Next Generation
NCLEX Guidebook 2022
PREPARED AND PRESENTED BY:
ATI Nursing Education
Your reference for
everything you need
to know about the new
version of the NCLEX
Scan for the most
up-to-date version
,Table of contents
CLINICAL JUDGMENT 13 TEACHING STRATEGIES 50 NEW ITEM TYPES 69
COMING IN April 2023: A NEW VERSION OF THE NCLEX®......................... 6
QUICK REFRESHER........................................................................................ 7
Why a new NCLEX is needed now............................................................................................. 7
NCSBN research & reasoning.................................................................................................... 8
The NCSBN’s steps to create a new exam................................................................................. 9
The purpose of the Special Research Section.......................................................................... 11
Timeline for NGN’s launch.......................................................................................................12
CLINICAL JUDGMENT.................................................................................. 13
Its impact on public safety........................................................................................................ 13
NCSBN’s official definition....................................................................................................... 15
Evidence-based advice............................................................................................................ 16
Using effective techniques....................................................................................................... 17
Practical teaching tips.............................................................................................................. 19
Tips on the Socratic Method.................................................................................................... 22
Focus on priority setting........................................................................................................... 24
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (item example & rationales)................................................... 25
Airway-Breathing-Circulation (item example & rationales)................................................... 26
Safety & Risk Reduction (item example & rationales)........................................................... 27
The Nursing Process (item example & rationales)................................................................ 28
Least Restrictive/Least Invasive (+ item example & rationales)............................................ 30
Acute vs. Chronic/Unstable vs. Stable/Urgent vs. Nonurgent (item example & rationales).31
Survival Potential (item example & rationales)..................................................................... 34
,Table of contents (continued)
PREPARING FOR THE NEW VERSION OF THE EXAM................................ 36
Step 1: Don’t automatically change the current curriculum you use........................................ 36
Step 2: Ensure clinical judgment is part of your lessons.......................................................... 37
Step 3: Understand the NCSBN’s Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (NCJMM)............ 38
Step 3a: Review the six functions of clinical judgment in Layer 3....................................... 39
Step 3b: Review the environmental and individual factors in Layer 4................................. 40
Step 4: Teach your students about clinical judgment.............................................................. 41
Step 5: Identify activities you can use to help students develop skills for each phase............ 42
Function 1: Recognize cues (assessment)............................................................................ 44
Function 2: Analyze cues (analysis)...................................................................................... 45
Function 3: Prioritize hypotheses (analysis)......................................................................... 45
Function 4: Generate solutions (planning).......................................................................... 46
Function 5: Take actions (implementation).......................................................................... 47
Function 6: Evaluate outcomes (evaluation)........................................................................ 48
STRATEGIES TO TEACH CLINICAL JUDGMENT.......................................... 50
Use NCSBN’s action model template....................................................................................... 50
Create learning outcomes........................................................................................................ 51
Strategies in the classroom...................................................................................................... 53
Activity: Collecting cues...................................................................................................... 53
Activity: Problem identification........................................................................................... 54
Activity: Tree of impact........................................................................................................ 55
Strategies in the lab/simulation................................................................................................ 57
Activity: Health assessment................................................................................................. 57
Strategies in clinical.................................................................................................................. 58
Activity: Change-of-shift report........................................................................................... 58
Strategies in clinical/simulation................................................................................................ 59
Activity: Clinical judgment case study................................................................................. 59
Activity: Clinical and simulation strategy journal ................................................................ 60
, Table of contents (continued)
DETAILS ABOUT THE NEW EXAM............................................................... 63
The length of the Next Gen NCLEX......................................................................................... 64
Time required to answer new item types............................................................................ 65
Reminders about the NCLEX.............................................................................................. 66
Differences between the current NCLEX & the NGN.............................................................. 67
What won’t change............................................................................................................. 67
What will change................................................................................................................. 68
New item types on the NGN.................................................................................................... 69
An introduction to the case study....................................................................................... 70
The format of case studies.................................................................................................. 71
An introduction to stand-alone items....................................................................................... 73
Sample of a bow-tie stand-alone item................................................................................ 74
The different formats of case study and trend item types........................................................ 75
Matrix item type.................................................................................................................. 76
Highlight item type............................................................................................................. 77
Drag-and-drop item type.................................................................................................... 78
Multiple-response item type............................................................................................... 79
Drop-down item type.......................................................................................................... 80
Differences in scoring the Next Generation NCLEX................................................................ 82
How new item types will be scored..................................................................................... 82
DEVELOPING & ASSESSING CLINICAL JUDGMENT SKILLS....................... 83
The art and science behind assessments................................................................................. 83
An overview: Assessment development................................................................................... 84
Testing & equating of assessments.......................................................................................... 86
Test security for proactive protection....................................................................................... 87
Clinical judgment tools for development & assessment.......................................................... 88
ATI tools in development + available now............................................................................... 91
HOW TO STAY UP-TO-DATE & GET YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED......... 93
Stay up-to-date on Next Gen NCLEX...................................................................................... 93
Get all your questions answered about NGN.......................................................................... 94
