First semester of RN program fundamentals/foundations diseases

[Izzy12]

Hello, In the fall, I'm starting an R.N program. I will be in my first semester and the class is fundamentals /foundations if nursing. What diseases or illnesses would I need to know for first semester? Can you give me an example of what I should know for other things for first semester. Thank you

[FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP]

Izzy12 said:

Did taking the medical terminology class help you for your first semester of nursing school?

Yes, very much.

1.  It made understanding anatomy and pathophysiology much, much easier.  I could figure out the meaning of disease terms usually, w/o having to look them up.  That also made them easier to remember.  You probably know more of these than you think:  gyn for female, etc.

2.  It made learning the meaning of procedures much easier, as well.  Again, you probably know some of these already:  -ectomy means surgical removal, as in vasectomy, hysterectomy, etc.

Most of my classmates really struggled with this throughout nursing school because they lacked the foundational knowledge.  There truly is a "language of medicine" and it is important to learn this language.

Personally, I found it a lot of fun.  It's like being able to figure out a puzzle:  what is the meaning of salpingo-oophorectomy?

It is a surgical procedure that removes one or both ovaries and fallopian tubes. The term is a combination of the words "salpingectomy" (fallopian tube removal) and "oophorectomy" (ovary removal).

[Izzy12]

FullGlass said:

Yes, very much.

1.  It made understanding anatomy and pathophysiology much, much easier.  I could figure out the meaning of disease terms usually, w/o having to look them up.  That also made them easier to remember.  You probably know more of these than you think:  gyn for female, etc.

2.  It made learning the meaning of procedures much easier, as well.  Again, you probably know some of these already:  -ectomy means surgical removal, as in vasectomy, hysterectomy, etc.

Most of my classmates really struggled with this throughout nursing school because they lacked the foundational knowledge.  There truly is a "language of medicine" and it is important to learn this language.

Personally, I found it a lot of fun.  It's like being able to figure out a puzzle:  what is the meaning of salpingo-oophorectomy?

It is a surgical procedure that removes one or both ovaries and fallopian tubes. The term is a combination of the words "salpingectomy" (fallopian tube removal) and "oophorectomy" (ovary removal).

For the first semester of your nursing program what diseases or illnesses did you learn about? 

[londonflo]

Izzy12 said:

For the first semester of your nursing program what diseases or illnesses did you learn about? 

The first semester is focused on the care of all patients: Medication delivery, Nursing Process, Sleep, Patient teaching, ambulation, hygiene, respiration etc. Some of these may have been covered in a CNA program (if you took one). 

There are many textbooks available. Faculty will have already chosen the books for the Fall and I would call to ask. If not, buy a used copy on Amazon/Ebay as the book's content doesn't change between editions. Good luck on your new career.

ttps://www.bing.com/images/search?q=nursing+fundamentals+book&qpvt=nursing+fundamentals+book&form=IGRE&first=1

 

[FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP]

Izzy12 said:

For the first semester of your nursing program what diseases or illnesses did you learn about? 

I believe we took pathophysiology the first semester of school in my program.  I wouldn't agonize over this too much.  If you are that concerned, then scan through a copy of an intro pathophysiology text.  Obviously, we covered common diseases such as diabetes, HTN, CHF, common lung diseases, stroke, and so on.  Look up the top 10 most common chronic diseases and that would be a good place to start.  Also, common womens' and mens' issues.