For the benefit of our colleague who will take the Philippine Licensure Examinat ion for nurses,

I compiled the different tips coming from the nursing review exp erts like Ray Gapuz and Josie Quiambao-Udan I hope that this tips can somehow help our subscribers in answering the examinat ion wisely and intelligently leading them in attaining the ultimate goal, "NURSI NG LICENSE". RAY GAPUZ TIPS AND TRICKS F O C U S eel more confident mit doubts on your ability to pass your test oncentrate on the most commonly asked concepts in the board exam se your common sense elf-reliant in your quest to pass the board exam

GENERAL STUDY TIPS BY JOSIE QUIAMBAO-UDAN Make a timetable Set the best time for studying. Write and post your schedule. Choose a place conducive for studying. Make flashcards and other visual aids. Device Mnemonics. Stick your schedule. REWARD YOURSELF.

TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES 1. Read each question/ case carefully and determine the key elements in the ques tion (patient,age,sex martial status). 2. Pay particular attention to words such as best, most, first,and not when read ing the question. 3. Do not add to the questions. 4. Reread the question and understand what is being asked. Preparation is Essential in passing the Examination Almost all nursing schools in the Philippines administer PRC/NLE practice exam m anage by a certain review center or the school administration itself before stud ents are allowed to graduate to help prepare them for the coming licensure exami nation There are many options for preparing yourself for the exam: - Study guides and prep courses that are offered through the internet (promdinur ses and nclexpinoy) belong to this category, books, and e-books - Group study with colleagues or classmates - Review centers and other same institution

- Or self-review

When the time comes that you must start your proper review, you must practice th e following: 1. Listen to classical music while reviewing. Music can relax your mind. You can make your study with a relaxing environment by listening to classical music as a background. 2. Put yourself to a quiet and comfortable place where no one can distract you. This method really helps in retaining important information.. 3. Try to go to bed early and wake-up early in the morning to study. But before that, eat your breakfast so that you have sufficient glucose needed by the brain (more than 20% of our body's energy is consumed by the brain). 4. After studying a bit, try to relax; take a break or walk. 5. In answering the questions in your practice test or even in the actual exam, try to pick out the key words (words such as: essential, most important, best, l east, priority, least-priority etc) and answer what the question is asking for. 6. Memorize the FIVE RIGHTS OF MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION and remember that there is a doctor's order in every medication so calling the physician is not a prior ity. 7. Always apply therapeutic communication. 8. Remember the nursing process, assessment is a priority (always the correct a nswer). Use also the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs in determining the best answers. 9. Words such as MUST, ALWAYS, EVERY are definite words and always leads you to wrong answers (this words are correct choices if the question is asking for the least priority). 10. Always try to chop the answers to two options so that you can have a 50/50 c hance of getting the right answer. 11. Re-read the question and look for PART OF THE QUESTION IN THE ANSWER, that i s the right choice. 12. Base you answers to textbooks not on your clinical experiences. 13. If you do not know the answer, do not answer with a WILD GUESS, decide with an EDUCATED GUESS.

5. Try to predict the correct answer before making the choice. 6. Avoid choices with answers all,always,never or none. 7. Look for the answers that appear different from the rest. 8. follow your first intuition. 9. When faced with a question that focuses on unfamiliar topic, remain calm and

try to recall clients with problems similar to that in question. 10. Take the necessary time each question without spending to much on any one it em. 11. Don't pay attention to how quickly other candidates complete their exam

JOSIE QUIAMBAO-UDAN TIPS AND TRICKS 1. Your answers must be the "IDEAL" practice of nursing based on textbooks and t heories not on experiences. 2. For beside nursing, imagine that you are actually taking care of the patient as you go about answering each question. 3. Utilize the nursing process when determining the correct response to the situ ation. 4. Care of the patient is always priority over equipment. 5. Avoid passing the buck. Consider all other options before making any referral . 6. Be familiar with normal laboratory values. 7. When dealing with questions regarding Therapeutic Communication: ELIMINATE choices that evoke authoritarian response questions answerable by "yes" or "no" "why questions" questions that probe don't worry response nurse- centered responses. 8. With questions regarding positioning, ask yourself the question' "is this pre vention or promotion?" Consider anatomy and physiology next. 9. In prioritization questions, use Maslow's Hierachy first. Then consider the use of ABC's. 10. Do not delegate assessment, teaching, judgment, or evaluation. 11. Learn to recognize expected outcome. 12. Pay close attention to words such as "first," "initial," "best"