MedSurg Class Tips Please Help

suznan · Nov 9, 2006

My advice to you is to just read your assigned chapters. In the program that I am in we are also lucky enough to have instructors that are willing to hold study groups for us. But I definitely recommend reading a lot. I also have a workbook that goes with my textbook which helps.

susan

BeccaznRN, RN · Nov 9, 2006

I felt like I studied so much for med-surg I and II, and I ended up with a well-earned A- and B, respectively. I think as you move through your nursing program, you will find that GPA matters less and understanding the concepts matters more. This is a very difficult thing for 4.0 students to accept, but nursing school is tough even for the brightest students. The grading scale is way higher, and it's a completely different type of learning (and testing) than anything else in higher education.

That being said, the best advice I give to all med-surg students is to get a good NCLEX review book and practice questions relating to the material you will be tested on. This is the best way to get used to answering questions using critical thinking skills, which will help you answer the questions on your exams.

Good luck!

SNKerri · Nov 9, 2006

All you can do is your best!

With that said:

- Review and rewrite all notes as soon as possible after class. I try to schedule at least a half hour to do this after every class to make the notes stick.

- Get a good NCLEX review book and do questions from the topic you are being tested on. Be sure to read rationales, they sometimes explain things better than the text and teacher ever could

- Get a good study group!

- Read before class and go through and read the things you do not understand again after class

- Make a study guide for each topic and use that to study rather than reading the notes over and over again, I find that if I am reading the notes I start to memorize rather than understand.

- Take breaks often!

- Make index cards for anything that is straight memorization and carry them with you all the time. When you have a few minutes during the day look at them.

That is how I have been doing well!

Good Luck!

Leng27RN,BSN · Nov 9, 2006

Thank you guys for giving me these wonderful tips i really appreciate it.

CityKat, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2006

What worked for me was really getting down and dirty with the information. I read, re-read and then read again my class notes and I would always ask myself "why". I also had a study guide for the course and went through EVERY chapter in the workbook. I don't know how large your book for med surg is, but mine was HUGE. I "attempted" to read all the chapters in that book when I first started med surg I, but failed. I used the book as a "guide" to my notes that were given in class and also made sure to do the workbook COMPLETELY. Another technique that worked for me was reading my notes and memorizing everything in them. Some people cannot do this, but it helped me greatly.

If you can figure out how to ANSWER the questions AFTER you know your information, you will get high marks.

Remember your nursing process when answering questions and ALSO remember your ABC's as priority:)

Good luck.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2006

I just posted a long answer to a similar question on this same forum to this thread:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f50/right-way-study-188919.html

You should always be reviewing your exams with your instructors to find out where you made your errors in your tests and assignments. Part of your grade is understanding and anticipating what the instructors want and pleasing them on this.