WANTED: Nursing student tidbits of advice

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hey guys,

I start this fall in my nursing program and Im extremely anxious!!! Im looking for any advice that will help me in school. Whats the thing you can NOT live w/o during nursing school? What was the best study method for you? Index cards, recorders, palm pilots? What should I take to clinicals? I know you all were anxious when u started!!!

thanks guys

p.s. ....im hoping this will end up being a HUGE thread that other anxious students can read

I completely understand I don't need to study NCLEX review books yet, but I want to understand/learn how the questions are written, i.e., patient safety coming first in every scenario; but what is the question really asking about, etc., that kind of weird "what are they getting at questions" is why I want to check out the books. (The 2 questions I got wrong on my last anatomy test was how the question was written.) Although I am not a nurse yet, I have 15 years' background in the medical field, so some questions of course will be way over my head because my background is not in nursing/hands on, but some I will know the answers to. I want to know which review book may help me learn how the questions are worded, learning what they are looking for in an answer, etc. Oh, and I can't relax if I'm not studying :nuke:, so I will be studying something . . . med conversion a good idea? That I would have less knowledge in, though, diagnosing and symptoms and physiology stuff I have a good handle on, anatomical, etc., so want to brush up on how these questions are asked, not worried about all the content yet, plenty of time for that! And when I learn the content, it will all fall into place (for me, that's how I "get" it: read it before, then learn it in class, and usually know it after studying a little after that). Might even run across something in clinical and think, wait a minute, I've heard this problem/symptom/diagnosis/treatment scenario before . . .

So, any ideas on what to read, read, read while I'm catching rays this summer?

Yes, that is what I was getting at, learning the makeup of a nursing test question. Math wouldn't be a bad idea this Summer. I really have struggled with the math and even though my school seems to teach the math more than some folks on here say their school does, extra info never hurts. I was a CNA before nursing school so Pharmacology was a struggle too. I kinda wish I had gotten a drug book and browsed through it before I started, to get familiar with classes of drugs and names, etc. I am a visual/tactile learner so, the more I look at something or do it, the better! I know people advise not to study the Summer before you start, but I say Summer is for doing what you want...so if you want to, do it!:yeah:BTW, my NCLEX book is Lippencott's Review for NCLEX-RN 8th ed., it covers a little bit of everything, including math. I bought it used on Ebay.

I am in my first semester, and I have found out learning isn't what it use to be for me. I have to learn, to learn differently than I use to. For instance I use to be able to just read something and completely understand and remember what I read. Now I have to read and then re-read just to comprehend what I just read. I also have to study for longer periods of time just so that some of will stay. I now make flash card study with, and rely on other students to help me understand lectures and question on assignments. I am also using my professors as well, most of my professors know me by name and I try utilize them. Professors are there because the like to teach, so ask questions that is what they are there for. If you don't know something and your fellow students don't know or just kind of know, do not be afriad to ask the teacher. Go to the sorce so that you have the correct answer.

You should feel comfortable with basic math stuff -- multiplying and dividing fractions, conversions of units and such. It's best to know how to do word problems because that's what the questions will often be. i.e. "The doctor orders XXXX 700 mg IV. The medication label says to mix the medication with 8 mL normal saline; the final concentration will be 1 g per 10 mL. How many mL will you give?" You won't start with a problem that complicated, and they should teach you how to do it, but you can review math like that if you wish. Truthfully, though, I'd try to relax as much as you can, since there's not a lot I think you can do to really prepare ... buy a good book and read that, since you won't have a lot of time for fun reading once school starts! :)

If my experience is any indication, you will definitely get some questions wrong because they're worded poorly, but there's nothing you can do about it. If you find you have a hard time taking tests even though you know the information, you can get a book on test-taking skills and work on that (learn about the stem of a question and how to read that, techniques for eliminating answers and stuff).

I will try to give you a few quick tips for test-taking in nursing, though. A good trick is to remember that, whenever you're presented with a scenario, the first thing to do is ASSESS (the steps of the nursing process are: Assess, Diagnose, Plan, Implement, Evaluate). So, when a question says that you find a patient in such-and-such a situation and asks which of the following do you do first, the answer will normally be the question that says "check" or "look for" or "assess," even if all the answers are important things to do. For example: Your patient, Mrs. Smith, has pneumonia and is receiving IV antibiotics and 2 liters oxygen via nasal cannula. She has fallen and you find her on the floor with her IV ripped out and her oxygen off. What is the first thing you do? a) notify the doctor b) help her back into bed, using proper body mechanics c) replace her oxygen d) check her vital signs e) insert a new IV and restart the flow of antibiotics. All are important things to do, and replacing oxygen may be VERY important. However, the correct answer is checking her vital signs. Say she fell because she had a heart attack and doesn't have a heartbeat, you'd need to treat that or replacing O2 is pointless. Assess first.

Also, priorities for any patient are the "ABCs" -- airway, breathing, circulation. Check those first, and any issues with those take priority. So in Mrs. Smith's case, although keeping a steady rate of flow on her antibiotics is very important, putting her oxygen back on takes priority.

Like I said, though, try to read a good book or watch good movies or cook and stock your freezer with good food ... you won't have a lot of time for that stuff during the school year, so take advantage of it while you can.

