Fluids and Electrolytes - Please help!

[HelloOBNurse]

Hi, I am a new student nurse and unforunately we are about to go over Fluid and Electrolytes. My instructor has already informed us all that most of us probably won't pass this section and the senior student nurses have warned us all that it's pretty difficult. We were also told that this could "make or break" our grade.

I was wondering if anyone could give me any tips or possibly any books that may help..

Thanks so much,

Dea

[jadu1106]

:) hi:

take a look at the thread in the link below, it has a lot of good information on fluids/electrolytes and ivf solutions....good luck!

https://allnurses.com/forums/f50/electrolyte-iv-replacement-fluids-339331.html#post3162141

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

If you can afford the Fluid and Electrolytes book in the Made easy series This is a wonderful book for your first introduction to this subject matter. I would love it if you can prove your professor wrong!!!!. If so many students fail.could it be something wrong with her teaching stategies. Why is this person setting you up to fail. Get that book.......you can find them in all the major book stores in the Nursing sections.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

my favorite book on the subject is

fluid & electrolyte balance: nursing considerations by norma m. metheny. it's in its 4th edition, i believe. a lot of people seem to like the new "nursing made incredibly easy" books and there is one on fluids and electrolytes although i haven't seen it. when i was getting nationally certified in iv therapy i failed the test the first time because i missed questions in the fluid and electrolytes section. and, i used to be a chemistry major! i'm not trying to scare you along with your instructor, but it's very easy to get confused with some of the subjects in fluids and electrolytes. the signs and symptoms of the hypo- and hyper- forms of the 6 major electrolytes is enough to make anyone want to consider hari kari. my best advice is to get maximum exposure to the material. by that i mean that you can't learn this material by reading it through once or twice. you need to do some memorization and continually re-read the major points of this subject.

there are 6 major electrolytes and metabolic and respiratory acidosis and alkalosis to contend with at the heart of all this. there is a listing of weblinks to tutorials and help sites on these post in the pathophysiology/ a & p/ microbiology/ fluid & electrolyte resources sticky

• https://allnurses.com/forums/f205/pathophysiology-p-microbiology-fluid-electrolyte-resources-145201.html - look for fluid and electrolyte tutorials posted by vickyrn as well as the weblinks listed on post #24 and the rome mnemonic on post #25. there are also abg links there if you need them as well as some information about ivs although most of the iv information is on another sticky thread.
  

hang on. wait 'till you get to chest tubes and ventilators.

[HelloOBNurse]

Hey guys,

Thanks SO much for your input! I'm also wanting to prove my instructor wrong.. :) I'm not so sure she's setting us up for failure, I think it's more like she doesn't want us to be disappointed that we don't do so well in one of her hardest units. I just pray that I'm one to acutally "get it"..

Anyhow! I will definitely check out all of the resources you all gave me and I'll let y'all know how it goes..

Be praying for me!

Dea W