Finals week anxiety

[rusonRG]

This is my first post on all nurses. I'm a level 2 student and we have finals next week. The one thing getting in my way of studying is my extremely high anxiety levels. Sometimes I can't even look at my notes without getting upset. I'm looking into getting anti-anxiety medication, but until that time comes, what can I do to help me study?

I need some serious advice for the Med-Surg and OB studying because the amount of content we need to know is sooo large.

Please help!

[ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN]

First, don’t try to memorize every single detail. You will kill yourself doing so. The questions are based upon the nursing process. There have been some patho questions on my exams, but I would say about 98% of them were from the nursing process. Memorize two or three things that are unique to the disease. Understand which diagnostic exams will be performed along with labs. What complications could come about with the patient and what are the expected outcomes. Most importantly, prioritize interventions and the RN Dx.

[bhanson]

Go exercise.

It will relieve some of your stress and promote optimal study efficiency.

[BrigidG]

I'm in the exact same boat right now.

I just try not to cram it all in at one time.

I study for about a half hour, then take 5 minutes to watch a music video on youtube or run around with my dog.

Its a lot of information, but most of it is the nursing process. If there's a question about a specific disease, it will most likely be something like "An olive-shaped mass in the right upperquadrant is the HALLMARK sign of what disease?" Pyloric Stenosis.

And I know my school is big on fluid and electrolytes. So I'm memorizing the hallmark signs, causes and the interventions.