NCLEX (National Council Licensure EXamination) is an examination for the licensing of nurses in the United States. There are two types, the NCLEX-RN and the NCLEX-PN.
NCLEX examinations are developed and owned by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN). NCSBN administers these examinations on behalf of its member boards which consist of the boards of nursing in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands.
To ensure public protection, each board of nursing requires a candidate for licensure to pass the appropriate NCLEX examination, NCLEX-RN for registered nurses and the NCLEX-PN for practical/vocational nurses. NCLEX examinations are designed to test the knowledge, skills and abilities essential to the safe and effective practice of nursing at the entry-level.
NCLEX examinations are provided in a computerized adaptive testing (CAT) format and are presently administered by Pearson VUE in their network of Pearson Professional Centers (PPC).
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NCLEX-RN
NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure EXamination-Registered Nurse). Passing the exam is required of candidates for licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN) by all US state and territorial Boards of Nursing.
Exam content
The majority of test items are written at the application or higher levels of cognition but the exam may include items at all of the cognitive levels; mainly, memorization or recalling, knowledge, analysis and application.
The exam's content is based on client needs:
- Safe Effective Care Environment
- Management of Care
- Safety and Infection Control
- Health Promotion and Maintenance
- Psychosocial Integrity
- Physiological Integrity
- Basic Care and Comfort
- Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies
- Reduction of Risk Potential
- Physiological Adaptation
Question types
Most of the questions of the NCLEX-RN exam are worded multiple choice questions. In recent years, however, the Boards of Nursing have added broader questions that don't involve multiples choices. For example, some questions:
- Require identifying and selecting a particular area of a drawn body part pertaining to the question
- Involve selecting multiple correct answers (via check box)
- Calculating an answer for a mathematical question (usually for medication dosages) and inputting the answer
- Arranging according to order a certain medical or nursing procedure (e.g. how to don sterile gloves or how to do a guiac test)
NCLEX-PN
NCLEX-PN (National Council Licensure EXamination-Practical Nurse). Passing the exam is required of candidates for licensure as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) by all US state and territorial Boards of Nursing.
Exam content
The majority of test items are written at the application or higher levels of cognition but the exam may include items at all of the cognitive levels.
The exam's content is based on client needs:
- Safe Effective Care Environment
- Coordinated Care
- Safety and Infection Control
- Health Promotion and Maintenance
- Psychosocial Integrity
- Physiological Integrity
- Basic Care and Comfort
- Pharmacological Therapies
- Reduction of Risk Potential
- Physiological Adaptation
- Psychiatric
External links
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