Going to med/surg!!!

[Ebony2013]

Okay so I finally passed fundamentals after the second try. The first grade was a 75.6 and a 76 is passing. The second time I barely got a B with 80%. I'm nervous about going to med surg. Can anyone offer advice on what I need to study or any pearls of wisdom. I'm very anxious to get into this and succeed. I want to know what it is to achieve an A. Side note a C is passing so a passing grade will be fine by me.

[RunBabyRN]

Eyes and ears open! Write down lots!

You'll learn different things from every nurse, and observing what they do and how they do it will pay off (whether it works for you or not). Ask questions! research your patients' conditions, and know what you need to know before you can administer meds (ie BP for BP meds, resp rate for opiates, etc).

Listen to your patients- they are the experts when it comes to their bodies and conditions.

Good luck!

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

It's not about grades, it's about people.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth closed.

LOOK at your patient, what is their overall affect telling you? Note their color , respiratory effort ,and body language before you get through the door.

Listen to them and their loved ones.. they really know what's going on... and are the first to alert you to a change in condition.

Keep a cool, calm demeanor and let them know you are listening.

Good luck , let us know how it's going.

[Wave Watcher]

I learned to walk into a room and listen to the room also. Meaning....look around at the patient/room...what do you see? IV, chest tube, foley, hearing aids on a side table, HOH sign above bed, fall precautions sign at the door, are they moving all their extremities as they talk to you, are they alert/oriented?? Just a few ideas. I have learned a lot about a patient just by looking at what is around them or watching them. :-)

[SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP]

If your physiology is solid, you'll do well in Med Surg. Brush up on cardiovascular, respiratory, etc. Good luck!