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vii
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viii
UNIT ONE 1
Introduction 1
1. Achieving Success on a Certification Examination 3
LYNNE M. DUNPHY and GARY LAUSTSEN
2. Test-Taking Skills and Designing Your Study Plan for APRN Certification 9
LYNNE M. DUNPHY and GARY LAUSTSEN
UNIT TWO 25
Evaluation and Promotion of Client Wellness 25
3. Health Promotion 27
JILL E. WINLAND-BROWN
4. Care of the Emerging Family 55
DONNA C. MAHEADY and JILL E. WINLAND-BROWN
5. Growth and Development 85
LYNNE M. DUNPHY
6. Health Counseling 117
LYNNE M. DUNPHY
ix
INTRODUCTION
Certification Examinations
American Nurses Credentialing Center
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification
Program
Achieving Success
References
Lynne M. Dunphy
and Gary Laustsen
With the purchase of this book, you have taken a programs, and most states require individuals to main-
major step to achieving or maintaining your cer- tain their RN license to apply for and maintain their
tification as an advanced practice registered nurse APRN license. All but a few states currently require
(APRN). The earlier in your educational process you certification to apply for an APRN license. In addition
begin preparing for the certification examination, the to the states’ requirements of certification for licen-
greater your chance of success. This book will help sure, clinical facilities, employers, and insurance pay-
you understand the certification process and the steps ers require certification.
you need to take to succeed on the certification exam-
ination of your choice.
CERTIFICATION
Certification is the process by which a nongovern-
Certification and Why It Is Important mental agency or association grants recognition to
an individual who has met certain predetermined
There are basic differences between becoming licensed standards for practice. For APRN certification, this
(a process you complete with your state’s board of is achieved through the successful passing of a cer-
nursing or similar entity) and becoming certified. An tification examination. Becoming certified is the
understanding of these differences is important. standard for APRN professionals. As of this writing,
only New York, California, Indiana, and Kansas do
not require certification prior to obtaining licensure
LICENSURE
to practice as a family nurse practitioner (FNP) or
Licensure is a legal requirement of each state to prac- adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner
tice nursing in that state. The purpose of licensure is (AGPCNP).
to protect the public from unsafe practitioners. Legal Certification exams, based on an analysis of cur-
regulation of nursing practice (whether at the RN or rent practice, validate entry-level knowledge in an
APRN level) is the joint responsibility of the state leg- advanced nursing specialty in a defined population
islature and the state board of nursing (and in some area. Certification exams are competency-based ex-
states the board of medicine). Registered nurse (RN) aminations that provide a valid and reliable assess-
licensure is a requirement for enrolling in APRN ment of entry-level clinical knowledge and skills of a
APRN Specialties
Focus of practice beyond role and population focus linked to health-care needs
Examples include but are not limited to Oncology, Older Adults, Orthopedics, Nephrology, Palliative Care
Population Foci
Licensure occurs at levels
of role & population foci
APRN roles
Figure 1-1
TABLE 1-1. REQUIREMENTS TO SIT FOR TABLE 1-2. ANCC FAMILY NURSE
NURSE PRACTITIONER CERTIFICATION PRACTITIONER CERTIFICATION
EXAMINATION CONTENT OUTLINE (2016)
ANCC AANP
DOMAINS OF NUMBER OF PERCENT OF
• Present final, • Be a graduate (or imminent PRACTICE QUESTIONS QUESTIONS
degree-conferred graduate) of an accredited
transcripts Master’s NP, post-graduate Foundations for 64 37
• Present validation NP, or DNP program Advanced Practice
of Education • Present official final Professional Practice 30 17
Form signed by transcript with date degree Independent Practice 81 46
program director/ conferred
Total 175 100
faculty • Complete program faculty–
supervised clinical clock
hours
• Hold a current RN license describes the major categories and domains of practice,
as well as related topics and subtopics, which are cov-
ered on the examination. The examination currently
consists of 200 questions, 175 of which are scored and
2015. You must keep abreast of both of these creden- 25 pilot questions that are not scored. The nonscored
tialing Web sites for continued and changing infor- questions cannot be distinguished from the scored
mation regarding the details and processes for taking items.
the certification exam. To qualify to take an examina- The TCO includes information about how the
tion and become certified at the APRN level, a nurse content is weighted—that is, how many or what
must (1) meet the requirements for clinical or func- percentage of the test questions are in each of the
tional practice in a specialized field and (2) provide major domains. Table 1-2 lists the major categories
evidence of successful completion of an approved or domains of practice for the FNP examination and
Master or Doctor of Nursing Practice curriculum. includes an approximate number of questions and
the overall percentage for each category. To facili-
tate understanding of each of the major domains, the
ANCC also includes subcategories in a topical outline
Certification Examinations
format. Table 1-3 provides similar information for the
AGPCNP examination.
