help need advice!!! please....

COLPN · Mar 25, 2008

I am normally a A-B student but this has me stressing

I find flash cards are the best way to memorize information such as that. I have my GF quiz me when we are driving or during other seemingly non study times.

I used to be a straight A 4.0 student before nursing school. Now I'm a B and almost C student. We'll see what happens after this semester. I am also in my second semester of the first year.

MedicalLPN, LPN · Mar 25, 2008

Flash Cards are a great idea, One way I found learning all the myriad of diseases was for each disease writing the following on a piece of paper,

Disease name:

Signs and Symptoms:

Labs and Diagnostic Tests:

Pharmacolgical Interventions:

Non-Pharmacological Interventions:

Related Nursing Diagnoses:

It is time consuming, but it really helped me to get organize and was a great study tool. Hope that helps.

newbie26 · Mar 26, 2008

I'm also in my second semester of LVN school and it does seem quite a bit harder. I can't seem to get a grade over a B. I don't know if your instructors are doing this but, It seems like most of mine a gearing their test toward NCLEX style testing even more. My best advice, read the book by sections then in cover the related in your notes and if you figure out anything better let me know please.

natrgrrl · Mar 26, 2008

I can't remember everything either. What helps me the most is knowing why the s/s are related to the disease. When I understand why it happens it stays in my mind. For some reason, flashcards aren't very helpful for me.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Mar 27, 2008

Sometimes, you have to find other resources to comprehend what is going on. Incredibly Easy is a series of nursing books that are known to break things down to a more comprehensive, reader friendly way. What I used to do is read the information again and again to make it stick, also did what MedicalLPN stated, making the flash cards, but would also use red pens and yellow highlighters. It was something about this that struck my eyes to remember. If you read the pathophysiology of the disease and what organs it affects, that may be more helpful to you as well. Good luck and keep reading it...usually, something catches on.

tinaanne · Mar 28, 2008

thankyou for everyone that responded to me for help..... I really appreciate the advice and I am trying the flash cards and trying to understand more.. thanks again to all. May God Bless us all !!!:nuke:

tinaanne · Mar 28, 2008

I'm also in my second semester of LVN school and it does seem quite a bit harder. I can't seem to get a grade over a B. I don't know if your instructors are doing this but, It seems like most of mine a gearing their test toward NCLEX style testing even more. My best advice, read the book by sections then in cover the related in your notes and if you figure out anything better let me know please.

thanks so much I am trying what you said, maybe I will do better for the next test.... good luck to you I will be praying that we all succeed according to his will.......thanks again.

jelorde37 · Apr 2, 2008

everybody has a different way to learn things. some use flashcards, some outline, and some just are great guessers, lol.

for me, i outlined everything then i would talk myself through my outline. i figured that the most important thing to know is the pathophysiology of a certain disease. if you know the cause, then the signs and symptoms will be easier to remember, as well as the medical management and diagnostics involved.

for example, bacterial pneumonia. we know that pneumonia is something with respiratory(cardiac maybe affected as well for compensation purposes), and its bacterial so itll deal with the inflammatory processes and bacteria is always treated with antibiotics.

signs and symptoms will involve something dealing with respiratory, colored sputem, sob, inflammatory process(fever anyone), maybe hypoxia(tachycardia hypertension)? labs and diagnostics might include a CXR for visual identification, cbc(high wbc count may signify infection), sputem culture and sensitivity(for appropriate antibiotics, G+ vs G- or mycobacterium), maybe abgs(blood gases). treatment will include antibiotics (based on sensitivity and/or broad range), medications to loosen and liquify such as an expectorant, maybe upa tx for bronchodilation, meds to control fever/htn/tachycardia(secondary problems caused by the primary), supplemental 02(ventilation/perfusion),etc etc. now your interventions, just pick out stuff that will help the diagnosis and/or symptoms.

so, in short, pathophysiology is the key! :up: i wish you luck and dont over stress yourself.