Summer... I want a head start.

[Zooey72]

Everyone I have talked to has said that it will do me no good to start studying for nursing before classes begin. Everyone may be right, but I want to learn the hard way. I am working a full time job atm (which gets dropped come fall for nursing school), but I will gladly make time for getting a head start on nursing in the fall. I have no issue with buying the books early, but I would like to know what would be good topics and things for me to know when I start "Fundamentals of Nursing". I want to hit the floor running on the first test since I have heard that that test people generally don't do as well on because they don't know what to expect. Any suggestions?

[Mrsveracity BSN, RN]

I use quizlet and while I have found some wrong answers they were far and few between. You can look up information by class or by university. I also downloaded ati nclex app. I know UWorld is the best but it's a bit expensive. I also bought Saunders nclex review.

I actually called my university and rented the books for the classes I may have a problem in, I.e pathophysiology. I read the pathophysiology book, health assessment and the first 8-10 chapters for clinical nursing skills and pharmacology. I bought a book on dosage calculations.

You may also want to look into the smartpens like the livescribe, echo or Skye. They record the lecture while you are taking notes. You can tap on your notes and the lecture starts in that exact moment. It really is amazing. I hope this information helps

[bgxyrnf, MSN, RN]

I would (and did) acquire the book as early as possible and read through the first 4-5 chapters.

Many people say that there is no benefit to beginning early but I disagree. That may be true for them but I am a book learner who generally finds most lectures to be of limited benefit and I prefer to read each chapter 3 times (fast scan, in-depth study, then superficial review) and the sooner I can start, the further through the term am I able to keep up the pace.

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

Relax. There is no benefit. What if your instructor does not go through every chapter in the book? What if they only highlight certain points in a chapter?

Readong the book is different in nursing school, and it depends on your instructor. I genuinely used 2-3 books out of my whole time in school. That's it. There will be an overwhelming amount of info covered in a short period of time. So your reading of the book will change as its not possible to have jammed 250-300 pages on info in there each week. After a few weeks you will learn the teaching style of your instructor and what you need to do to get the job done. Plus, most of the language will mean nothing to you.

I promise, relax and enjoy the summer. The next two years will be crazy and stressful. Going in with a fresh mind is the best way to prepare yourself.

[AZBlueBell]

There are some fundamental chapters that will most certainly be covered...start with infection control, patient safety, and vital signs. After that, you can move on to reviewing anatomy and physiology of the systems or start to look over fluid and electrolytes. Those would be my focus (and were my focus) before I started my first semester.

I just finished and I will be studying like mad over the summer to get ahead for our next block. I'm hitting pharmacology, cardiac, and fluids/electrolytes again. Better to stay on top of things!

[bgxyrnf, MSN, RN]

Relax. There is no benefit. What if your instructor does not go through every chapter in the book? What if they only highlight certain points in a chapter?

Readong the book is different in nursing school, and it depends on your instructor. I genuinely used 2-3 books out of my whole time in school. That's it. There will be an overwhelming amount of info covered in a short period of time. So your reading of the book will change as its not possible to have jammed 250-300 pages on info in there each week. After a few weeks you will learn the teaching style of your instructor and what you need to do to get the job done. Plus, most of the language will mean nothing to you.

I promise, relax and enjoy the summer. The next two years will be crazy and stressful. Going in with a fresh mind is the best way to prepare yourself.

Regardless of whether "it's on the test," the material matters.

Read the books.

[Mrsveracity BSN, RN]

Here's an example of the results of "pre-studying". I needed an A in chemistry but was completely intimidated by the subject. I found the book online and read the first few chapters. I also found some lectures on general chemistry. I learned how to balance equations before I started the class. My preparation not only earned me an A bit I also had the highest grade in the class.

Relaxing is all fine and good and I understand that concept but I would rather know what I'm getting myself into with the upcoming semester. Good luck everyone!! I start classes for my BSN at the end of the month