This book is geared toward the person who is seeking
The importance of reviewing the current handbook
national certification as an AGPCNP and/or FNP.
and TCO before sitting for the examination cannot be
The AGPCNP certification examination is designed
to assess your abilities as an APRN in the delivery of
primary care services to an adult population, defined as TABLE 1-3. ANCC ADULT-
adolescence through old age. The gerontological nurse GERONTOLOGICAL PRIMARY CARE
practitioner (GNP) certification is no longer offered NURSE PRACTITIONER CERTIFICATION
by either ANCC or AANPCP. EXAMINATION CONTENT OUTLINE (2016)
The FNP certification examination is designed to
assess your abilities as an APRN in the delivery of pri-
mary care services across the life span, including pre- DOMAINS OF NUMBER OF PERCENT OF
and postpartum care, pediatric primary care, and the PRACTICE QUESTIONS QUESTIONS
care of older adults. This spectrum of care is sometimes
referred to as “cradle to grave.” Foundations of 51 29%
Advanced Practice
Nursing
AMERICAN NURSES CREDENTIALING Professional Roles 51 29%
CENTER Independent Practice 73 42%
The ANCC Web site contains the certification hand- Total 175 100%
book, including a test content outline (TCO) that
overstated. All questions are classified according to life an additional 30 minutes for check-in and practice
span and problem-focused content areas. The life span time at the computer, including a tutorial. Because it
dimension for the AGPCNP examination includes is a computerized examination, you will receive your
non–age-specific content as well as specific content score 3 to 5 minutes after completing the examina-
pertaining to the adolescent, the adult, and the aging tion. A passing score is 350 or higher of a possible 500
adult. The FNP life span dimension includes the same points; 2014 statistics reveal 80.5% of AGPCNP and
content as the AGPCNP examination plus content 73.8% of FNP candidates passed on their first attempt.
relating to children, infants, and childbearing women. If not successful, a candidate can apply to retest after
The gerontological population is defined as persons 90 days.
older than age 65. You will need to be recertified every 5 years. At
The last dimension is related to problem areas and present, 500 hours of active practice must be attested
organizes question content by body system—for exam- over the previous 5 years. Additionally, continuing
ple, cardiovascular, endocrine, and respiratory. education credits and/or academic credit must be doc-
What this means is that each test question in the umented. If not able to clinically practice, or if there
Foundations for Advanced Practice and the Indepen- is a lack of continuing education and/or academic
dent Practice domains is characterized across three credit, a practitioner may elect to retake the certifi-
dimensions. For example, a test question that asks cation examination as a way of demonstrating current
about the treatment of a 70-year-old woman with a competency. Please check the ANCC Web site for the
diagnosis of osteoporosis would be characterized as most current information because guidelines for recer-
follows: tification are subject to change.
for the FNP and AGPCNP exams. Examinees must be about cultural differences and cross-cultural commu-
able to integrate knowledge of pathophysiology, psy- nication, will be integrated with content concerning
chology, and sociology with the assessment, diagnosis, specific aspects of diagnosis, pharmacology, and dis-
and treatment of patients in primary care. Knowledge ease management.
of health promotion and disease prevention, as well as Questions testing physical assessment and
management of acute/episodic and chronic illness in history-taking skills, as well as content from advanced
the primary care setting, are tested. physical assessment, remain prominent. Although a
The AGPCNP examination tests knowledge of certain amount of basic pharmacological content is
adolescent, adult, and geriatric primary care; the FNP included, the latest drugs and pharmacological inter-
examination tests clinical knowledge of prenatal, ventions may not always appear because the examina-
pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric primary care. tion questions are prepared and tested well in advance.
These examinations use growth and development (Note: Questions about your knowledge of safe pre-
as the basis of age-related changes, and specific age scribing for pregnant women almost always appear on
parameters are not defined for any population. the FNP examinations.)
These AANPCP examinations have a pass rate Be careful in applying your experiences from
of 87.5% for FNP and 85.7% for AGPCNP according clinical activities as a student or as a newly certi-
to 2014 data. They are also computer-based examina- fying APRN. The correct answer and other answer
tions offered year round. You know whether you have choices—also referred to as “distractors”—will not
passed or failed at the end of the examination. necessarily correlate with what you’ve currently seen.
Remember, the examination reflects the ideal answer
according to the references used and the expert pan-
Achieving Success els of the certifying body; this ideal answer may not
always mirror the realities of specific practices. Test
Nurse practitioner programs often focus on assess- answers are drawn from national guidelines and stan-
ment, management, and evaluation of disease. Indeed, dards of practice promulgated by a variety of bodies.
this is the role most of you perform in your respec- New national guidelines or standards may take up to a
tive work settings. The ability to diagnose and treat year for questions to be developed, piloted, and then
disease is paramount to your safe and effective func- included in the exam. The questions on the examina-
tioning as an APRN, and certification examinations tion are looking for generalized responses and might
increasingly reflect this reality. However, it is import- well reflect phenomena that you have not seen. Allow-
ant never to lose sight of the fact that these exam- ing yourself to become frustrated with the distractors
inations are certifying your abilities as an APRN and will not help you but rather will hinder your ability to
as such have an underlying commitment rooted in succeed. This is why it is essential that you study large
nursing-based knowledge, health, health promotion, numbers of sample test items (see chapter 2).
and human responses to health and illness. This is Being test savvy and succeeding on a multi-
especially apparent on the TCO of the ANCC exam- ple-choice examination is a far different skill from the
ination. Fully 37% of content is labeled “Foundations expert skills you bring to your practice. These skills
of Advanced Practice.” are not mutually exclusive. It is a matter of having the
As an APRN, your reaction to the various correct mind-set—one predicated on an awareness of
manifestations of health and illness phenomena is the nursing base of the certification examination cou-
instinctively different from that of other primary pled with an understanding of the test blueprint. Be
care providers. This comes up in different ways on determined not to select an anecdotal answer based
each examination, but it is an important distinction on experience from your practice experiences but
to keep in mind as you ponder the various ques- rather to select an answer based on nationally recog-
tion responses and wonder what answer is the best. nized, clinically based guidelines and rooted in clinical
Similarly, the test blueprints and types of questions literature.
asked reflect a continued commitment to concepts of You have taken the first step toward certification
health promotion and disease prevention as well as by purchasing this book. Understand the essential
to the underlying principles of therapeutic commu- reasons to become nationally certified. Fix the end
nication skills that are so essential to forging mean- goal vividly in your mind. Imagine how you will feel
ingful APRN-client relationships. Nursing-based when you receive that message on the screen saying
elements of growth and development, nutrition, and PASS, knowing that you are a nationally certified
therapeutic communication, as well as questions APRN.
