National Certification Exam Candidates

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  • 1.  Week #3 - Reflections and Comments

    Posted 10-25-2017 06:53 AM
    Please post your reflections and comments on this thread.  The more school nurses comment on each other's posts and share your own experiences, the richer the learning!

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    Robin Cogan MEd, RN, NCSN
    School Nurse
    Rutgers University - Camden
    Cherry Hill, NJ
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  • 2.  RE: Week #3 - Reflections and Comments

    Posted 10-25-2017 05:34 PM

    Good Afternoon,

    I have been focusing on the three main areas which make up the majority of the exam(health appraisal, health problems and nursing management and health promotion/disease management). I have read through each chapter then take the end of the chapter exam. The first time I take the test I do not do very well (averaging about a 76%). I then go over the incorrect answers and try to figure why I chose the answer I did compared to the correct answer. Sometimes it's reading the question too quickly, sometimes it's lack of understanding the question and thirdly, I just don't know the answer. Lol! 

    In addition to the other resource material mentioned in previous posts I also purchased NBCSN Exam Secrets Study Guide, your key to success. I read the book front to back. It's not very big and gives a brief synopsis on where to focus our study. There is an exam at the end of the book and I'm proud to say I scored a 98%. Yay me! Well then that made me nervous. Is this book truly helpful? Why are the tests after the chapters in the School nursing certification review text harder? Any ideas?

    The emails from Janice Selekman are great. I appreciate her input. Thank you!

    So here are my thoughts and comments so far. I hope I am on the right track. Thank you to others who have posted on this thread.

    Hope everyone has a great end to the week, we're halfway there.

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    Julie Hendley RN BSN
    School Nurse
    Nashoba Regional School District
    Lancaster, MA
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Week #3 - Reflections and Comments

    Posted 10-25-2017 11:37 PM
    Hi Julie! Thanks for your comments. I've always felt the value of the review book and questions is to help nurses preparing for the exam get use to the type of questions that will be asked.  It's great you are trying to understand the information instead of merely memorizing the question and the answer. The NBCSN website has the Handbook for candidates. I call it the "Candidate's Bible". It gives you all the information you need about the what, when, where, and why of the test. On page 15 of the Handbook it gives a "Content Outline"- an overview of what to study. Janice and LInda also put this in the Review book. There is one addition in the Handbook on the website that is not in the book- it is "Research and Evidence‐Based Practice".  On page 26 and 27 there is a long list of other resources.  

    I passed the test in 2009. I did use the Review book. As a high school nurse I read the School Nurse text book by Janice Selekman in the areas I needed more review.  I know of nurses who formed study groups and divided the topics in the content outline. Nurses took responsibility on the areas that were their strengths.

    I don't have any special knowledge of the test, but encourage you to continue to try to understand the information asked in the question and not memorize it. Robin has given some excellent strategies. 

    Sincerely,
    Teresa

    Teresa Ross MSN, RN, NCSN
    Colorado Liaison



    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Week #3 - Reflections and Comments

    Posted 10-26-2017 06:04 AM
    Hi Teresa,
    Thank you so much for your helpful and insightful comments.  I appreciate your input and encourage our colleagues to join the conversation.

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    Robin Cogan MEd, RN, NCSN
    School Nurse
    Rutgers University - Camden
    Cherry Hill, NJ
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Week #3 - Reflections and Comments

    Posted 10-26-2017 06:31 AM
    Hi Julie,
    Thank you for your detailed reflection! It is helpful to hear your process and thank you for the transparency as well. It is important to understand what went well, but we learn more from where we missed the mark.  Reading the exam questions thoroughly and carefully is one key to success. It is clear that through your experience you came to that conclusion.  This was my #1 strategy during the exam because when I did practice questions, the ones I missed were often because I did not spend the time carefully reading the question.  I was too quick to get to the answer and on to the next question. Spending time on each question and the multiple answers, one by one, in a mindful way is most helpful. 

    To your question about the NBCSN Exam Secrets Study Guide, please know that there are a lot of study guides out there that use NBCSN, but they are not sanctioned by the organization.  Pat Krin, Executive Director of NBCSN has addressed this in prior posts:  Here is what Pat shared:

    I have added a library entry which is a discussion of resources using the NBCSN name.  Please be aware that there are a number of resources out there that use the name NBCSN in their title.  When you are choosing resources research who has authored and or edited them.  Many resources are available that are not written or edited by school nurses and they may not be as helpful or accurate as you might expect because of the name. I will be adding a list of resources to the library of this list that <g class="gr_ gr_4056 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="4056" data-gr-id="4056">are</g> used to develop test questions.
    Please be aware that NBCSN cannot endorse any resource, and that there is no resource that can guarantee that you will pass the exam.

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    Pat Krin MSN, RN, FNP-BC, NCSN, FNASN
    Executive Director
    NBCSN

    There is Library tab next to the Discussion tab where you can find the resource documents from Pat's post.  

    Thank you, Julie, for adding to the discussion board, you provided a great platform for important topics for everyone to consider while preparing for the exam.  






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    Robin Cogan MEd, RN, NCSN
    School Nurse
    Rutgers University - Camden
    Cherry Hill, NJ
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Week #3 - Reflections and Comments

    Posted 10-26-2017 08:53 AM

    Julie, thanks so much for your insights.  To answer your question about the NBCSN Exam Study Secrets.  I have no idea who authored or edited that document.  That company seems to have a lot of certification exam reviews out there.  The question that you want to ask yourself about those questions is are they related to nursing in general, or are they related to school nursing specifically.  A lot of those products that are out there are not written necessarily by school nurses so may not focus on what specifically school nursing is all about.

     

    So look at those questions and determine if they are predominantly related to school nursing. Is that why you thought they were "easier" or why you performed differently. There are some documents in the library of this community and one of them specifically deals with products that have NBCSN in the title but may or may not be really related to school nursing. Remember that school nursing is a specialty practice and that is what you are being tested on.

     

    I hope this information is helpful to you.

     

    Pat Krin, RN, MSN, FNP-BC. NCSN, FNASN

    Executive Director

    National Board for School Nurses

    nbcsnexec@nbcsn.org

    www.nbcsn.org

     




    Original Message