Becoming an LPN is not difficult for someone who approaches the situation with the right attitude. However the NCLEX-PN exam, the examination that all nursing students who want to be LPNs have to write, is often where nursing students fall short. The best way to avoid failing the exam is to purchase study material to help you learn. The Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-PN® Examination guide by Linda Anne Silvestri PhD RN for LPN students is one of the best and most popular books available for the purpose of preparing you for the exam.
Book Description
Recently there has been an increase in the number of pharmacology questions asked on the NCLEX-PN examination. As a result of that, this guide offers:
- Twelve pharmacology chapters
- One medication and intravenous calculation chapter
- One pediatric medication administration chapter
This is on order to ensure that you are properly prepared for questions on pharmacology.
In addition the authors of this book are well aware of the importance of test questions. Practice questions are the most important way for you to prepare your mind for the test that is to come. When you purchase this guide you will receive:
- 3,700 questions in the actual book itself
- A CD that provides you with further questions
The NCLEX-PN exam often uses a number of different question forms. For example you may simply have to choose the most correct answer from three choices. On the other hand you may have to rank a list of items in order of priority. These are just two examples of the test format question you may receive. The Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-PN® Examination guide by Linda Anne Silvestri PhD RN is a great source of information in this regard.
Apart from simply covering the content that you need to be well versed in to pass the exam, the author also provides a number of test-taking strategies that will better prepare you for identifying the correct answer. These questions are usually in multiple choice format and there are ways to uncover the correct answer even when you are uncertain.
The guide also provides a comprehensive account of other resources that you can make use of that will allow you to self-study further and prepare adequately.
The guide is fairly easy to use as there are pyramid formats at the beginning of each chapter that gives you a clear idea of what that chapter contains. Basically this will allow you to find the work that you are most interested in focusing on easily and quickly.
The guide also contains a practice test to help you prepare. The test is helpful because:
- It features 85 questions
- These 85 questions are related to all content areas
- These 85 questions parallel the percentages identified in the NCLEX-PN® test plan
What is important when you buy a study guide for the exam is that the content of the guide is up to date and that it therefore prepares you adequately to face the current exam. The Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-PN® Examination guide meets this criterion easily.
The book is user friendly. This is an essential for study purposes as it allows you to focus your attention more easily.
Because the author is aware that visual representations of ideas and processes make the theory content far easier to remember. Consequently there are a number of illustrations included to help you learn.
The book includes audio questions. This will prepare you for the new alternative method of testing that the exam now incorporates.
Reviews
“This is far and above the best book for LPN students. I checked out many books from the library and then found this one. The book is broken down into systems with a great review of that system before the questions. The disc is set up with numerous ways to take tests and from former LPN students, it is similar to the actual NCLEX.” – Amazon.com consumer reviews
Generally speaking this book receives good reviews from those who use it to help them pass the NCLEX-PN exam. If you take the Amazon.com website, for example, you will see that there are 55 reviews. 40 of these reviewers gave the book a rating of five starts, and 11 gave it a rating of 4 stars. Only two reviewers gave it a rating of three stars, and only one reviewer gave a rating of 2 stars and one reviewer gave a rating of 1 star. On balance this is a fairly good track record for a book that prepares you for an exam. The implication is that, as long as you study well from the book, you will find success.
There is one drawback. The book costs $31.00. This is quite expensive for a nursing student to afford. The advantages are great, but the book does not have the same success record of cheaper books, such as the Kaplan NCLEX-PN 2012-2013 Strategies, Practice, and Review (Kaplan NCLEX-PN Exam) Guide by Kaplan University. This book comes with guarantee of success that you simply do not get when you buy the Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-PN® Examination guide by Linda Anne Silvestri. That being said it is still one of the best options out there when compared to many other books and guides on the market.
There are a number of different options available for an LPN nurse who wants to improve their chances of passing the NCLEX-PN examination. When looking for a study guide, remember that it is better to take one that has good review and that also carries with it a high success rate of students who have passed following close study of the guide. The Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-PN® Examination guide meets all of these standards and is therefore one of the better options for you to choose. Students who take the time to study for the examination in this way stand a far higher chance of success.