Take the next step on the road to success by American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certifi-
turning to chapter 2. It will assist you in the devel- cation Program description: http://www.aanp.org/
opment of important test-taking skills and pro- education/aanp-certification-program
vide guidelines for creating your individualized American Nurses Credentialing Center certification
study plan. Web page: http://www.nursecredentialing.org.
Dunphy, LM, Winland-Brown, JE, Porter, BO, and
References Thomas, D: Primary Care: The Art and Science of
Advanced Practice Nursing, ed 4. FA Davis, Phila-
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Consensus delphia, 2015.
Model for Regulation: http://www.nonpf.org/default National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties:
.asp?page=26 http://www.nonpf.com/
to the pathways or channels through which you pre- channel. Think about which of the three learning styles
fer to absorb information. The three types of learners discussed works best for you. Time is often at a premium
are commonly identified as visual, auditory, and tactile for nurses studying for certification, and capitalizing on
(sometimes called kinesthetic). your preferred learning style will help you study in the
most efficient way. Keep strategies for your preferred
Visual Learners learning style in mind as you develop your study plan.
TIPS FOR STUDYING preferable. Study for short periods with frequent
breaks.
Just as a cold engine will run a little rough, settling
down to study when one is out of the habit can be dif- • Integrate whatever learning modalities
ficult. The following suggestions should make it easier work best for you. For example, if you are an
to begin studying and to return to it on a regular and auditory learner, use recordings. Listening to
consistent basis. recordings while you are walking is especially
good for tactile learners.
• Create a pleasant personal environment. • Think in terms of “bite-size” pieces and
This is a very basic but frequently overlooked structure your study plan accordingly. Use the
requirement for successful study. Organize “salami” principle: Cut large tasks into smaller
all your study materials in one area. Try to ones and digest them one at a time. This will
create a pleasant and regular work space for keep you from becoming overwhelmed and
yourself. Perhaps it will be just part of a room, defeated before you begin.
but make it an inviting part. Decorate it with
• Variety is essential. For example, divide
flowers, pictures, or whatever makes the area
your time between test question review and
appealing to you. For the kinesthetic learner,
content review, or break up the study period
an open area that allows free movement may
into a variety of different tasks. Take notes for
be better than a small office. Some literature
part of the time and read for part of the time.
suggests that playing classical music, especially
Do not keep at any one activity—even your
from the baroque era, in the background
practice exams—for longer than 45 minutes.
increases concentration and retention. Decide
Try studying with a study group part of the
whether background music is helpful for you or
time. Discussing the materials with others is an
distracting. Background music may be helpful
especially good strategy for auditory learners.
for an auditory learner, whereas a visual learner
Although a 45-minute session is ideal for most
may find it a distraction.
of your study time and for taking practice
• Plan your activities in advance and be exams, it is helpful to experience at least one
realistic. Plan in advance what you are going to practice exam with many questions (~150) to
work on and do not be overly ambitious. Blocks get a sense of what it will be like when you take
of 1 hour at most are recommended, with a the actual certification exam.
10-minute break every 45 minutes. List the
• Study with your purpose in mind—in this
tasks beforehand; otherwise, you might spend
case, passing the certification exam. Research
valuable time trying to decide what material
has shown that two-thirds of your study time
to review. Set specific targets for the time
will be most effectively spent taking sample test
available.
questions. Do not lose sight of this! Studying
• Keep focused on the goal: becoming certified! does not necessarily mean sitting and reading
Keep the benefits of studying clearly in mind—in textbooks. Reading books in a linear fashion
this case, the joy of receiving your passing score, is often not the most effective way to master
followed by your embossed certificate in the information. Always keep the end result in
mail. Visualize and imagine what it will feel like mind.
when you read the word PASS on the computer. • Leave the environment in readiness for your
Picture the certificate framed and hanging in next session. Leave your work environment
your office. Focus on these results and how they inviting for the next time. Put your materials
make you feel. Close your eyes and allow the away so that they are easily accessible. Do not
feelings to flood through you! leave the area cluttered; instead, make it more
• Use your knowledge of yourself and of basic pleasing. Spend the last few minutes of your
tips. There are a number of ways you can study time tidying up so that your environment
make studying more fun. Make use of your best is all set for your next session. This is also an
time of day. For some, this might mean rising excellent time to plan what you will do the
early while the rest of the household sleeps next time you sit down to study. Believe it or
and stealing time alone, undisturbed, with a not, these small, concrete habits can make a big
hot cup of tea or coffee. For others, evening is dent in your natural tendency to procrastinate.
