Scared of 2nd Year Now :(

[USMCRN2015]

Ok, so I am someone that has wanted nursing school for so long! Finished my time in the Marines Corps and now I'm here attending an ADN program. I completed Fundamentals with a B. I finished up Maternity/Med Surg I with literally 2 points to spare. I literally flew through clinicals with ease. Had Maternity/Med Surg not been combined? I would have tanked for sure. Maternity was a breeze. For some reason Med Surg was downhill. No matter how much I reviewed the material, applied it, etc I just didn't do as well as I hoped.

I was warned by my advisor I'm entering THE most challenging semester. Med Surg II/Psych. I've been reviewing all summer, plus I'm taking an extra Pharmacology class (our school doesn't require it, we have pharmacology throughout the program), to give myself a leg up. I have peers that are currently in that semester that are struggling! How do I get over this potential mind screw I'm doing to myself?

Thanks :)

[stippie09, ASN, RN]

I feel your stress! I always excelled in specialty classes like psych and OB but med-surg was a struggle, because theres soo much information and its a vast area. What worked for me is that I found a great friend in school and we studied constantly. It will get harder but stay motivated and always remember why you want to become a nurse and you will be fine. If you have a good foundation of pathophysiology you will be ok. The best of luck to you!!

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

Psychology is going to be different from what you're used to. It's not necessarily harder, but just different. Med/Surg II should be more of the same stuff as in Med/Surg I, but in more depth. This is definitely doable, but look back where you had difficulties in Med/Surg I and study those areas. If your problem is in application, think about what's going on physiologically, what you can do, and also look at Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and work to "satisfy" those lower areas first.

Good luck!

[la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN]

Psych is supposedly one of the more challenging quarters (aside from our 1st med surg -- which, honestly for me, was not hard) because it's a topic that is not something everyone is so interested in -- next to interest in med surg it gets a pretty big 'meh'. So.......they combined psych with the 2nd round of med surg....that's very interesting. We don't get psych until we're in our 3rd year so I'll just let you know what they tell us in advance for this quarter - it's pharmacology and therapeutic communication. Really get on top of your therapeutic communication. That's the best I can offer but I hope that whatever kinks you have to work out with med surg 1 you'll get right with med surg 2. Good luck! Don't get in your head too much! I've seen a lot of my peers really mess up because they over analyzed, over processed, over thought EVERYTHING -- and, unfortunately, they continue to do so. Don't get into (or get out of it if you are in it) that habit. Good luck! :)

[LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN]

We had the option of taking psych over the summer instead of this Fall with Medsurg II and I am only in my second week of an 8 week course. Our first test is on 11 chapters. I can't imagine trying to do psych while doing Medsurg II and Maternal/Newborn in the Fall.