Podcast
Nursing & Healthcare Exam Prep
Hosted by Ran Chen, EA, CFP® · EN
Nursing & Healthcare Exam Prep is a daily podcast designed to help future nurses and healthcare professionals pass their licensing and admission exams with clarity and confidence.
Built and operated by OpenExamPrep, this podcast breaks down major nursing and healthcare exams into focused, easy-to-digest episodes covering NCLEX-RN, NCLEX-PN, CNA certification, and ATI TEAS, across national exam standards and applicable state-level requirements. Each episode targets one key concept, common exam trap, or high-frequency test topic—making it ideal for studying during commutes, workouts, or short study sessions.
Created by Ran Chen, EA, CFP®, a financial professional and exam specialist who has personally passed multiple professional licensing exams, Nursing & Healthcare Exam Prep was developed from firsthand experience with how challenging—and often poorly structured—exam preparation can be. The goal is simple: make nursing and healthcare exam prep clearer, more accessible, and more effective through structured explanations and modern learning tools. Whether you’re preparing for the NCLEX-RN, NCLEX-PN, CNA, or ATI TEAS, just starting your healthcare education journey, or reviewing before test day, this podcast is designed to guide you step by step—one concept at a time.
Free practice tools, AI-powered explanations, and additional exam prep resources are available at: https://open-exam-prep.com/
54episodes
Episodes
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Phlebotomy Exam Prep 67, Standard vs Transmission-Based Precautions
Yesterday00:03:25Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Standard Precautions are the universal baseline applied to every patient, assuming all body fluids are infectious. - Transmission-Based Precautions (Contact, Droplet, Airborne) are additional measures used for known or suspected infections. - Contact Precautions, for pathogens like MRSA and C. diff, require a gown and gloves. - Droplet Precautions, for illnesses like influenza, require a surgical mask when working within three feet of the patient. - Airborne Precautions, for diseases like tuberculosis and measles, mandate a fit-tested N95 respirator and a negative-pressure room. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Phlebotomy Exam Prep 65, Needlestick Injury Protocol
2d ago00:02:56Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The first action after a needlestick is always to wash the area thoroughly with soap and water. - Gently encourage the wound to bleed, but never squeeze the site as this can cause further tissue damage. - Report the incident to a supervisor immediately, with formal documentation often required within one hour. - Baseline blood tests for HIV, HBV, and HCV are mandatory for both the healthcare worker and the source patient. - Initiating Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) for potential HIV exposure is a medical emergency and most effective when started within two hours. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Phlebotomy Exam Prep 64, Sharps Disposal and Safety Devices
3d ago00:03:06Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Always dispose of sharps in a designated, puncture-resistant container at the immediate point of use. - The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act mandates the use of engineered safety devices on all needles. - Never recap a contaminated needle; instead, activate its safety feature immediately after the draw is complete. - Sharps containers must be sealed and replaced when they are no more than three-quarters full to prevent overfilling and injury. - Remember the "SAD" mnemonic for post-venipuncture safety: engage the Safety device, Activate it immediately, and Discard the entire unit properly. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Phlebotomy Exam Prep 63, Hand Hygiene — When and How
4d ago00:03:16Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The five critical moments for hand hygiene in a phlebotomy setting and how they appear on the exam. - How to distinguish between scenarios requiring alcohol-based sanitizer versus soap and water. - Why you must wash your hands before donning gloves, a common exam confusion point. - The critical exception for patients with C. diff and why alcohol-based sanitizers are ineffective. - A simple mnemonic, "Two Before, Three After," to quickly recall the five hand hygiene triggers in test questions. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Phlebotomy Exam Prep 62, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
5d ago00:03:18Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - That a new pair of gloves is mandatory for every single patient encounter without exception. - How to identify exam scenarios that require additional PPE, like gowns and face shields, based on the risk of splashing. - The correct sequence for donning PPE: gown, mask, goggles, and then gloves last. - The critical doffing sequence to prevent self-contamination: gloves, goggles, gown, and finally the mask. - How to spot common exam traps involving incorrect PPE removal order and overuse of PPE in routine procedures. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Phlebotomy Exam Prep 61, OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard
6d ago00:03:12Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The central role of the written Exposure Control Plan, which must be updated annually, in guiding all safety procedures. - How to differentiate between engineering controls like safety needles and work practice controls like prohibiting two-handed needle recapping. - The specific requirement for employers to offer the Hepatitis B vaccine free of charge within 10 working days of initial assignment. - The core principle of Standard Precautions: treating all human blood and certain body fluids as if they are infectious. - The mandate for bloodborne pathogen training to be conducted upon initial assignment and repeated annually. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Phlebotomy Exam Prep 60, Skin Antiseptic Drying Time
1w ago00:03:00Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Why you must let 70% isopropyl alcohol air-dry for approximately 30 seconds without fanning or blowing. - How puncturing through wet alcohol can cause hemolysis, destroying red blood cells and compromising the specimen. - The critical exam trap of how wet alcohol can contaminate a sample and create a falsely elevated blood alcohol level. - The mandatory procedure of re-cleansing the venipuncture site if it is re-palpated after the initial cleaning. - The different required drying times for other common antiseptics, such as chlorhexidine and povidone-iodine. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Phlebotomy Exam Prep 59, Diurnal Variation Drug and Hormone Tests
1w ago00:03:18Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Cortisol levels peak around 8 AM and are lowest in the evening, a critical timing factor for diagnosing endocrine disorders like Cushing's or Addison's disease. - Other common tests like ACTH, TSH, and iron also exhibit significant diurnal variation, making morning collections the standard for accurate interpretation. - Therapeutic drug monitoring requires precise timing for trough levels (drawn right before the next dose) and peak levels (drawn after the dose is administered). - A common exam trap is identifying an incorrect draw time as a pre-analytical error that can lead to misinterpretation of results for time-sensitive tests. - Accurately documenting the exact time of collection is a crucial responsibility for a phlebotomist to ensure the clinical value of timed specimens. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Phlebotomy Exam Prep 58, Fasting Requirements by Test
1w ago00:03:58Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The standard 8 to 12-hour fasting requirement for key tests like glucose, lipid panels, and fasting insulin. - Why the Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) requires a strict fast for the initial baseline draw. - The unique requirement for morning fasting for iron studies due to diurnal variation. - The critical importance of documenting patient non-compliance with fasting instructions. - That plain water is not only allowed but encouraged during fasting to aid in venipuncture. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Phlebotomy Exam Prep 57, Pre-Analytical Errors — The 60% Problem
1w ago00:03:22Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Pre-analytical errors, which occur before lab testing, account for up to 70% of all lab mistakes and are a major focus on the Phlebotomy exam. - Improper patient identification is the most critical pre-analytical error; exam questions will test your ability to follow strict ID protocols without exception. - Hemolysis, the rupture of red blood cells often caused by incorrect collection technique, can falsely elevate analytes like potassium. - Violating the correct order of draw can lead to additive cross-contamination, causing dangerously inaccurate results, such as falsely lowered calcium levels. - Prolonged tourniquet application beyond one minute causes hemoconcentration, and drawing from an arm with an IV requires specific procedures to avoid sample contamination. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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