• Reward yourself. Last but not least, reward Plan time to familiarize yourself with the technol-
yourself! Reward yourself for each study period. ogy before the exam begins. There are simple tutorials
You might decide that if you spend 3 hours to “warm you up,” helping you feel more comfortable
studying on Saturday, you will see a movie with the computerized format before beginning the
on Saturday evening or go to the mall or actual exam questions.
treat yourself to a special activity! Be good to
yourself.
Now that you understand yourself better and know Test-Taking Skills: An Acquired Art
how to approach studying for the exam, we move on
to providing some specific information about the cer- The ability to select the best response to each question
tification exams. is what determines your success on the exam. Knowl-
edge of the content is, unfortunately, not enough to
guarantee success. If you are not able to communicate
your knowledge through the medium of the exam, you
Nature of the Exams will not succeed in becoming certified. Succeeding on
a certification exam is not always indicative of your
The ANCC exam consists of 175 scored questions and actual practice ability or intellectual capability.
25 items being piloted that do not count in your score.
The AANP certification exams consist of 150 scored
multiple-choice questions, 15 of which are pilot ques- GENERAL TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
tions. The exam is administered on a computer at a
Some general principles apply to preparing for and
testing center, and you will know within a few minutes
taking any sort of standardized test, regardless of the
after you complete the exam if you have passed. The
content area. Familiarize yourself with these strategies
questions are at a variety of difficulty levels, adminis-
listed in Box 2-1.
tered in an integrated format. The exams are not com-
puter adaptive at this time. Computer-adaptive testing
is the technique used for the NCLEX-RN licensure
exam. With computer-adaptive tests, each answer, Box 2-1: General Strategies
correct or incorrect, determines the difficulty level of
the next question a participant receives, and each par- • Avoid changing answers.
• Develop a self-confidence mantra to recite if you
ticipant may answer a different number of questions to find yourself doubting your knowledge.
meet a minimum passing level. • Develop and stick to a study plan; avoid last-minute
The AANPCP exam as of this writing is com- cramming.
posed of multiple-choice questions only. The ANCC • Do not linger too long over one question.
exam includes four types of questions: (1) multiple • Focus on concepts, not details, during study
periods.
choice, (2) multiple response, (3) drag and drop, and
• Focus on decreasing your test-taking time.
(4) hot spot. Most of the test questions are multiple • Maintain objectivity; avoid adding your own
choice. If you are planning to take the ANCC exam, interpretation.
it would be helpful to review on the ANCC Web • Read all answer options.
site examples of the alternative type questions. This • Read questions as though you are speaking them
format means that you must be able to identify key aloud in your head to avoid scanning.
• Time yourself in practice tests; allow 45 to 60
words or phrases on a computer screen, not on the seconds for each question.
traditional paper format. Many test takers feel con- • Use concept maps.
strained when they are unable to underline or high- • Use practice tests to increase confidence.
light key words and phrases. A helpful tip: Use the • Work on self-confidence.
scratch paper and pencil provided to you when taking
Source: Adapted from Sides, MB, and Korchek, N:
a computer-based exam to write down the key phrases Successful Test-Taking Strategies, ed 3, Lippincott Williams
if that helps you focus on the topic and/or issue being & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 1998, p. 77; and Dickenson-Hazard,
presented in the question. Remember that the scratch N: Test-taking strategies and techniques. In Kopac, CA,
and Millonig, VL (Eds), Gerontological Nursing Certification
paper is collected by the testing center staff before you Review Guide, revised ed, Health Leadership Associates,
may leave the testing area; this is done to maintain Potomac, MD, 1996, pp. 3–5.
test question security.
Achieving success on a multiple-choice test is a skill; you with a choice between assessment and implemen-
and like any other skill, it can be improved. Remember tation, you should remember these basic tips. The
how you improve other skills, such as playing an instru- purpose of assessment is to validate or confirm the
ment or a sport: practice. The same holds true for test- problem. When considering an answer choice that
taking skills. The best way to succeed on the exam is is an assessment, you should ask yourself, “Is this
through practice, practice, and more practice. an assessment that is appropriate to the topic of the
The more you practice answering sample test ques- question?” If it is, you should carefully consider this as
tions, the better you will become at it. That is why a very likely answer choice. If, however, you believe
we have written this book for you. This book provides the correct answer choice is an implementation, you
over 2,000 sample test questions. Research has shown should ask yourself, “Do I have enough information
that two-thirds of study time should be spent taking to implement what the answer choice is asking me
sample tests, and one-third of the time should be spent to do?” Last, if the answer choice is asking you to
reviewing content. A number of exam-preparation evaluate a situation, you should ask yourself, “What
books are available to you; however, very few contain would be the outcome if I choose this answer?” The
nearly the number of test questions you need to develop criteria for reference are always your textbook and/or
and flex your test-taking muscles. This book provides professional guidelines, and you should avoid answer
enough questions to enable you to do that. Addition- choices that are too narrow or reflective of an indi-
ally, reading through the answers in the rationales— vidual practice preference. Each exam publishes a set
the why of the reason the selected answer is correct or of textbook references that are used in the creation
incorrect—is an excellent way to expand your knowl- of the exam questions. It is a good practice to review
edge base in general. It also provides insight into how this list of text references.
answers are keyed—why one answer is rated as correct
over another answer that seems to make more sense
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
to you. Remember: You will not be able to argue with
the certifying exam creators as to your theory about Another important tool is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
why one answer is “more correct.” Allow yourself to It is particularly helpful in making priority decisions.