NCLEX Guidebook 2022
PREPARED AND PRESENTED BY:
ATI Nursing Education
Your reference for
everything you need
to know about the new
version of the NCLEX
Scan for the most
up-to-date version
,Table of contents
CLINICAL JUDGMENT 13 TEACHING STRATEGIES 50 NEW ITEM TYPES 69
COMING IN April 2023: A NEW VERSION OF THE NCLEX®......................... 6
QUICK REFRESHER........................................................................................ 7
Why a new NCLEX is needed now............................................................................................. 7
NCSBN research & reasoning.................................................................................................... 8
The NCSBN’s steps to create a new exam................................................................................. 9
The purpose of the Special Research Section.......................................................................... 11
Timeline for NGN’s launch.......................................................................................................12
CLINICAL JUDGMENT.................................................................................. 13
Its impact on public safety........................................................................................................ 13
NCSBN’s official definition....................................................................................................... 15
Evidence-based advice............................................................................................................ 16
Using effective techniques....................................................................................................... 17
Practical teaching tips.............................................................................................................. 19
Tips on the Socratic Method.................................................................................................... 22
Focus on priority setting........................................................................................................... 24
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (item example & rationales)................................................... 25
Airway-Breathing-Circulation (item example & rationales)................................................... 26
Safety & Risk Reduction (item example & rationales)........................................................... 27
The Nursing Process (item example & rationales)................................................................ 28
Least Restrictive/Least Invasive (+ item example & rationales)............................................ 30
Acute vs. Chronic/Unstable vs. Stable/Urgent vs. Nonurgent (item example & rationales).31
Survival Potential (item example & rationales)..................................................................... 34
,Table of contents (continued)
PREPARING FOR THE NEW VERSION OF THE EXAM................................ 36
Step 1: Don’t automatically change the current curriculum you use........................................ 36
Step 2: Ensure clinical judgment is part of your lessons.......................................................... 37
Step 3: Understand the NCSBN’s Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (NCJMM)............ 38
Step 3a: Review the six functions of clinical judgment in Layer 3....................................... 39
Step 3b: Review the environmental and individual factors in Layer 4................................. 40
Step 4: Teach your students about clinical judgment.............................................................. 41
Step 5: Identify activities you can use to help students develop skills for each phase............ 42
Function 1: Recognize cues (assessment)............................................................................ 44
Function 2: Analyze cues (analysis)...................................................................................... 45
Function 3: Prioritize hypotheses (analysis)......................................................................... 45
Function 4: Generate solutions (planning).......................................................................... 46
Function 5: Take actions (implementation).......................................................................... 47
Function 6: Evaluate outcomes (evaluation)........................................................................ 48
STRATEGIES TO TEACH CLINICAL JUDGMENT.......................................... 50
Use NCSBN’s action model template....................................................................................... 50
Create learning outcomes........................................................................................................ 51
Strategies in the classroom...................................................................................................... 53
Activity: Collecting cues...................................................................................................... 53
Activity: Problem identification........................................................................................... 54
Activity: Tree of impact........................................................................................................ 55
Strategies in the lab/simulation................................................................................................ 57
Activity: Health assessment................................................................................................. 57
Strategies in clinical.................................................................................................................. 58
Activity: Change-of-shift report........................................................................................... 58
Strategies in clinical/simulation................................................................................................ 59
Activity: Clinical judgment case study................................................................................. 59
Activity: Clinical and simulation strategy journal ................................................................ 60
, Table of contents (continued)
DETAILS ABOUT THE NEW EXAM............................................................... 63
The length of the Next Gen NCLEX......................................................................................... 64
Time required to answer new item types............................................................................ 65
Reminders about the NCLEX.............................................................................................. 66
Differences between the current NCLEX & the NGN.............................................................. 67
What won’t change............................................................................................................. 67
What will change................................................................................................................. 68
New item types on the NGN.................................................................................................... 69
An introduction to the case study....................................................................................... 70
The format of case studies.................................................................................................. 71
An introduction to stand-alone items....................................................................................... 73
Sample of a bow-tie stand-alone item................................................................................ 74
The different formats of case study and trend item types........................................................ 75
Matrix item type.................................................................................................................. 76
Highlight item type............................................................................................................. 77
Drag-and-drop item type.................................................................................................... 78
Multiple-response item type............................................................................................... 79
Drop-down item type.......................................................................................................... 80
Differences in scoring the Next Generation NCLEX................................................................ 82
How new item types will be scored..................................................................................... 82
DEVELOPING & ASSESSING CLINICAL JUDGMENT SKILLS....................... 83
The art and science behind assessments................................................................................. 83
An overview: Assessment development................................................................................... 84
Testing & equating of assessments.......................................................................................... 86
Test security for proactive protection....................................................................................... 87
Clinical judgment tools for development & assessment.......................................................... 88
ATI tools in development + available now............................................................................... 91
HOW TO STAY UP-TO-DATE & GET YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED......... 93
Stay up-to-date on Next Gen NCLEX...................................................................................... 93
Get all your questions answered about NGN.......................................................................... 94
