Chart/Exhibit Browsing Without Losing Time

By VeriScorePrep Team · 4 min

NCLEX NGN exhibit items display a chart (vitals, I&O, labs, intake notes) and ask you to use it. The skill is selecting which tabs are relevant.

Read the call first

What does the question ask? "What action should the nurse take?" needs different data than "Which lab finding requires follow-up?" Different calls activate different tabs.

Targeted tabbing

Open only the relevant tabs. Common patterns:

• "Lab abnormality" → labs tab + vitals for context.
• "Risk of fall" → meds (sedatives/hypnotics) + I&O + mental status.
• "Fluid balance" → I&O + daily weights + relevant labs (Na, BUN, Cr).
• "Medication interaction" → med list + relevant labs (INR if warfarin, K+ if diuretics).

Reading on demand

For each tab, extract the relevant datum and move on. Don't read the entire chart; the stem didn't need it.

Pitfalls

• Opening all tabs "to be thorough," then reading each fully — costs minutes.
• Missing the trend across tabs (worsening labs + falling urine output = AKI).
• Treating normal values as significant because they catch the eye.

Practice

Drill exhibit items in untimed mode, deliberately using one or two tabs only. The "read selectively" reflex eventually transfers to timed tests.