“tune in” to these rationales so that you become more According to Maslow, there are five levels of human
familiar with the answers that are noted to be correct. needs: physiological needs, a need for safety and secu-
In addition to the general strategies for test taking rity, a need for love and a sense of belonging, a need for
listed earlier, there are specific tools and strategies to self-esteem, and a need for self-actualization. Because
strengthen the test-taking skills you will need for certi- survival is grounded in basic physiological needs, these
fication. We will review two nursing tools and give you needs take priority over any other human needs. It
some specific strategies for how to use them in testing comes down to practicality: If you do not have oxygen
situations. to breathe or food to eat, your focus is not really on the
stability of your love life. When trying to determine
the priority between a physiological need of a client
BASIC TOOLS
versus a psychosocial need, remember the priority is
Two basic tools that are used in nursing—and that you to meet the physical needs of the client. This doesn’t
should employ when taking the certification exam—are imply that the correct answer is never psychosocial; it
the nursing process and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. simply means that survival of the species requires us
to address physiological needs first, before we advance
through the other stages of human needs. Always
The Nursing Process
think ABCs—Airway, Breathing, Circulation. Care-
The nursing process is a great tool when taking your fully evaluate each item and ask yourself “What level
certification exam because it can guide you through of need is the question addressing? Physiological? Need
problem-solving. The AANP certification exam for self-esteem?”
structures very specific pieces of information around
these areas (see the table of contents on the Web
SPECIFIC STRATEGIES
site). As you recall from your basic nursing educa-
tion program, the steps of the nursing process include The following specific strategies should help in
assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, answering the multiple-choice questions on the cer-
and evaluation (ADPIE). When a question provides tification exam.
Strategy #1: Understand and Analyze the is in the form of an incomplete statement, is in bold
Anatomy of a Test Question print.
A multiple-choice test question consists of three parts: EXAMPLE 1
• An introductory statement, which sets up the A 32-year-old woman comes to your office for a routine
clinical scenario examination. Her blood pressure is 116/74. You should
• A stem, which poses a question or incomplete recommend that the client have her blood pressure checked
sentence again in
• Options, from which you must select the correct
A. 6 months.
answer
B. 1 year.
The first step in analyzing a multiple-choice test
C. 2 years.
question is to separate what the question tells you from
what it asks you. The introductory statement, which D. 5 years.
may vary considerably in length, provides informa-
tion about a clinical scenario, a disease process, or a The first and most important step is to identify what
nursing response. The stem poses a specific question, the question is asking. You cannot expect to answer the
which you must answer on the basis of your advanced- question correctly until you understand the topic of
practice nursing knowledge. Stems are worded in dif- the question. The introductory statement of Example
ferent ways but always contain enough information to 1 gives you information about the clinical situation—a
answer the question. Some stems are in the form of 32-year-old female client came to your office for a rou-
a question; others are in the form of an incomplete tine exam and has a normal blood pressure; these are
statement that you must complete. You must then the topics. The stem asks you for a clinical judgment
select the one option that best answers the question based on your knowledge of clinical guidelines—when
or completes the incomplete statement from a num- should she have her blood pressure checked again? You
ber, usually four, of potential options, sometimes called must select the option that provides the most accurate
distractors. response—in this case, option C is correct according
Here are a few additional considerations in under- to current guidelines. This question is an example of
standing the format of questions: a recall (memory-based) question, sometimes called
a knowledge-based question. You need to know and
1. Answer options on certification exams will recall the guidelines concerning the frequency of blood
not include “All of the above” or “None of the pressure measurements under different circumstances
above.” and within different populations.
2. Answer options often have very similar Other test questions assess comprehension.
wording with only a few of the words or This is defined as “drawing inferences from informa-
phrases distinguishing the correct answer from tion without necessarily relating inferences to other
the incorrect options. material”—in other words, using only the information
3. Questions are not phrased “negatively.” That that is present in the question. Test takers often fall
means you will not have to choose an answer in into the trap of “reading into” these types of questions—
which the correct response is not to do something. thinking about information that is not requested in the
question.
4. Abbreviations (except a few standard ones) are
always spelled out. EXAMPLE 2
5. There are no fill-in-the-blank questions.
A 41-year-old man comes to your office complaining of
6. Generic drug names are used with some trade having hit his head. While assessing his eyes, you note that
names appearing in parentheses after the the left pupil constricts simultaneously when the right pupil
generic name. Don’t learn just trade names. receives direct light. His left pupil exhibits which reaction?
Knowing these components will assist you in ana- A. Direct papillary reaction
lyzing the information presented and in focusing on
B. Consensual papillary reaction
the question’s intent or issue. Let’s look at an example
that includes an introductory statement in the form of C. Convergence reaction
a clinical scenario. The stem, which in this example D. Corneal light reflex reaction
In this case, the correct answer is option B. You Strategy #2: Identify the Questions, Critical
were able to comprehend the requested information Elements, and Key Words
based on the exact information given in the question.
