help with chemistry

panic36 · Oct 30, 2015

I feel like a horrid person but reading your post makes me feel you aren't ready for nursing. Regardless of your previous master's degree which I find odd you having and finding this class to be such a struggle. You seem to be against the world, and everyone is against you. Chemistry for nursing from what I know at least the ones here in southern California have all been pretty much introductory courses to organic, inorganic, and biochemistry. Everything you mentioned is usually the basic's, however, I know some people struggle with some topics more than others. Some people learn in different ways but one I found that works for a lot are drawing things out. Chemistry has a lot of memorization, so it takes a lot of time studying to get it to stick. Flash cards might work as well.

Aliyune · Oct 31, 2015

Khan Academy has a huge Chemistry sections. Find videos with titles that are similar to what you're learning in class and watch those to start.

nalie2, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN, NP · Oct 31, 2015

I don't want to sound rude, but it seems like the first half of your post are excuses. I used MasteringChemistry by Pearson and it helped me so much, but it costs money. I would recommend reading your textbook carefully and maybe even reading it twice or more. Then I would do the practice questions at the end of each section/chapter. Use the internet to search for questions. Whenever I get stuck on anything I google a question and believe it or not the question is usually somewhere on Yahoo answers or a website and has already been answered. It may not always be the exact numbers you need, but it is usually similar and will help you understand what you are doing.

Since you are struggling in chemistry and you don't have much time or you're tired after your long day then maybe you should take the class when you can work part time or save enough money to quit and be committed 100% to the class.

Irish_Mist, BSN, RN · Oct 31, 2015

I have a masters in mental health and currently work in a hospital over 1.5 hrs from my house, leave the house by 5am and don't make it back until 8pm. I am beat after my long shift of dealing with psychotic, unmedicated people mostly stationed in ED but responsibility of covering all 6 hospital floors, crazy schedule and being salary, I often times do not have time for lunch or any break and tend to have to do overtime. I have been inspired by my RN friends at work and have had the urge to go back to school for nursing for the longest time.
As my time is very limited, I went to visit the local college counselor and she enrolled me in an online chemistry class and assured me it would be easy. I must mentioned that all my schooling years I have always taken option b and never took chemistry. I went to the first class and spoke at length with the professor explaining my anxieties, my lack of chem knowledge, my time restrictions, etc She said "don't worry, it will be a breeze, you have a masters and this should not be hard at all and if anything I live close to your work and can meet you after work to help you..." Sadly, her offer never stood, now I am stuck with being my own teacher, I asked the teacher for help and she said she does not have the extra time. They have just started having tutoring sessions at school but they have them when I am at work. I pretty much sleep with my book, I am a huge google and youtube fan for tutorials, I hired a private tutor, who fortunately or unfortunately has the need to compare himself to me, he is a chemist and often says things like "oh you are struggling with ionic equations, that's nothing compared to what I have to do at work" and goes into detail about what he does at work. I tell him "I am already confused about my own topic, I don't need yours into detail to confuse me even more" Unfortunately not many tutors are available in my schedule and others charge extremely expensive. At times I seek help from my RN co workers but I also don't want to seem incompetent in their eyes. On my first chemistry exam I did not do so well, 50% only. I have an upcoming exam tomorrow and I am struggling with the chemistry language and the formulas, I have another exam in 1 month, plus an exam of the whole book on the same day. I have never failed a class and don't want to fail this one, I am doing EVERYTHING I can but to be honest I only have 2 days off from work and mostly only have those 2 days off to fully give into chem, I read the other days after work, but I am soooo beat that my brain does not seem to retain as much. I am no quitter and that is why I am sticking to the class, besides, by now is already too late to drop it and I don't want to. I want to finish and PASS. Any clues on how to help me study for this? retain more information? Simplify things for me?
how to memorize so many things in so little time? Polyatomic ions, Soluble and not soluble ionic compounds, net ionic equations, acids, electrolytes, etc
HELP

I would suggest watching the Khan Academy YouTube chemistry videos. Those videos are very useful in clearing up topics that many students struggle with. Have you tried making flash cards? Writing notes as you read your text? I find it helpful to do both of those things. Chemistry is very fun and interesting if you don't let it intimidate you!