HELP with med/surg

[lpnin07]

Any input will help. I'm an LPN student and I am now in med/surg. Anyway I have been doing pretty well in my classes,untill now. What I really need are some tips on how any of you studied during med/surg. There seems to be so much info, I can't take it all in. I need a 73 or better to pass this course or I fail out. Talk about stress!

Thanks

[mchsmith]

Hi everyone. I am going to be taking Med surg II this spring semester. What will help me get through this? Any suggestions will be awesome. I can not score below an 80 for the total score. Thanks Emma.

[Esther2007]

That thread is over one year

[MACBENN]

This information regarding med-surg is very helpful. Does anyone know where I can find information on critically analyzing and deciphering test questions? Part of my problem is picking up on subtle words (and/or) and rewording questions.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

this information regarding med-surg is very helpful. does anyone know where i can find information on critically analyzing and deciphering test questions? part of my problem is picking up on subtle words (and/or) and rewording questions.

see the sticky thread https://allnurses.com/forums/f50/looking-test-taking-stratagies-224581.html - looking for test taking strategies

[NurseShawntae]

I made comparison charts for similar disease processes. Since many diseases have similar symptoms & interventions, I focused on what was different for each one. I'd list the diseases across the top, then down the side I'd have rows for S&S, diagnostic tests, patho, treatment, etc. (This also really helped for all the different rashes in Peds.)

I also took extensive notes in class, retyped them, and then read them into a cassette recorder & listened to it whenever I could. Repetition is key for me on the memorization stuff.

The NCLEX review books also a help as someone mentioned. Going over the rationales is especially beneficial. You can only memorize so much, but if you get the concepts, you can apply it in many situations. Another thing that helped was doing case studies. Even if I couldn't even begin to work them out, just reading the answers & rationales helped.

Lastly, one of my instructors suggested studying everything from the basis of a few questions: "What is normal? What is abormal? What will I do if its abnormal? Why will I do what I do?" It sounds very basic, but it helped to a certain degree.

I'm in Peds & OB for summer & will have Med Surg III and Psych in the fall and plan to keep with these formulas. Our program has a 78% cut-off to pass.

Also with clinicals, i would turn off the radio on the way home and just think all about one of the patients i had, went over the diagnosis in my head what it was the pathophysiology, the meds, the purpose, the correct dosage, why were those meds used, what labs were off why they may be...

That helped SOOOOOO much...it starts to help everything click in your brain... once you do that it also helps with your careplans, and you start to familarize yourself with the overall picture..

GOOD LUCK you will be fine....keep your head up and keep smiling..

[blessed2bfree]

There was a book that I bought called "Med-surg Success". It has questions and answers with the rationales. It is an excellent way to quiz yourself.

[Sniper RN]

The first thinkg you need to do it find out how you learn. Some people learn by hearing, reading, teaching, etc. Once you find out how you learn best focus on it. I do best by writting the material. What I do is read the chapters and highlight the important stuff. Then I write notes about it in a notebook. Then I transfer and condence the notes to flashcards. The card will have one word on one side like 'hypokalemia' and facts, s/s etc on the other. When I finish the flash cards I quiz myself with them. Usualy by the time I get to quizing myself I have mastered about 90% of the material and the flashcards teach me the rest. You just have to find out what works for you.