Heading to the bookstore...

Where are you weak?

I would suggest stick with A&P, Chem, & Micro material right now. Pick up a coloring book and go through it. You'll get a general idea of where things are located. Ideally you'll want to help yourself get a good understanding of the basics so when you're in class you'll kinda know them already.

That last post was really good advice. The problem here is, I work as a CNA and my nurse really takes me under her wing and tries to let me watch and/or help and tries to teach me things sometimes. A co-worker who was enrolled in the same school just this past year loaned me two of his text books (Fundamental Concepts and Skills of Nursing and Anatomy and Physiology). Problem here is, if I don't "get it", I get bored. So, I started with the Anatomy and Physiology book. Thought that was my best bet. However, I can't seem to make myself remember all the ions and neutrons and cells and parts of cells. What am I going to do besides beat myself over the head with the text book to try to remember all this. Granted, I don't NEED to remember this YET, because I start NS in the Fall, but I wanted to get a head start. I'm a full time employee and mom of 4 boys, I'm going to need all the head start I can get!

On a brighter note, when I got bored with not understanding the A&P, I went on to the Fundamental Concepts and Skills of Nursing and I'm doing pretty good with that book. Because of my current occupation and lots of thanks to my awesome charge nurse, I really understand most of what I've read. And what I didn't know, is coming pretty easy to me. Any ideas on the A&P? Thanks.

Skip straight to the bones, muscles, & organ systems. The parts of the cell & chem are easier to learn in lecture (I think) and the others take a lot more hands on time.

Thanks so much. I didn't think about skipping around. LOL. I'm doing really well with the fundamentals. I'm re-learning some stuff I learned when I was certified almost 8 years ago and learning lots of new stuff and terminology too. I'll break out and dust off the A&P book and take your advice. Thanks again!

How about a book or CD on nursing math? I just got one on ebay called Calculating Drug Dosages: An interactive approach to learning nursing math.

It comes with a workbook and a CD. The CD explains how to do the problems and a little bit of why it's done a certain way The workbook just has practice questions and answers. I have really enjoyed it. I am surprised at how much info and questions are on the disk. It ranges from how to add and subtract fractions, to how to read a syringe and identify needle gauge and length, to info about IVs.

Anyway, my thinking is that if I get a little bit of exposure to this stuff before classes start, I'll be better off.

How about a book or CD on nursing math? I just got one on ebay called Calculating Drug Dosages: An interactive approach to learning nursing math.

It comes with a workbook and a CD. The CD explains how to do the problems and a little bit of why it's done a certain way The workbook just has practice questions and answers. I have really enjoyed it. I am surprised at how much info and questions are on the disk. It ranges from how to add and subtract fractions, to how to read a syringe and identify needle gauge and length, to info about IVs.

Anyway, my thinking is that if I get a little bit of exposure to this stuff before classes start, I'll be better off.

Wow, that's a good idea. I didn't even realize you could buy something like that, but I def think I would benefit from it, b/c math doesn't come easily to me. Thanks!!

We had to take an entire course in nursing math...that really, really helped alot.