The TEAS exam (Test of Essential Academic Skills) is a crucial step for those aspiring to enter nursing school. It assesses your readiness for nursing school by testing your knowledge in key areas like math, reading comprehension, science, and English. But beyond just knowing the material, one of the most important skills you need to develop for the TEAS is the ability to think like a nurse.
Thinking like a nurse means applying critical thinking, problem-solving, and clinical reasoning skills to the questions on the exam. It’s not just about memorizing facts; it’s about applying what you know to real-world situations. Here are some tips from The Exam Hive on developing that nursing mindset and approaching the TEAS exam with confidence.
Step 1: Approach Questions from a Problem-Solving Perspective
One of the most important aspects of nursing practice is problem-solving. Nurses are constantly faced with problems they need to solve quickly and efficiently. Similarly, on the TEAS exam, many questions require you to apply your knowledge to solve a problem rather than just recall information.
Read carefully: When approaching each question, read the stem (the question) carefully to understand what is being asked. Pay attention to key words like "most likely," "best", or "except". These words change the direction of the answer.
Think critically: When solving problems, think about how different pieces of knowledge connect. For example, in the science section, if a question is asking about a body system, don’t just recall facts. Think about how the system functions in the body and how that relates to the question.
Eliminate answers: Often, you'll encounter multiple-choice questions where some options are clearly wrong. Eliminate the obviously incorrect answers to narrow down your choices and increase your odds of selecting the correct one.
Step 2: Understand the Big Picture
Thinking like a nurse involves understanding how different concepts are interconnected. In nursing, you must understand how one piece of information impacts another. The same approach applies to the TEAS exam.
Science Section: When answering questions related to Anatomy and Physiology, think about how the body systems interact. For instance, understanding the relationship between the cardiovascular and respiratory systems can help you answer questions about oxygen transport or breathing.
Math Section: In the math section, apply your understanding of measurements, conversions, and ratios to real-life scenarios you might encounter in nursing practice, such as dosage calculations or determining the correct volume of medication.
The goal is to practice thinking about the broader context of the question. Ask yourself, "How would this apply in a real-world nursing scenario?" This helps you not only in answering questions but also in retaining the information for the future.
Step 3: Focus on Patient-Centered Care
A significant part of being a nurse is prioritizing patient care. In nursing, you need to make decisions that are in the best interest of the patient, which involves weighing options and considering patient safety.
Use clinical reasoning: For questions that involve medical scenarios, think about the patient’s well-being and how different factors can impact their health. For example, a question might ask you to prioritize nursing interventions and consider which action will have the greatest positive impact on the patient.
Apply safety principles: When it comes to math or science questions, always think about patient safety first. Nurses must always ensure that calculations and procedures are accurate so practice solving problems with precision.
On the TEAS exam, when you see a question with a medical scenario, think about what would be best for the patient. In many cases, the right answer will align with the most patient-centered approach.
Step 4: Develop Strong Time Management Skills
Thinking like a nurse also involves knowing how to manage multiple tasks and make decisions quickly under pressure. In nursing, time management is critical—and the same is true when taking the TEAS exam.
Practice timed tests: The TEAS exam is a timed test, and managing your time is key to completing all questions. The Exam Hive’s practice tests will help you get used to the time constraints and allow you to pace yourself throughout the exam.
Prioritize easier questions: In nursing, you often need to address the most urgent issues first. On the TEAS, you can apply the same concept by answering the easier questions first and coming back to the more difficult ones if time allows.
Developing this skill during your preparation will help you avoid rushing or second-guessing yourself during the exam.
Step 5: Develop a Growth Mindset
Nurses must constantly learn and adapt, and so must you when preparing for the TEAS exam. A growth mindset is believing that abilities and skills can be developed with effort, and practice is critical for both nursing practice and exam preparation.
Stay persistent: If you encounter a challenging question or section, don’t get discouraged. Use your TEAS practice questions to identify weaknesses and target those areas for improvement.
Learn from mistakes: After completing a practice test, review your mistakes thoroughly. The Exam Hive’s practice tests provide detailed rationales for every answer, so you can learn exactly where you went wrong and how to avoid similar mistakes in the future.
Developing this mindset will not only help you succeed on the TEAS exam but will also lay the groundwork for success in your nursing career.
Conclusion: Think Like a Nurse to Succeed on the TEAS Exam
The key to passing the TEAS exam is to think like a nurse. By using problem-solving skills, understanding the big picture, focusing on patient-centered care, managing your time, and developing a growth mindset, you can confidently approach the TEAS exam.
At The Exam Hive, we’re here to support you on this journey. Our practice tests, study guides, and time management tips are designed to help you think critically and succeed in nursing school. Start practicing today, and develop the skills that will not only help you pass the TEAS exam but also set you up for a successful nursing career.
Ready to think like a nurse? Start practicing with our real-world TEAS questions and prepare with confidence.