Study Tips for Med Surg

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taysyd

12 Posts

I wrote in last week and asked for some help with study tips.

I was doing really bad in my MedSurg class. I took the advice of many of you and got together with a couple of students in my class and we studied together. I had a test today and I got a B. I know that is not great but for someone what has not passed a test this semester I think that this is great. :) I want to say thanks for all of the advice.

manna, BSN, RN

2,038 Posts

NCLEX review books/software have REALLY helped me with tests (in Med Surg II this semester)! Good luck! :)

LPN01112005

110 Posts

I am having a really hard time with Med Surg this semester. Does anyone have any study tips that they would be willing to share. I have tried reading the chapters. Reviewing the material. I feel real confident going into the test and then I end up failing the test. I can not fail out of Nursing School. I have come too far. Please help.

For each disorder, I made out a study card with the following info:

Name of Disorder:

Textbook definition of disorder:

Signs & Symptoms:

Diagnostics:

Medical Treatments (both pharmacological and non-pharm):

Nursing Care:

At least one nursing diagnosis:

sweetyjen

64 Posts

I wrote in last week and asked for some help with study tips.

I was doing really bad in my MedSurg class. I took the advice of many of you and got together with a couple of students in my class and we studied together. I had a test today and I got a B. I know that is not great but for someone what has not passed a test this semester I think that this is great. :) I want to say thanks for all of the advice.

Good job!!! That's awesome, keep it up!!! :)

chilloutrelax

46 Posts

actually....a B IS great! B is above average, don't forget that!

Fraggle

125 Posts

I do something similar to the below. I'm not a note card person. I have a large notebook in which I jot this stuff. Sometimes, I don't even go back to look at it. But having written in down and seeing it in my handwriting helps. So I read the chapter before class, pay attention in class, then go back after and note these things. It depends what kind of learner you are.

I pay special attention to Nursing Intervetions, diet specifications, contraindications and co-exisitng requirements. Those seem to make up the majority of the test questions for me.

For example: Ulcertative Collitis.

what is it?

what should they eat and not eat?

What are the drugs?

What can they take with it and not?

what can they do and what can't they do?

Basically, what do I need to know to teach the patient, and explain the drug or Tx to my instructor at clinical. That narrows it down for the theory test.

Or consider the differences between multiple disorders in the same chapter. Patient A has pain when he elevates his leg. Well, that's going to be Arterial, not Venous. So I can probably rule out some answers by that.

I don't focus on the pathophysiology too much. The Med Surg book goes into more detail than I need for the test. Same thing for the respective meds. What does it do? More detail than "increases BP." But maybe I don't need to know the location of the baroreceptor is stimulates or inhibits. :chuckle

For each disorder, I made out a study card with the following info:

Name of Disorder:

Textbook definition of disorder:

Signs & Symptoms:

Diagnostics:

Medical Treatments (both pharmacological and non-pharm):

Nursing Care:

At least one nursing diagnosis:

beautimouslove

60 Posts

For each disorder, I made out a study card with the following info:

Name of Disorder:

Textbook definition of disorder:

Signs & Symptoms:

Diagnostics:

Medical Treatments (both pharmacological and non-pharm):

Nursing Care:

At least one nursing diagnosis:

THANKS! I AM GOING TO TRY THIS. BUT I HAVE A QUESTION. OUR EXAMS HARDY EVER HAVE ANY-THING TO DO WITH OUR MATERIAL. MOST MATERIAL IS FAR ADVANCED IN DETAIL. THE INSTRUCOTRS TEST US ON AN NCLEX LEVEL. ALL MATERIAL (PAST OR FURTURE) IS FAIR GAME FOR OUR EXAMS... DO YOU THINK NOTE CARDS WILL HELP ME?????

Fraggle

125 Posts

THANKS! I AM GOING TO TRY THIS. BUT I HAVE A QUESTION. OUR EXAMS HARDY EVER HAVE ANY-THING TO DO WITH OUR MATERIAL. MOST MATERIAL IS FAR ADVANCED IN DETAIL. THE INSTRUCOTRS TEST US ON AN NCLEX LEVEL. ALL MATERIAL (PAST OR FURTURE) IS FAIR GAME FOR OUR EXAMS... DO YOU THINK NOTE CARDS WILL HELP ME?????

The point is just to sort out and organize all of the conditions and meds that will be on the test. That way you can understand their significant aspects. Otherwise, it can be sort of jumbled in your brain from the reading. From there, you can use common sense to apply it towards a more difficult question. Because you already know the most important parts. You can never know everything or even note everything. But you can take what you know and figure the best route for the situation.

cingulargirl21

67 Posts

I got a 90 on my medsurg test that was on the dreaded FLUID and ELECTROLYTES!!!! Thats test was the TOUGHEST!!!! But here's what I did because I only had 2 days to study because I was busy with clinicals and other work.

I wrote out the lecture notes the teacher gave me. Then I went on the internet and searched for two good Fluid and Electrolytes articles (explaining everything well) and I worte that out. This took about 7 hours but I took breaks! The next day I typed up the questions from the workbook that goes with the text with only the right answers and studied those. I also spent about 8 hours with breaks of course reading about fluids and e-lytes from about 4 articles I got off the internet. I also studid F & E in my little pathophysiology book (its great). I studied all the lab values, electrolytes, FVE and FVD and acid base balance stuff. I took the test today and came out with a 90! That was the BEST I have ever done on a F & E test. It was the highest grade in the class and I feel like I learned alot. I also worked some practice problems (10 pages total ) that I got off the internet. I studied the stuff different ways , same info just different articles. i feel really proud of myself because I always have trouble with F & E but I feel like I learned so much, it took time and it was kind of boring at times but I did well and learned so so much. I think that reading the articles, writing out lecture notes, and working practice problems and reviewing them works wonders!!!!

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