Patient Prioritization Practice Questions & NCLEX Review (2024)

FAQs

Is prioritization a hard question in NCLEX? ›

Priority and delegation tend to be higher level questions because (for the most part) it assumes by a certain point that you have enough knowledge to answer them. Of course, you have to get them right, not just get them ?

Nurses need to assess each client's current state and future goals in order to figure out which clients are most likely to benefit from additional attention. The ABCs of patient prioritization are Airway, Breathing, and Circulation, which are the three things that must be addressed in any medical situation.

For example, if the nurse enters the patient's room and discovers the patient is experiencing increased shortness of breath, nursing interventions to improve the patient's respiratory status receive top priority before attempting to get the patient to ambulate.

You must get at least 85 questions correct, or achieve a 95% confidence level, to pass the NCLEX.

The hardest questions on the NCLEX often require a deep understanding of nursing theory, pharmacology, pathophysiology, and nursing interventions. They may present complex clinical scenarios involving multiple patients or require you to identify the best course of action when faced with conflicting information.

Higher-level questions that you'll encounter on the NCLEX will expect you to take the info presented and analyze or evaluate the info to make a decision or form a connection. For example, a question may ask you to make a connection between a person's diet and their specific health symptoms or issues.

Pay attention to critical keywords in the question and answers. Words like “first,” “initial,” “best,” and “most important” can guide you toward the correct choice. Look for Grammatical Inconsistencies. Eliminate answers that do not fit grammatically with the question stem.

You will recognize priority questions on the NCLEX-RN® exam because they will ask you what is the “best,” “most important,” “first,” or “initial response” by the nurse.

What are the 4 ps to remember in prioritization? Purpose for care, current clinical picture, plan according to desired outcomes or results, part played by each team member for delegation or assignment.

Prioritizing care is determining which needs require immediate attention and which can be delayed until a later time because of less urgency.

What are the key words in NCLEX questions? ›

An NCLEX^® question may ask the reader to address priority by using words such as first response, most important, best, etc. In other words, which answer choice is the most correct?

Because of the importance of recognizing clinical deterioration in a client, a nurse must always be attuned to the set of physiological needs that are important to maintain life and prevent death. These priorities of care are related to the ABCs – airway, breathing, and circulation – introduced above.

Generally, you want to focus first on things that must be addressed right away (to prevent serious illness or harm). Then you can move on to things that should be addressed soon, and after that, issues to treat in the near future.

Triage Scale priorities Description Examples Priority 1 Immediately life-threatening Cardiac or respiratory arrest.

A lack of clear goals is a common obstacle to effective prioritization. Without a clear sense of direction, it becomes difficult to determine what tasks and activities are most important.

NCLEX questions and their difficulty levels are based off of Bloom's Taxonomy. Easier questions assess your ability to recognize, remember, and understand information. Tougher questions ask you to do things like apply or analyze information.

Prioritization questions on the NCLEX challenge test-takers to make critical decisions about patient/client care. These questions test the ability to prioritize tasks and manage care efficiently, reflecting real-world scenarios nurses encounter.