Med-Surg Class Help

[Nurse AllBetta]

Heading into Med-Surg I and have gotten lots of "it's very hard" from my classmates ahead of me. Cardio and Respiratory systems is ALL we will be focusing on for the whole semester.

I think we will only glaze over the A&P of both subjects and launch right into Circulation/Conduction of the heart to disorders/vascular disorders and telemetry. Then on the Respiratory side, we will get into pulmonary volumes, acidosis/alkalosis, vents/trachs and disorders/diseases of the lungs.

Any helpful documents/websites/advice to help learn cardio and respiratory subjects?

This class is known amongst the instructors and students alike as the "weeding out" class. And if you have a 4.0 GPA, we can expect it to take a hard hit with this class.

I want to do well so I can can use all the help I can get before we even start.

I really want to get ahead of the game. Not for memorization but for deep understanding especially since Med-Surg is where most of us will be post-graduation at least for a year or two.

I bought a used Patho-Phys book and am already looking through my Med-Surg book but as I mentioned any helpful websites, documents, spreadsheets, mnemonics, are helpful.

~~Also does anyone have a song/mneumonic for blood circulation through the heart chambers and vessels?

Thanks!

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

you will find all kinds of anatomy weblinks on post #45 of this sticky on this forum:

• https://allnurses.com/forums/f205/pathophysiology-p-fluid-electrolyte-resources-145201.html - pathophysiology/a & p/fluid & electrolyte resources

you will find egk links on this sticky of the ccu forum:

• https://allnurses.com/forums/f15/helpful-information-unit-140706.html - helpful information for the unit
  

it is most important that you know the normal electrical pathway of the heart. arrhythmias are the result of an abnormal pathway taken by an electrical impulse. it's that simple. (well, not really.)

the "pumps your blood" song along with it's lyrics is on this website:

• http://www.dgs.k12.il.us:80/heart.htm

[Nurse AllBetta]

Thank you very much Daytonite. I am DL'ding and looking over documents as I write this. I really want to be a good RN. And now I can't get that blood song out of my head (which is a good thing.)

If anyone else has other helpful sites/docs exist that aren't mentioned please add them. It's all very much appreciated. I am also looking over stickies.