Med Surg NIGHTMARE

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So, I am in my 2nd semester graduating in May 09. We just had our 1st MedSurg Midterm (lecture, not clinical). I SWEAR I must have failed (the census from our class is most of us failed). It was one of the toughest exams I have ever taken.

Here is my concern: There is SO MUCH to know in Med Surg!!! Our book is seriously about 1500 pages!!! After you graduated did you remember all the diseases, treatments, nsg dx, rx's etc. for every disease you learned about? I'm freaking out b/c I feel like I will NEVER remember everything!!!! That's makes me feel like I will be the worst nurse ever.:crying2:

HELP!!!:uhoh21:

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Specializes in Cardiac x3 years, PACU x1 year.

Ive been a nurse about a year and no, I don't remember everything. Not by far! But I have great resources at hand (P+P, wonderful co-workers, charge nurse, etc.) and there is always someone willing to help. I think I learned 10x more in my first year of nursing (I work interventional cardio/tele with, unfortunately, a large helping of m/s thrown in :o) than I did in all my nursing classes. DOING is such a huge part of learning. Plus, they give you that 1500 page book as an overview; even that book doesnt have absolutely everything in it. You aren't expected to know everything.

Don't fret! Things will work out!!! :D

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Specializes in Cardiac x3 years, PACU x1 year.

and ps- nursing dx? They're erased from my mind to make room for more impt stuff! I dont know who honestly uses those. Hey, are you not pooping? You're constipated. Bam. You're welcome. Still not pooping after all that colace, prune juice, and MoM? We'll move on from there...

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Your medsurg book is only 1500 pages long?

You luckly dog, ours was 8000+, and by the end of nursing school, I am sure I had every page highlighted. Do not miss those days at all.

Good Luck :)

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Nursing school is just a platform, a thing to fall back on for your real education later. In Nursing you are always learning. When you become a nurse you learn about the specific diseases etc that you are dealing with. What you are learning now will help you learn later. Don't worry about not remembering all that, I don't believe there is a person out there that could remember every disease, patho, treatment, etc

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

Honestly, I don't remember much of nursing school, it's all a blur.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

8000 huh? can't imagine the size of your bookbag and chiopractic bill;)

your medsurg book is only 1500 pages long?

you luckly dog, ours was 8000+, and by the end of nursing school, i am sure i had every page highlighted. do not miss those days at all.

good luck :)

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Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, Home Health, Oncology.

Hi,

Of course you can't remember all of that; but YOU CAN remember where to LOOK for the answers. Remember, you NEVER STOP learning. I've been at this 40+ years, & I think I learn new things every day!!! Nursing is a Continuum--you are always learning & doing new things.

That's what is so neat about nursing--you NEVER get bored!! There are always new & challenging things to learn and do.

I just love it!!!

Good Luck to You!!

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Oncology.

It is very overwhelming when you are first starting out, but you will be surprised how much you retain by graduation, and your knowledge continues to build from there. Nursing is continual learning, none of us know everything, you will get there I promise.:nurse:

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

There is no way in the world you can remember everything you learned in school unless you are some kind of genius, in which case you should be doing something else in life, like figuring out how to save the planet from global warming. You never get rid of your textbooks. They become reference manuals for you. In your first years as a nurse you will be going back to review information in them--at lot. When you start working, your clinical experience will greatly increase your understanding of the concepts you are learning now in school. School is only giving you a bite of the apple.

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Don't have to remember it all. Ten years from now some of what they are teaching as gospel will have gone down the drain with the trash. Anatomy and physiology you should have down. Diseases you can look up when you have a patient with one you don't know. Relax.

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Well, despite what we did learn in Nursing school about your brain and it's functions, this is how it REALLY works: if you don't practice something for a while, it's hard to recall and you WILL forget. Additionally, if it's stupid YOU WILL forget it.

Please, take my advice here. If you have questions about these books just drop me a PM and I'll see if I can help you. I purchased these great "notebooks" from Borders and they're called Nurse's Clinical Pocket Guide. They're about $15-$20 each and at small enough but detailed enough as well to fit in your pocket, and is an AWESOME resource. It's easy to understand and works like this:

1. Disease/Illness

2. Symptoms

3. Treatment (what you should do)

4. What the patient should do

... on the same page. So it's quite amazing :D

I picked up Med-Surg and Paramedic (for the quick drug resources).

I probably sound like a commercial but these books have saved my orifice over and over again.

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