Nursing, however, is a practice-based discipline. The ability to identify the critical elements and key
Nurses must apply knowledge to specific situations. words in a test question is crucial to a correct inter-
This ability is assessed through the application ques- pretation of the question. Critical elements, such as
tions designed to assess your ability to implement, the key concepts and conditions, tend to appear in
solve a problem, or perform a task. Application of the introductory statement, whereas key words usually
nursing knowledge is essential to safe, competency- appear in the stem of the question. Regardless of the
based, entry-level advanced nursing practice. Appli- placement of these words, remember that everything
cation sometimes implies analysis of information, you need to be able to answer this question correctly is
meaning the question requires you to dissect and ana- provided for you.
lyze information and/or distinguish between relevant Key words are important words or phrases that
and irrelevant data. The certification exam is a test help focus your attention on what the question is spe-
of “minimum competency,” and simply recalling facts cifically asking. Examples of key words include most,
would not provide the certification bodies with suffi- first response, earliest, priority, on the first visit, on a sub-
cient information to determine your abilities. As such, sequent visit, common, best, least, immediately, and ini-
you can expect the majority (up to 75%) of questions tial. Take a look at this example.
to be application and analysis type questions. These
require you to integrate knowledge with the facts that EXAMPLE 4
are presented in order to choose the single best answer Which of the following is an example of a primary preven-
for each question. Review the following example. tive intervention?
EXAMPLE 3 A. Blood pressure screening
Julie, age 18 months, is up to date with her immunizations B. Pap smear
and is due to receive her diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular C. Screening sigmoidoscopy
pertussis (DTaP) and polio vaccinations today. Her father D. Tetanus prophylaxis
is bedridden at home with AIDS. Which immunizations
should Julie receive today? Example 4 is a recall question with a positive-
response stem. Although all the interventions are
A. DTaP only
preventive, the key word is primary, allowing you to
B. DTaP and inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) choose the correct answer, option D.
C. DTaP; IPV; and measles, mumps, and rubella After identifying the topic of the question, you
(MMR) must also identify the issue the question is asking
D. DTaP, OPV (oral polio vaccine), and MMR about. For example, the question, as in Example 5,
may be requesting information about a disorder.
You must synthesize several concepts regarding
immunizations to select the correct answer (option B) EXAMPLE 5
for this question. You must integrate your recall knowl-
Mr. Williams, age 76, is seen in the ambulatory care clinic.
edge regarding standard and current immunization
He is complaining about incontinence, suprapubic pain,
schedules (e.g., that Julie should receive DTaP and
urgency, and dysuria. A urinalysis reveals the presence of
polio immunizations on this visit) with the specific
white blood cells (WBCs), red blood cells (RBCs), and
clinical scenario.
bacteria. What is your diagnosis?
A common error test takers make in a multiple-
choice testing format is to analyze the question and A. Pyelonephritis
choose the answer with their eyes. Analysis is, how-
B. Nephrotic syndrome
ever, done with the brain. Be careful of choices that
“look good.” The reference for every correct answer C. Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH)
is grounded in textbook and/or professional guideline D. Cystitis
knowledge. A common trap that test question writers
use is to include answer choices that appear on the sur- By selecting the correct answer, option D, you
face to be correct but are not. have demonstrated knowledge related to a disease
Soon after breakfast on the morning of the day before our stay in
Seoul came to an end (Monday, May 27th), a telephone message
was reported with the inquiry whether we expected to be at home at
ten o’clock. Contrary to the understanding of the servant who
brought the report, it proved to be Marquis Ito himself who,
accompanied by General Murata, had kindly taken the time from his
always busy morning hours to call in person and bid his guests
good-by. Speaking with his customary quiet deliberation, brevity, and
sincerity, His Excellency thanked me for the services rendered to him
and to his nation, both directly and indirectly, by the visit to Korea;
and the words which added a promise of continued friendship will
always remain among the choicest of memories. In reply—with more
adequate reason but with no less sincerity and earnestness—I
thanked the Marquis for the confidence he had reposed in me, and
as well for the experience which his invitation had furnished. If I had
been of some small service, I had received a much more than
adequate reward in the opportunity of seeing an interesting side of
human life which had hitherto been, for the most part, unfamiliar to
me. I also expressed my belief in a universal and omnipotent Spirit
of Righteousness, who shapes the destinies of men and of nations,
and who uses us all in His service—if we so will—to our own real
well-being and to the good of humanity. God has so bound together
Japan and Korea, both physically and politically, that their interests
cannot be separated, whether for weal or for woe.
In the afternoon of the same day, at the house of Mr. D. W.
Stevens, whose hospitality we had before enjoyed and whose
friendship we had learned highly to prize, we met at tea some
twenty-five of the most intimate of the acquaintances made during
the previous two months. This was not, however, our final leave-
taking of these friends. For the next morning at 8.50, at the South-
Gate Station, most of the same persons gathered to give us one of
those partings which one would not gladly miss, but which are
always a mixture of sad pleasure and sweet pain. The insight of the
Japanese language into such human experiences is shown by the
fact that it has a single word which combines all these complex
elements, and expresses them in itself. Nor do I find that the
repetition of many such experiences in different far-away lands at all
changes the intrinsic character of the feelings they excite. To make
friends away from home is the traveller’s choicest pleasure; to part
soon from these friends is the traveller’s keenest pain.
The journey from Seoul to Fusan was without incident and
accomplished on time. As furnishing a change in the character of the
surroundings, it is almost equivalent to going from Korea to Japan.
For Fusan is essentially a Japanese city, and has been such for many
years. The greeting given us on arrival was also characteristically
Japanese. There, on the platform, were thirty or more of both sexes,
including the Resident and other officials, whose cards were handed
to us with such speed and profusion that to recognize names was
impossible, and even to avoid dropping some of the pieces was
difficult. The harbor launch again served us, as it had done before,
for transportation between railroad station and Japanese settlement.