Thanks beth6635! Math scares the heck out of me, but I always do well, so apparently I know it, just have to study, study, study to feel confident. What part of math, though, algebra or getting a medication book of conversion charts/formulas and learning those? IV conversions really scare me, but I'm told there are about three or four formula must-knows and that it's not so bad . . .

That's my last question and I'll leave you alone I promise :)

83studentnurse, thank you! See, I love this stuff. I wish I had 100 scenarios to figure out! Step by step, like your example, but I will relax too :)

Thanks again everybody for all the info.

I bought A Saunders book called "Strategies for Success for the NCLEX-RN Exam" basically it teaches you HOW to take the test, it has a couple of small quizzes but nothing big I really like it.

There's not much wrote memorization you'll have to do regarding math. You will need to know the 1 g = 1000 mg and 1 mg = 1000 mcg (micrograms).

What you need to know isn't even algebra -- it's jr. high math (which probably makes it harder for some students because it's been so long since we did it)! It's helpful to understand ratios and cross-multiplying. For example, if you have an order to give 75 mg of a medication and it comes in 100 mL vials that each contain 50 mg, you can use cross-multiplying to solve:

50 mg per 100 mL ("50 mg over 100 mL") = 75 mg per X mL ("equals 75 mg per X mL.") Solve for X and you get 150 mL.

There are only a few formulas to memorize, so don't stress about them. The most important is probably "Desired over have times volume" or D/H x V. What that means is you take the amount of med you want (in the above example, it would be 75 mg) divide by the amount you have (50 mg) and multiply by the volume (100 mL). You also get 150. Remember to label your values (mg, mL, etc)! -- they should cancel out so you end up with an answer in mL or mg or whatever it is you're looking for. If the medication order is for tablets or capsules, the volume is just 1 (say there are 10 mg per tablet and you need to give 20 mg. Desired is 20 mg, divided by what you have, which is 10 mg multiplied by the "volume," or what contains that 10 mg, which is 1 tablet. You get 2 tablets).

But now I'm done giving examples because I want you to go relax! :)

Thanks beth6635! Math scares the heck out of me, but I always do well, so apparently I know it, just have to study, study, study to feel confident. What part of math, though, algebra or getting a medication book of conversion charts/formulas and learning those? IV conversions really scare me, but I'm told there are about three or four formula must-knows and that it's not so bad . . .

That's my last question and I'll leave you alone I promise :)

I have 2 books, Clinical Calculations, 5th ed. Kee, and Med Math, 3rd ed., Henke. Yes, the math uses basic concepts, but it is still hard for some of us to get the formulas straight (btw, solving for x is Algebra :lol2:) so review if it helps you feel comfortable. Like I said, Summer is for doing whatever you want so feel free to study or not...whatever helps you! And I don't mind questions so ask as many as you want, lol!

You're totally right. Solving for X is algebra! I was thinking of the NET, which I don't think had any algebra (ratios, decimals, etc.). I guess I was doing algebra in Jr. High, though, so I was half right. :)

Yeah, I wish I had done Algebra in Jr. High or even HS...my guidance counselor stunk back then! He probably thought I would never go to College, nice guy huh?:rolleyes: That is why formulas confuse me, but I'm getting much better. I am going into 2nd year after a whole year off so I am studying this Summer for sure...it scares me not to, everybody I will be with this Fall just finished a whole year of lab and clinicals!:eek:

Congratulations on taking the plunge.:yeah: I am in my second semester of the RN program, so I well know the anxiety that you face. Before I started the program, someone told me that for the duration, your life is no longer your own. Boy, was that the truth!! My best suggestion is to get into at least one good study group. What one person misses during lecture, another usually picks up. Just keep reminding yourself that it will all be worth it when you graduate. Hang in there, sister!! The road ahead will be quite a ride!! :typing

*Prioritize! I have a planner, but never look at it. I do use a huge dry erase board in my office that I write all my assignments on and when what is due.

*Dont be worried about everyone else. People are going to be lazy, just get by, cheat, etc & you're going to wonder how they are still there when you are working your fanny off. It will come around to them when applying for jobs.

* Become friends with coffee

* Love your drug book. It's impossible to know all the drugs, routes, dosages, implications, etc to all the drugs available

* Get a decent stethescope. My hubby bought me a Littman & I love it. It never leaves my side either

* Orthopedic shoes never looked so sexy

* This may sound weird, but I swear it works. Before tests, I record my study guides to the computer & put them on my iPod. When I go to sleep I play the recordings. Next thing I know I wake up, the iPod is done. I have never received anything less than an A on an exam.

* Eat protein the day of an exam. I always do 3 egg whites.

* Make time away from studying. You deserve a break & you wont die or fail a class if you make some personal time. Better yet, schedule break times in your planner.

* Try to never get behind in reading. This may be tough, but make a point to look over the chapters & read the bold info or info in the boxes. ( I read on the stairmaster, talk about multi-tasking!)

* Study how you would want a nurse taking care of you to have studied while in school. Would you want the nurse that never looked at the book or the one that read?

* Most importantly, when you feel like giving up ( I have one of these moments each semester) reflect on how far you have come. It may seem like you have sacraficed alot, but really it is only for a short time compared to how long you'll be a nurse. Or atleast call another student & cry together

* Aknowledge that you dont know everything, you never will. Be open to all information given to you. Be respectful to you fellow students, instructors, nurses, MD's, etc... Not all of them will be nice to you, but just keep smiling!

Congratulations & Good Luck!:yeah:

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