Med Surg and Patho

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I have been hearing such horror stories about Med Surg and Patho. I am taking those classes in the fall and I was wondering if anyone did exceptionally well in these classes and what tips do u have for me?

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Specializes in CT stepdown, hospice, psych, ortho.

study.

that's not a smart a$$ answer. it isn't a "horror" it is a natural progression of what you have learned in anatomy & physiology and the basis of your future nursing career.

do not try to cram it in. do the reading every night. study in whatever way you learn best (flash cards, groups, etc). if you are really struggling with concepts, seek help from a trusted instructor immediately, and perhaps invest in a good book that ties it all together.

I used this book for every patient I ever had except in OB....

I highly suggest you go to amazon and buy an old, used copy. Nurse's 3 minute clinical reference publishedby lippincott williams and wilkins. I still use it every now and again.

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Specializes in Rehabilitation.

Study, study, and study! Med/surg and Patho are hard but if you take them together, like you said you are, most of the time they compliment each other. Do all the review questions at the end of the chapters and any other you can get your hands on. Most of your questions for med/surg are goign to be application questions, like "what should the nurse do first"? and "what would you expect to see?". As for Patho, it's a little trickier. Patho is all knowledge, which is great!! Because you will never again get a class where the questions are mostly NCLEX knowledge questions. Focus on your ABGs, artierial and vein diseases, burns, different types of anemias and blood types, and also cancer staging (and wounds!!!!). Everything is process of elimination when it comes down to it on the test. You'll do fine! Good luck!

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Personally, i did very very well in all of my med/surg and patho classes. Those were actually my best and most favorite courses. I would suggest not only to study EVERYDAY but also to READ your textbook and get involved in a good study group. To excel in patho and med/surg u not only have to read and study but u have to link the concepts and get a good understanding of the "big picture". That way when u see questions related to the disease process your studying you will be able to rationalize and connect the dots

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Specializes in ED.

I did very well in med-surg but I worked my rear end off! I study best with a group but I have to do my own reading and practice questions before we get together to study. I have to be held accountable to make it stick and work for me.

I also did pretty well in patho and used the same study techniques for both classes. Luckily, we had patho first and then med-surg.

I'd say if you learn the process of the disease it is easier to apply the theories of med-surg. I would start going through the patho book and study/learn by system. Start with something less invovled and go from there.

m

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Thanks for the input.

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