Only twenty minutes were allowed for effecting a presentable
appearance after the day’s travel; and then we were ushered to the
dining-room, where about fifty persons had gathered for a
complimentary banquet. After this, the Resident introduced,
welcomed, and proposed a toast for the guests, and Mr. Zumoto
interpreted the response. The banquet finished, there followed, in
another part of the hotel, an entertainment of juggling, a farce, and
dancing to samisen and koto—all by amateur performers. The day
had certainly, when it ended, been sufficiently full of incident. But a
real old-fashioned Japanese bath, in a deliciously soft wooden tub,
with water at 108° Fahrenheit—the first I had been able to obtain
during this visit to Japan—took away all soreness of flesh and
weariness of spirit, and secured a good night’s rest.
The following morning in Fusan was dull and unpromising—there
was drizzle, cloud, and fog over land and sea, and a fresh breeze. In
spite of the weather, however, we were taken in jinrikishas to the
villa of Mr. Kuruda, one of the oldest of the Japanese settlers, a
prosperous commission merchant and manufacturer of saké. This
villa is seated on the mountain’s side and is surrounded by as fine an
example of a certain style of Japanese gardening as I have ever
seen. Here is a profusion of artistic rock arrangement, decorated
with shrubs and flowers, for the most part brought from Japan, and
marking out ponds, paths, and favored points of view from which
can be had glimpses of the charming harbor and surrounding hills.
The owner was proud to have us know that Marquis Ito makes the
villa his home when journeying between Korea and Japan. Among
other objects of interest in the garden is a huge boulder which fell
from the mountain’s side some twenty years ago; near this the
owner of the garden has chosen his last resting-place, and upon it
the proper inscription has already been prepared.
After leaving the villa we were shown over one of the public
schools which has been founded for the children of Japanese
residents, and were bidden to notice how its reports showed the
high average attendance of from 93 per cent. to 98 per cent., and
even above, in the different grades, for the entire year. Next came a
visit to a private school for girls, which is under the patronage of
Japanese ladies, and which gives an education of a more distinctly
domestic type. Here we were served with an excellent luncheon in
foreign style, cooked by the pupils of the school; during and after
which there was an entertainment consisting of tableaux vivants and
a musical performance that might best be described as a trio of
kotos with a violin obligato. One of these tableaux represented three
young girls defending a castle wall with bow and arrow—a scene
corresponding to actual events of history; for, in fact, the loyalty of
certain clans in the north of Japan carried them to such extremes in
support of the Tokugawa dynasty. Indeed, through many centuries,
Japanese women and girls have been far braver and more loyal in
defence of their liege lord than Korean men have been.
From this school we were taken to the park on the mountain, with
its trees brought from Tsushima some two hundred years ago, to
which reference has already been made (p. 15) as the only one in all
Korea. The Shinto temple upon the hill-top is equally old, and was
originally dedicated to no fewer than nine different divinities—the
goddess, Amaterasu (the “Heaven-Shiner,” or Sun-goddess), born
from the left eye of the Creator Izanagi, whose principal shrine is
now at Ise, being the chief.
The lecture of the afternoon was given to an audience of about six
hundred, upon a topic selected by those who had extended the
invitation. This topic was “The Necessity of an Improved Commercial
Morality”; it was expected that the speaker would enforce and
illustrate the thought by the situation at the present time in Korea,
and by an appeal to Japanese patriotism to show their nation worthy
of setting a good example, and capable of accomplishing the task of
industrial development and political redemption in the land which
was now so dependent upon Japan for its future. Mrs. Ladd also said
a few words expressing her interest in what we had seen in the
morning illustrating the education given to Japanese girls in Fusan,
and also the hope that something similar might soon be possible for
their Korean sisters. The heartiness with which these suggestions
were received in this, the principal Japanese settlement of the
Peninsula, shows that the better classes of settlers are honorably
sensitive to the obligation to redeem the fair fame of their nation
from the injury which it has received in the past at the hands of the
inferior and baser elements of their own countrymen.
That this determination was not beyond reasonable hope of
speedy realization was made more evident to me by conversation
with the agent of the Transportation Company operating between
Shimonoseki and Fusan. A careful investigation of its records had
revealed the fact that for some months past about 200 Japanese
passengers were, on the average, daily coming into Korea, and only
about 150 returning from Korea to Japan. Of the fifty who,
presumably, remained as settlers, about one-half chose for their
home either the city of Fusan or the surrounding country; the other
half went by rail inland, chiefly to Seoul and Chemulpo. There had
also been of late an obvious change in the character and intention of
these immigrants. Formerly, they were largely young fellows of the
type of adventurers; but now the old people, and the women and
children, were coming with the men—an indication that their
business was no temporary venture, but a purpose to remain and
make homes for themselves. When it is understood that these
figures are exclusive of the Japanese military and civil officials, they
compare very closely with the results of the census taken just before
our departure. On taking passage from Shimonoseki to Fusan we
had noticed that the passengers which crowded and overflowed the
second- and third-class cabin accommodations of the steamer
appeared to be very decent folk. Many of them had brought along,
not only their luggage, but also their agricultural implements and
mechanic’s tools. But the subject of Japanese settlement in Korea,
and its effect upon both countries concerned, is so important as to
deserve further discussion of such statistics as are now available.
