The bottom line is, you really don't have to go to a review center if you have self discipline and determination.

I was already in the US when I took the NCLEX and I did pretty much the same strategy. I did not go to a review center but I did sign up for a self-paced online review. I used a few books that I bought here but the one I relied on the most was Saunder's Comprehensive Review for NCLEX-RN. Of course I used the manila paper thing and index cards as well. Successful din on my first try!

Hope this helps! Good luck!

[mikeru22]

I believe nasagot na ni Mikeru22,brrr and soaring eagle ang karamihan sa questions mo. Available ang Udan sa National Bookstore. 400+ ata ang book if I am not mistaken. Sayang talaga na I just discovered Udan noong nagrereview na ako. It would have been a big help sana during my college days.

Regarding the IMCI book, no need to buy na kung meron ka naman. Yung sa maternal book, ok naman siya because outline form and I can use the book if ever I decide to take the Midwifery exam.

RCAP is a compilation of old board exam questionnaires. I bought it online and sobrang kapal nung book, hehe. Sa sobrang kapal, di ko nasagutan lahat! In fairness, may lumabas na 3 questions galing dun. Not the exact question but similar in nature.

For psychiatric nursing, I just used my psych book and handouts. Then I also downloaded some psych notes on the internet. Nagfocus lang ako sa mga basic psych concepts. I did the same with Community Nursing= own book + download community notes formula

Tama si Mikeru. Buy what you need lang kasi kung madami kang bibilhin, sayang lang kung hindi mo magagamit.

Compilation pala ng previous NLE questions yun. Meron din ako nun, ginamit namin nung nag brainstorming kami ng mga kaibigan ko, grabe yung answer keys na kasama ng questionaire, sablay kung sablay eh.. Napansin mo ba sa 2007 June or November NLE merong 75-items na sobrang identical sa November 2006 questions?Di ko maalala kung NP III or IV. Yun nga lang di na naulit nung Nov. 2008 NLE

[piQuAnT]

i did not enroll in a review center.

pros--
-you can save your money.
-you have flexible sked.
-you can have distractions every now and then. (everyone needs a break!)
-you can make sure that you have covered all topics..at least those YOU FEEL are the most important.
-you may not get any tips from your own books but you may have a study partner whom you can share your knowledge with...and he/she can give you tips (from his review center) in return. study the test taking strategies. if your memory fails, these strategies may save you.
-you have great chances if you believe you CAN make it...and do your best.

cons

--it's boring. i studied during the summer. my aircon use was very limited. i had to make all the reviewers myself.
--had to make my own mnemonics (on a positive note..if it's your own mnemonic...you will most likely remember it)
--if you find it hard to learn one topic, nobody can simplify it for you. you have to make your own research in order to learn. you have to accept the fact that not everything was taught in school.


I only studied SAUNDERS for MS/Psych/OB/Pedia, Funda by Kozier,MS by Udan, IMCI notes, LMR notes and lots of Q and As from Saunders, Mosby, Lipincott , Brunner CD. Don't be bothered about not getting high scores at first, think of your incorrect answers as a way for you to dissect the rationales. You won't be doing that if you initially got the right answer.

goodluck!!!

[mackylee]

Thanks everyone for the sound advice and interesting experiences. i list down all the books that i should be buying by now to start reviewing na. to be honest, im really scared that i might not be able to digest all the needed information because of the limited time and thick books. anyway, i read somewhere that if you are going to do self review for the nle, it is advisable to at least attend the final coaching sa mga review centers. what is that?

do you have any board exam "tricks" that you can share when answering questions like when not to choose "call the physician" haha.

i hope i can be able to understand nursing research, i really hate that subject. wala akong naintindihan ni isa. importante pa man din daw yun

[piQuAnT]

mackylee! sa ngayon you'll have 3more months to study pa..yun first and second month mo pwede ka pa magbasa. gawa ka timetable...if it says you should be done by this or that day, dapat gawin mo..importante kase macover mo halos lahat.

tas on your last month puro exams na lang and aralin mo past board exams and make sure tama sagot ha. hehe!

PM mo ko give me ur email para i can share some test taking strategies.

[tesitiam]

Unang-una, dapat alam mo sa sarili mo kung ready ka na mag-NLE. Hindi kita tinatakot ha. Gusto ko nga magtiwala ka na papasa ka kahit anong mangyari.


Tama yung mga suggestions nila. Ikundisyon mo muna sarili mo bago ka mag-aral. Meron talagang times na mawawala ka sa focus at parang nagbabasa ka lang pero walang pumapasok sa utak mo. Ang ginagawa ko dito eh magrerelax muna ako konti. Wag mo pilitin mag-aral kung wala ka sa mood pero tulungan mo sarili mong magka-interes sa pag-aaral. Ang ginagawa ko noon eh nagsasagot ako ng mga online NLE sample tests or makikipagtanungan ako sa mga classmates ko. Ayun gaganahan na ulit ako mag-review.

Personally, hindi ako nagbasa ng kahit na anong libro from cover to cover kase pinag-aralan ko na yan sa apat na taong iginugol ko sa pag-aaral. Hindi naman magbabago yung laman ng libro kaya kung ano yung nabasa ko dati ganun pa din laman nun. Magbubukas ako ng libro every now and then para iconfirm yung mga sagot ko sa mga sample test.

Malaking tulong din sa akin yung mga visual aids. Basta magagawan ko ng illustration or kahit mnemonics or acronyms lang yan sinusulat ko sa cartolina. Hehe. Sa meds at lab values nakatulong ang visual aids saken kase ang dami daming gamot! Halos mapuno ko na nga yata yung kwarto ko ng mga cartolina at kung anu-anong visual aids.


Ang pinakamalaking tulong na naidulot ng pag-enroll ko sa review center eh yung mga techniques and test-taking strategies. Dun ako naging thankful kase naging madali ang NLE for me. Never ako inabot ng time at may one instance pa na 1H pa lang tapos na ako. Isa pang advantage ng review center is ginagawan nila ng paraan para maging enjoyable ang pag-aaral. So mababawasan ang anxiety mo at mas madali maretain yung important info.


Pero para sa akin it doesn't matter kung mag self-review ka or mag-enroll sa review center. Basta may disiplina ka at tiwala na papasa ka eh kakayanin mo yan. Personal choice ko lang mag-enroll kase mas effective sa akin ang classroom setup dahil once na nasa bahay ako or nasa labas nadidivert yung attention ko. Hehe.


Ewan ko sa ibang review center pero nung final coaching kase namen ang ginawa lang namen eh sagutan yung mock exam at irationalize bawat sagot. As in all 500 questions nirationalize ng mga coaches namen. At meron pa pala. May mga production number ang mga staff at coaches namen sa review nung final coaching. Enjoy naman at nakakatawa. Pinapababa daw nila anxiety ng mga students which worked for some including me. Hahahaha.


Kaya mo yan fellow nars! Magtiwala ka lang.

[effervescentblue]

Honestly in my own opinion...if you're not that rich. Have mercy on your parents and don't go to review centers. As if you can easily land a job these days...

Thriftiness aside. Review centers aren't necessary because it depends on the person to learn. They just tell you what you've already learned (usually) plus tips like read properly blah.

[brrrrr!!!]

Honestly in my own opinion...if you're not that rich. Have mercy on your parents and don't go to review centers. As if you can easily land a job these days...

Thriftiness aside. Review centers aren't necessary because it depends on the person to learn. They just tell you what you've already learned (usually) plus tips like read properly blah.

Hence, review center.