Study Question

[Annie2005]

Okay I've got a study question. I'm in my 3rd semester of RN program and I am re-taking Med-Surg because I failed it, so I am actually a semester behind right now (should almost be ready for graduation in May instead of December). I'm not doing really hot again. I'm doing better at this point but I could use some study ideas especially for Med-Surg. My teacher is the type not to say what's gonna be on test, and she gives us 30 questions only and we read like 5+ chapter each section. Right now it's respiratory disorders. I really wanna pass this test (next week). I've taken her powerpoints and went from those, wrote out my notes and filled the powerpoint more (meaning I added more). I then was gonna type out my hand-written notes, but I am not sure if this a dumb idea or not, or what else I can do. I read the chapters as well, and I just don't know what more I can do. I wanna pass this class and go on to my 4th semester of RN and take my NCLEX-RN so I can really begin. ANY ADVICE IS WELCOME!!

I thank you in advance! Sorry for the long ass post.

Annie2005;)

[Mito]

Annie,

A few things come to mind:

1: have you read the course outline that you were given at the start of the semester? , this should really be retitled as "what is going to be test material"

2. stop with notes already, pick out the important general points and ideas and get those down. it sounds to me like you are getting caught up in to much detail, not that nursing does noy involve detail but most of the time we are talking big picture ie: the entire pt. 30 questions are going to have to be fairly general to cover even the most important points

3. get some advice from a student you respect/trust that has been successful in the course you are taking right now

Mito RN

[Annie2005]

I totally understand what your saying. But there is just so much information all of which seems important to know I have a hard time distinguishing what should go in the notes and what shouldn't. Plus her questions can be vague or very specific, most of her questions are situational, like the NCLEX. You think if I could pass the NCLEX-PN I could pass a simple test.

[crjnursewarrior]

Annie,

Hey, I don't know if you are still having problems, since your original post was a month ago, but I just came across it. I was thinking of an idea for you that has really helped me some. I know that I myself try to cram way too much info into my notes and then I try to memorize it all and I think that the other poster who said to look at the bigger picture is definitely on the right track. You are already an LPN/LVN, right? SO alot of this stuff is stuff you know if you really stop to think about it. A lot of it is common sense. Remembering the BIG picture...how systems (like the resp.) work will make it easier for you to make sense of what goes wrong when they don't work. Think about learning the whole disease process and UNDERSTANDING how it effects a patient and then the treatment rationale should be pretty much common sense that you can figure out on the test instead of trying to memorize a bunch of nursing interventions. Because really if you stop and think about it a lot of our nursing interventions will be the same for a lot of disorders, especially disorders of the same system, like resp. Really try to learn and understand what you are studying, not just memorize for the test and this should help you, especially if her questions are clinical situations. Did any of this make sense? Hope it helps!