We went on board the Iki Maru early enough to avoid the crowd
that would come by the afternoon train from Seoul. After bidding
good-by to the score of ladies and gentlemen who had come down
to the wharf to see us off, there was time for dinner before the
steamer sailed. As we watched the retreating shores of Korea, we
remembered the morning of two months before when these shores
had first come into view. It was Japanese friends who had then
welcomed us—the same friends who had just bidden us farewell. But
between the two experiences lay a busy period of work and of
observation which had resulted in making more friends, Japanese
and foreign, in Korea itself. But how about the Koreans themselves;
had we won, even to the beginnings of real and constant friendly
feeling, any among their number? I was unable confidently to say.
The Koreans are spoken of, by the missionaries especially, as notably
kind and affectionate in disposition and easily attached to the
foreigner by friendly ties. By the diplomats and business men they
are, for the most part, distrusted and despised. As the guests of
Marquis Ito, it was not strange that we did not quickly gain any
assurance of genuine and trustworthy friendliness on their part. But
this, too, is a subject which requires consideration from a more
impersonal point of view. For there is something startling in the wide
divergencies, and even sharp antagonisms, of the estimates of
Korean character which any serious and disinterested inquiry evokes.
The night of May 29th was rough, and our ship rolled considerably
while crossing the straits between Korea and Japan. But by early
morning we were in smooth water. The likenesses and the contrasts
of the two countries were even more impressive than they had been
when we first landed in Fusan and passed on to Seoul. Soil and
landscape, as unmodified by man, are in this part of Japan almost
exactly similar to southern Korea. Indeed, geologically speaking,
they are the same continent; at one time in the past they were
doubtless physically united. But how different the two countries at
the present time, in respect of all the signs of human activity and
human enterprise! Our Japanese companion explained the prosperity
of this part of his native land as growing out of the nature of its
early history. Prince Mori was formerly lord of all this part of Japan,
nearly as far eastward as Hiogo. When driven by Hideyoshi to its
western extremity, he had taken with him a large number of his best
retainers. Their support in the two or three districts which he was
still allowed to retain became at once a most difficult practical
problem. But it was solved by stimulating the farmers and the
trading classes to the highest possible activity in improving the
natural resources, which were by no means unusually great in this
part of Japan. Thus it was the men who made the country rich, and
not the country that made the men rich. One other illustration of the
characteristically different spirit of the two countries was mentioned
in the same connection. At one time when Hideyoshi was making
war upon Prince Mori, he was called back by a rebellion in his own
rear. One of his most devoted friends and adherents had been
murdered by the rebels. Whereupon, Hideyoshi summoned his
enemy, told him frankly the truth as to the necessity of his
abandoning for the present his intention to deprive him of all his
dominions, and suggested that the time would be opportune for the
Prince to recover much of his lost ancestral estate. But Prince Mori
declined to take advantage of Hideyoshi’s necessity, since the latter
was going, as in knightly-honor bound, to avenge the death of a
friend.
On coming to anchor in the harbor of Shimonoseki we found the
superintendent of the port ready with his launch to convey us to the
shore. After an hour at the hotel, during which the chief of police
made an official call to pay his respects and give us additional
assurance that we were to be well protected, we parted at the train,
with sincere regret, from the Japanese friend who had so kindly
arranged all for our comfort during our two months in Korea.
The appearance of the country along the western end of the
Sanyo Railway on this last day of May, 1907, fully confirmed the
account of the character and the policy of the men who, since the
time of Hideyoshi, have developed it. The views of the sea on the
right-hand side of the train cannot easily be surpassed anywhere in
the world. On the other side, the fields in the valleys, and the
terraces on the hills, constitute one almost continuous, highly
cultivated garden for more than one hundred miles. The tops of the
mountains, except in a few unfavorable spots, are covered with
forests of thickly-set and varied arborage. The comparatively damp
climate of Japan covers with that exquisite soft haze which the
Japanese artists appreciate so highly and reproduce so well, the
same kind of soil and of rocks which shine out so bright and strong
in their coloring across the straits in Korea.
In the train, my next neighbor on my right—a big German who
smoked strong cigars incessantly, and who said that he had been in
the Orient for forty years—declared unhesitatingly that the people of
Japan, outside of a certain portion of a few cities where foreign
influences had operated most strongly, were all savages to-day, as
they were when the country was first opened to Western civilization.
When he was reminded that the percentage of children in actual
attendance in the public schools was much larger than in the United
States, and at least equal to the most favored parts of Germany, he
replied that the children were never really being taught in school,
but always to be seen out of doors, going through some kind of
“fanatics” or gymnastics! It is no wonder that this comment elicited
no reply. But the picture of the more than a score of thousands of
eager and attentive teachers and students to whom I had spoken—
not by way of occasional, popular speeches, but in courses of
lectures and addresses on serious themes—left me unconvinced. Nor
was the remark attributed to the inferior insight of his own nation,
whose scholastic training for diplomatic service has been superior to
that of other countries, and whose commercial education is fast
approaching the same grade of excellence. But it was another lesson
in the purely external and untrustworthy character of the prevailing
knowledge of the Far East, its people, their excellences and their
faults; and, per contra, of the only way reasonably to estimate and
effectually to attain friendly relations with men in general and with
Oriental peoples in particular. The views of the “old resident”—
missionary, diplomat, or business man—as such, are of little or no
value. This is especially true as touching the relations of Japan and
Korea.
CHAPTER VIII
PERSONAL REMINISCENCES AND IMPRESSIONS