Although nursing students may know that they are academically prepared to take the computer adaptive National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN)^®, many find that reviewing nursing content for the licensure examination itself presents special concerns about what and how to study.

Some typical concerns about what to study are reflected in the following questions:

• Considering that there will be up to 265 questions on the examination, and every candidate gets a different examination, how does one select what is the most important content for review? How does one narrow the focus of study and distinguish the relevant from the irrelevant material?
• What areas should be emphasized?
• How detailed should the review be?
• How does one know what areas to review first?
• Should basic sciences, such as anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and nutrition, be included in the study?

Concerns relating to how to study include:

• How does one make the best of limited review time to go over content that may be in lecture and clinical notes compiled during 2 to 4 years of schooling?
• Is it best to review from all the major textbooks used in nursing school?
• Should material be memorized, or should one study from broad principles and concepts?

We have written this nursing review resource with the general intent of assisting nurses in identifying what they need to study in a format designed to use their study time effectively, productively, and efficiently while preparing for the examination.

The contributing authors have selected content and developed a style of presentation that has been tested by thousands of nursing students attending review courses coordinated by the editor in various cities throughout the United States. This resource is the result of this study.

This review resource can be used in a variety of ways: (a) as a starting point for review of essential content specifically aimed at NCLEX^® or Canadian examination preparation, (b) as an endpoint of studying for the examinations, (c) as an anxiety-reduction tool, (d) as a general guide and refresher for nurses not presently in practice, and (e) as a guide for graduates of nursing schools outside of the United States, as well as repeat test-takers (see Chapter 2. Guidelines and Tips for International Nurses and Repeat Test-Takers).

• As a Starting Point
• As an Endpoint
• As an Anxiety-Reduction Tool
• As a General Study Guide and as a Refresher for Nurses not Presently in Practice
• Where to Begin
• While Reviewing
• After Reviewing