I need med-surge help!

DSplendid · Feb 28, 2006

i study all of my nclex books and can answer the questions, but when it comes down to the test i can't. if anyone has any tips please let me know, i would really appreciate it!

hello, i don't know if this applies to you or not, but for me i don't do nclex books, unless its as a review or supplemental reading. i do most of my studying from lecture notes and assigned reading from the text book. many of the text books have critical thinking questions at the end of the chapters, and i would do those. i also, like to re-write my notes, and make study outlines, an example:

1. diabetes mellitus - disease in which body does not produce or properly use insulin

2. role of insulin - (unlocks doors) **allows glucose in blood to move into muscle, liver and fat cells. it allows extra glucose to store as glycogen (aka) glycogenesis. and, then when needed, glycogen back into glucose (aka) glycogenolysis. it increases protein and fat synthesis, **inhibits break down of fats and inhibits conversion of proteins to glucose (aka). gluconeogenesis. in muscle cells it promotes protein and glycogen synthesis. in fat cells it promotes storage of triglycerides. insulin also *****keeps blood glucose levels from becoming to high.****** and helps maintain lipid levels in normal range. .

3. type 1

disorder - mostly in children, autoimmune d/o immune system cells attack and destroy insulin secreting cells in the pancreas. maybe genetic.

pathophysiology - there are no beta cells so no insulin is being produced. so that means that all the glucose floating in your body can't be taken in by the muscle or liver or even stored. causing osmotic diuresis, your bodies way of getting rid of all that glucose. but along with that goes electrolytes, including k+. the thing is because your muscles never got the glucose for food, its starving; so it starts to break down fat to get more glucose. that causes ketone bodies to rise, = ketoacidosis.

the bottom line is that pancreas doesn't make insulin.

type ii

disorder - mostly in older and obese. most common form 90-95%. however now seeing in children r/t obesity. they may not even now, or even find out, when getting a check up for something else.

pathophysiology - this is known as insulin resistance. this condition is due to years of over stimulation of insulin. basically, insulin is tired of being made, so insulin is reduced in the body. second problem is the cells them selves become resistant to responding. pretty much they don't answer the door to insulin anymore. so, your body is still hungry, the liver doesn't know, so it keeps sending out glycogen and the pancreas gets over worked because its still trying to make insulin..

the bottom line

- you don't have enough insulin

- cells resitanct

- body makes more insuling

after that, i buy the big index cards and write down all the needs to know about a certain subject and carry those. time consuming to do all this, but really works in the end, for me anyway. try taping lectures, or study groups that are focused. good luck....

ValMarie · Mar 1, 2006

I don't study from the NCLEX books either. I read the material, any power point print outs and my class notes. NCLEX books are good to use, but do not rely on them as your only studying source.

SFCardiacRN · Mar 1, 2006

Skip the NCLEX prep and concentrate on lecture notes and text readings. And do the questions at the end of each chapter!

CrystalClear75, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2006

Well, the nclex books work very well to me if it applies to only what I'm doing. Although I read what i'm required at first, and the power points and THEN i go to the nclex books. I think it helps, but I'd focus MORE on the books as opposed to the nclex.

awb123 · Mar 2, 2006

thank you for the tips everyone! what i usually do is make up questions and write them down on note cards (that are from our power point notes), then i read the chapters, go over note cards, do nclex questions in TONS of books, then go back over my notecards. it seems that doing all of that would help, but our last couple of tests i havent passed. our teacher says that her questions on the test are nclex type questions but they really arent anything like nclex. you never know what she's going to ask you. she makes our notes so in detail and so i study that because she says thats what we need to know, but when it comes down to the test, the questions really aren't related to our info, its just CONFUSING!!!i have a respiratory test this next wednesday and i am so scared that i'll fail another test. i can't afford to.......and i don't really know where to start studing because i really don't know if i'll be studying the right thing......anyways, thank you, let me know if ya'll have any tips on respiratory :) please

NephroBSN, BSN, RN · Mar 2, 2006

thank you for the tips everyone! what i usually do is make up questions and write them down on note cards (that are from our power point notes), then i read the chapters, go over note cards, do nclex questions in TONS of books, then go back over my notecards. it seems that doing all of that would help, but our last couple of tests i havent passed. our teacher says that her questions on the test are nclex type questions but they really arent anything like nclex. you never know what she's going to ask you. she makes our notes so in detail and so i study that because she says thats what we need to know, but when it comes down to the test, the questions really aren't related to our info, its just CONFUSING!!!i have a respiratory test this next wednesday and i am so scared that i'll fail another test. i can't afford to.......and i don't really know where to start studing because i really don't know if i'll be studying the right thing......anyways, thank you, let me know if ya'll have any tips on respiratory :) please

You might try this.

Every evening after classes re write your notes. Sometimes seeing it in print helps it stick into your mind. Study each set of notes instead of waiting until the day before the test.

For me to do good on a test I had to understand the material. Make sure you understand the information the teacher has given you.

Some people suggest studying with a group and have good results from that. I never liked it. But you might.

Hebrews 13:5 · Mar 2, 2006

Hi, i would do as told above. There's really no rocket sign in answering test questions. And one thing is understanding the patho behind every disease process taught and what the nursing interventions and care around it would be. So, if you understand the pathpphysiology, no matter how they twist it, you'll get it or atleast have an idea of what they are saying. And most importantly, GET A KAPLAN NCLEX RN BOOK. Study it and know how to answer questions and eliminate wrong choices. My critical thinkng skills, i learnt from this book.

For me, I usually read through my notes and the textbook (more like scanning through) and then do TONs of Nclex questions on that particular system (making sure to read through the rationales). Then I go back to my notes and really read it very well, focusing on the highlights. Then a week before the test, i meet with my study group and we discuss, brainstorm and go through each of the materials to be tested. I've done this throughout nursing school and it works well for me. And another tip i've used to succeed is to do very well on the exams before the finals. And when finals come, i would be like..whatever...because I've already passed. i don't need to study my heart out to pass, only a little more effort(I say this because our finals are always comprehensive(100 questions) and very very difficult that you wonder where the hell they got the test questions from, we call it a knock out for people hanging on the borderline). So, try and study EACH exam as if you are studying for the finals, do your very best on them. I'm in my final semester and graduates in May by the grace of God.I hope this helps..

Snow1278, RN · Mar 2, 2006

when i took med surg, i also had a hard time with tests. here is how i studied and learned the material: the teacher finally said to me if you don't understand the normal function abnormal function will make no sense. so i learned how the liver worked normally and then when something went wrong with the liver like cirrhosis the signs and symptoms made sense. i also studied my notes and made flash cards from them so i could quiz myself, the things i got wrong when i was going over my flash cards i knew was something i had to study more. i hope this helps. i have never tried a nclex book, i think that would just be too much information. i know some people that do use those though.good luck!!:)

awb123 · Mar 2, 2006

Thank you everyone. All the tips seemed very useful! I am so glad I joined this site, I was searching online the other day looking for websites that could help me with nclex and I found this one, it's been really cool. ANYWAYS.......THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!

Azazel_the_fallen · Mar 2, 2006

Rely on your notes and any hilighted material in your book...NCLEX stuff worry about it later

crb613, BSN, RN · Mar 3, 2006

I do use Nclex as a study tool (Saunders). I also try to read my textbook, & pay attention in class. I have one person that I study with.....I do not like groups. What I like about Nclex books is that the info is in neat little sections......I also use the CD, & do the questions/rationale that go w/whatever subject I am studying. It is also important to me to know how something works correctly....then I can understand when something is wrong.You just need to find what works for you....for me if I read it...I got it.

Good luck to you!