G.N.M.E.C.E. - General Nursing and Midwifery Entrance Competitive Examination
G.N.M.E.C.E. (General Nursing and Midwifery Entrance Competitive Examination) selects candidates for the GNM diploma. It tests English, general science, arithmetic, reasoning and basic health knowledge, with a practical nursing slant.
Core rules
- General science: basic anatomy, nutrition, hygiene and first aid.
- Arithmetic: percentages, ratio-proportion, dosage and drip-rate calculations.
- English: grammar, comprehension and medical vocabulary.
- Reasoning: series, coding, blood relations and direction sense.
- Health awareness: maternal and child health, immunisation and national programmes.
- In first aid, sequence matters: danger, response, airway, breathing, circulation.
Worked example
A patient must receive 500 mL of normal saline over 4 hours. The giving set has a drop factor of 20 drops/mL. What is the drip rate? Reasoning: drops per minute = (volume × drop factor) ÷ time in minutes = (500 × 20) ÷ (4 × 60) = 10000 ÷ 240 = 41.7. Round to 42 drops/min. Always convert hours to minutes before dividing.
Traps
- Using 1 hour = 100 minutes by mistake.
- Forgetting to round to a whole drop.
- Confusing millilitres with drops.
- Choosing a comfort measure when the question asks for first-aid priority.
- Applying an adult dose to a child without weight adjustment.