NCLEX-PN Exam Survival Guide

Window: US/Canada | Practical Nursing | Adaptive exam

Must-do topics

• Safety/infection control: PPE, isolation, hygiene protocols
• Pharmacology basics: common meds, side effects, safe administration, patient teaching
• Nursing process: data collection, planning, implementation, evaluation
• Physiological needs: elimination, nutrition, mobility, wound care
• Psychosocial needs: communication, grief, abuse, cultural sensitivity
• Health promotion: prenatal, infant, child, adult, elderly care basics

Top traps (avoid)

• Skipping ABCs (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) in prioritization Qs
• Guessing meds without checking suffix/prefix patterns
• Confusing scope of practice: RN vs PN tasks
• SATA (select-all-that-apply): treating as “pick few” instead of true/false each
• Ignoring delegation rules (delegate stable, predictable tasks only)

Time split

• CAT format: 85–150 Q; ~1.5 min/Q
• Break every 2 hours if allowed

Last-48h checklist

• Review normal labs (Na, K, Ca, WBC, Hgb, Hct)
• Practice 50 high-yield pharm Qs; suffix rules
• Drill SATA questions
• Review scope-of-practice table

Quick facts

• K⁺ 3.5–5.0, Na⁺ 135–145, Ca²⁺ 8.5–10.5 mg/dL
• Antidotes: Naloxone (opioids), Vit K (warfarin), Protamine (heparin)
• Delegate stable patients only; teaching/initial assess = RN

Speed tactics

• Eliminate unsafe/harmful answers first
• Use ABCs + Maslow’s hierarchy
• When unsure: assess before act, unless life-threatening

Day-of mini-plan

• Warm-up: 5 pharm Qs + 5 SATA
• Hydrate, bring ID/ATT
• Stay calm if exam ends early (adaptive test can stop quickly)