Med_surg help!!!

Jennerizer, ASN, RN · Feb 8, 2004

Have you tried reading your book? Or perhaps talking to your instructor for further guidance? Med-surg is a tough class, but it is very important you take the time to learn all aspects of it.

Catma63 · Feb 8, 2004

sgone1, When I (and the rest of our class) failed our first Med Surg exam I went to the instructor right away. I spent an hour in her office. By time I left I was newly encouraged, had gained new study and testing strategies, and felt less despairing. Our instructor also arranged for us to have a tutor. We meet with her 1-2 times a week. She's been using this book to tutor us (to ask us review questions w/rationales). The book has helped us so much in understanding all of this instense material that a lot of us have decided to get a copy. Mine is supposed to arrive this week from Amazon. It's called "Lippincott's Review Series: Medical-Surgical Nursing (Book With CD-ROM). " A LOT of established nurses highly recommended this one; the tutor is a registered nurse too.

This is not to substitute your Med Surg text. Read it and read it again. Study and memorize your lab values and the meds used to treat illnesses. I did this by carring the lab values and meds around with me on index cards. Study at night before you go to bed. If you get sleepy while studying, get up and exercise long enough to stimulate your senses and wake up. Material is best retained when studied just before bed. Maybe that explains how we can remember novels so well after reading them....a lot of us like to read in bed, right?

Bestest of luck, sgone1.

NurseWeasel · Feb 9, 2004

Our class has major issues with the teaching & testing styles of our MS instructors. Our final exam for MSI ended with the mean score being something like 72. Over 80% of us failed that exam. It's not that we don't know the material... we do. It's honestly that these teachers know how to be nurses but not how to be teachers. We're STILL struggling with this. We have better teachers in other subjects (makes me want to be a nurse educator... almost), but we have to make do with what we've been dealt.

My best advice to you is to try to learn your specific teachers' style of testing and teaching, and to use that knowledge to help you study. If they ask a particular style of question often, or base most of their questions off the objectives, that knowledge is power for you.

My next-best advice to you is to be proactive in your education. Read other books in addition to your assigned textbook. Use the free CDs that come with your textbook. Get an NCLEX book NOW and use it to study for your current courses. Don't wait for the teachers to spoon-feed you the information you need to know!

This may all sound like common sense, but it's important and not everyone thinks of it. It isn't always needed - some people do OK without it, and some teachers actually know how to teach. Hope it's helpful to you. Good luck on your journey!

colleen10 · Feb 9, 2004

We covered Electrolyte Balances last semester, talk about pulling teeth!!!

I have heard that the book Electrolytes and Fluids Made Incredibly Easy is an excellent book. Also, what helped me was when my instructor would discuss these imbalances and reference actual cases that she has seen. Ie. a patient comes in and just finished a 10 K marathon. They are dehydrated and have increased Na+ levels, they will experience.................

Carolanne · Feb 10, 2004

The Made Incredibly Easy series is excellent - Fluid & Electrolytes is a lifesaver. Also try to get hold of some used NCLEX books to take practice tests on - they're great, they explain the rationale of the answers to you when you check them. Don't get discouraged - Med-Surg tests are tough and can be very humbling! :eek: Keep pluggin', you'll get it!

NursingStudy · Feb 10, 2004

sgone1:

Perhaps you should consider organizing a study group with some of your classmates. They may be able to help you with things that you don't understand, and you can return the favor by helping them with things that they don't understand.