Finished with that first year of nursing school?

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Specializes in Dialysis.

For those who have finished their first year of school, is there a subject/class that you wish you knew more about before your first semester? I would like to go into nursing school with a little bit of a head start or at least not being so "green" about some things. What would you suggest to a new nursing student to "study up on" before entering NS?

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If it is not a part of your curriculum, study up on calculation of dosages. It's not technically a part of our curriculum, but we have a book and are supposed to self-study. I was fortunate that I had a friend who told me to take the optional class as an elective BEFORE actually starting my nursing courses. Boy, am I glad I did!! :D

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Specializes in Dialysis.

I don't know if it is part of the curr. or not but I will check. Thanks for the advice!

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Specializes in Triage, MedSurg, MomBaby, Peds, HH.

Not finished yet but I got this suggestion here at Allnurses last summer and it was INVALUABLE:

Get the book Calculate with Confidence. My curriculum ended up requiring it anyway but regardless, it's worth every cent.

Second, understand arterial blood gases.

Third, understand Fluid and Electrolytes.

Doing these three things will help you tremendously.

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.

If you haven't take a Med Term course or study all the abbrevs you can find. there are many places online to get lists. Our program doesn't teach or quiz on them, but we are expected to know them, because they are on tests and in charts we are expected to know how to read.

Also, I brushed up on learning the Nursing Process, so that when I started I wasn't so shell shocked when we were supposed to start thinking within the Nursing Process starting day 1!

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Specializes in Dialysis.
If you haven't take a Med Term course or study all the abbrevs you can find. there are many places online to get lists. Our program doesn't teach or quiz on them, but we are expected to know them, because they are on tests and in charts we are expected to know how to read.

Also, I brushed up on learning the Nursing Process, so that when I started I wasn't so shell shocked when we were supposed to start thinking within the Nursing Process starting day 1!

I was thinking about taking the Med. Term. course this summer so maybe I'll go ahead and do it.

What is the Nursing Process?

Thanks for your input!

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Specializes in Transplant.

Nursing Process: ADPIE

Assess (Pt's needs)

Diagnose (nursing diagnosis - how the pt is responding to stressor)

Plan (Pt's care)

Implement (care)

Evaluate (did the implemented care work)

If I had known how much future courses were going to be based on our Pathophysiology course, I would have paid even more attention. That's the course in which my program was taught fluid and electrolytes and arterial blood gases (see wildchipmunk's post above)

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Specializes in Emergency.

ive taken pathophysiology.. but seeing how i know what program you are applying too.. i know it doesnt require it, but as far as you going to UTA they have that as a prerequisite.. i took it and id advise you to take it. my friend is at SFA nursing school and she said study up on dosage calculations.

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One thing I wish I would have studied more (actually two thing) was how to take nursing school tests. The tests are totally different than any other tests I had experienced and learning how to read the questions and determine choosing the right answers (BECAUSE SO MANY TIMES IT BOILS DOWN TO TWO CORRECT ANSWERS, BUT ONE IS THE BETTER OF THE TWO). There's a book called NURSING QUESTION LOGIC and I got it from my library after the first nursing test in the first semester. It

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Specializes in Emergency.

what nursing program are you in? where can i buy this book. i know exactly what you mean. my friend said its not like any other test you have taken. i know this my micro teacher made us do case studies as our final :/

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what nursing program are you in? where can i buy this book. i know exactly what you mean. my friend said its not like any other test you have taken. i know this my micro teacher made us do case studies as our final :/

I am in the ADN program at Tompkins-Cortland Community College. It's a two year program, however, I've been going to school since Jan 07 because I had pre-reqs to get out of the way before applying to nursing school for Fall 08. I started my second semester of nursing school but had to withdraw due to personal situations (my father's illness - cancer) and other personal issues, but plan on reapplying to Nursing 120 in Spring 2010. The book is called "Test question logic (TQLogic) for beginning nursing students / Patricia A. Hoefler". It was very helpful. Also, if you can get A & P out of the way prior to nursing school, that will be a HUGE help. Best of luck to you!

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Specializes in Emergency.

oh im completely done with all of my prerequisites. im just waiting on my acceptances or denial letters. so ive done the ap and micro, and all of the classes. good luck to you too. i understand your personal issues, my dad was just diagnosed with prostate cancer, but everything seems to be going okay. i hope everything works out for you and you will be in my prayers.

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