NEED med-surg study tips

manna, BSN, RN · Jan 20, 2005

Do you have lecture on these topics, or are you tested based on assigned readings?

We have the Lewis Med Surg book - I think in general it's an overwhelming class. Wish I had more useful advice, but I've gotten a lot of success out of using my NCLEX review books/CDs to brush up on material and test taking strategies before exams.

Good luck! :)

FirePup · Jan 20, 2005

I second the NCLEX review book. I found it SO helpful! (I have Saunders Comprehensive Review...it comes with a CD-ROM)

Jennerizer, ASN, RN · Jan 21, 2005

NCLEX review books - some only have questions, other books have each disease/condition broken down with all the pertinent information without all the fluff that a textbook has. I rarely ever used my med-surg book, the review books are the way to go.

stn2003, RN · Jan 21, 2005

i have the same med-surg book! pain in the behind to lug around : / and on top of that, every chapter is a gazillion pages long and they ONLY want us to read 14-20 a week : P lol. I do my assigned reading but it takes me forever.

As far as studying for med-surg, especially last semester when I had to take the Hesi interim, I found the mosby study guide to be the most helpful. It's not a large or thick book like many of the Nclex books, but just a really condensed version of all the normals and problems you will find on med-surg system by system. I loved this book. I rented it from the library and kept it way past due so I could use it to study for all my tests lol. I had a nice fine at the end of the semester : P

janetrette · Jan 21, 2005

med-surg nursing is hard but interesting. for me studying med-surg is like finding the meaning of life! lol.

i usually read the chapters. focus: of how this disease affects the pt, the pathophysiology, the normal a&p = that's when a&p is needed. treatments, and meds under the disease.

i love saunders nclex review book because it's short and simply. easy and friendly to read through the disease. for finals i used that to study from it since rereading the textbook is just not possible.

hope this helps! :balloons:

Never_too_late · Jan 21, 2005

In my school, there is less emphasis on reading and memorizing and more emphasis on learning to ask questions and look for answers BEFORE going to our teachers. Isn`t that what we will be doing all of our professional lives afterwards? There will be pathologies, treatments that we have never seen/done or rarely and will need to brush up on.

So we learn to use Brunner and Lewis, for example, as reference books, complementing lectures and handouts. I look up and read only when it is pertinent to what I am doing at that time. There is always required reading but you cover what helps you. For me, the mission is not to read the books cover to cover but to make them my friends :rotfl: in times of need.

Perhaps exam requirements in your school oblige you to memorize all of your readings. If not, I suggest you use all these books more as reference material and ease off on the cover to cover reading. You will enjoy your courses more that way.

N_T_L

beautimouslove · Jan 21, 2005

wow, thank you all for the help! it is nice to know that others are going through the same hell and have made it through!

as far as lecture, well - the first class we had handouts from the study guide and the 2nd class a lecture on one chapter (37). our nursing teachers are not too into the lectures. they feel that we should do all the reading at home and learn it. we have the first 5 chapters and the GI system chapters for the exam.

NCLEX-RN BOOK - i have the comprehensive review for nclex-rn sauders by silvestri. and that has helped me some but it is alittle to over my head at this point. we have to use this book for another class called 'test sucess'. so we have to take the exams on the cd and make a 85 or better. the GI system exam on that cd took me over 9 hours to make a 86. but i did learn.

so i should read the chapters only once and then learn from the study guides and nclex-rn book???? if so that will help soooo much.

should i get another book like the Mosby that another member used? or another book like med-surg made easy? or is the nclex enough for the exams?

thanks again for the replies and support. it helps so much.