Looking for nursing "Cliff Notes"

[Lemon Bars]

I'm feeling overwhelmed by the amount of information in my BSN nursing program. IMHO the textbooks seem to be written by long-winded Ph.D type nurses who present the material in incredible detail, perhaps expecting that all student nurses need as much information as possible so we will be prepared to go on to FNP or Ph.D. While it's good to have access to such thorough textbooks when reading for deeper understanding or for reference, the textbooks are so bulky and so long-winded that I cannot even find the information I need and I end up just Googling information when doing my homework. Everyone I know in my program has simply given up on doing the assigned reading as there aren't enough hours in the day to really read and understand it all.

Even the "quick" reference guides for the medications are nearly unreadable because they list every possible dose for every diagnosis for every age group for every route of administration, and every possible side effect, etc.

I'm not looking to cheat or put in a substandard effort in my program, but I need a better way or organizing all this information. I'm thinking about creating a searchable database containing key information relating to a diagnosis including information such as one or two sentences on pathophysiology, classic signs and symptoms on assessment, typical medications and diagnostics, typical complications and typical nursing interventions. When reviewing for tests, I need one page on each diagnosis not 5 or 15 pages on each diagnosis.

Before I launch this database project, can someone recommend a book or online resource where this has already been done? Some type of nursing "Cliff Notes" or "just the facts, ma'am" type of thing. Certainly I will want to learn more and more after I graduate and work as a nurse, but right now I just need a way to retain basic information about each diagnosis and medication. Thanks for any help!

[Purple_roses]

Saunders NCLEX Review really helped me in this area. You'll still need to dig into your book and lecture notes in order to pass tests, but Saunders does a really good job of wrapping everything up. Everything is succinct, well organized, and gives you the absolute must-know info.

[bgxyrnf, MSN, RN]

Ferri's Clinical Advisor is pretty terrific for what you describe.

The "incredibly easy" books are OK but I don't care for their gimmicky style.

Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews are also wonderful resources.