Nursing Fundamentals

blueyesue · Dec 1, 2012

I found nursing fundamentals to be one of the easier classes. My advice is to stay on top of the readings.

loriangel14, RN · Dec 1, 2012

Yes. Do the readings. I found that I had to break up my reading into smaller chunks. It is a mind numbing amount of information to take in and if you trying to read too much at once you won't take anything in.The words just swim before your eyes.

Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN · Dec 1, 2012

Nursing Fundamentals in my program is a 3 credit course that teaches the non-clinical aspect of Nursing I to prepare students for what a nursing class is like and to give a background to nursing before throwing you into clinical. With that being said, it is an extremely easy class in comparison to Nursing I- IV. They key is to stay on top of the readings and nursing school exams are unlike other exams in that many are situations or scenarios. Always remember to think "What would the nurse do" and DO NOT read into the question, that is usually how people choose the incorrect answer.

Nursing school is challenging but not impossible, When people tell you its so hard or this class is a weed out class think about it like this any school is a business. If schools constantly fail students or set standards so high that many cannot attain then they will not be in business for much longer. Graduation rates speaks volumes for schools and most nursing schools I looked at had rates in the high 80's to 90's so certainly a lot of people made it!

Best of Luck!!!!

Lovely86 · Dec 1, 2012

Thank you all for your helpful advices. I am planning on reading as soon as I get my books. Only problem is I cannot concentrate for long periods. I always get distracted, so hopefully I will do better once I start the fundamentals. At my school the Nursing Fundamentals is a 7 credit course and the faculty members told us because of the study time required it is seen as a 10credit course. I think I would feel much better if I had my A&P completed. I was wondering if there is a lot of A&P background necessary for this class?

@Happyloser, the NCLEX passing rate was 100% at my school but only 8 students made it through the program. This might be a reason the rate is so high!

sgo1989 · Dec 1, 2012

Where do you go to school?

Lovely86 · Dec 1, 2012

Florida Keys Community College (FKCC), I am at the lower keys campus...

LCinTraining · Dec 1, 2012

The amount of work can be overwhelming, the difficulty of the work is not necessarily if you have any background in healthcare at all. Stay on top of your assignments and you will be fine.

Racer15, BSN, RN · Dec 1, 2012

I never studied that much. I'm a cram the night before the exam kinda gal and I did fine. Just try to stay ahead with assignments and clinical paperwork and it'll be alright.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Dec 1, 2012

Also remember that nursing school isn't like any other education you ever had. You can't take a course, pass the final, sell the book to someone in the next class, and forget it. All the classes you take will have a direct and immediate use in all the courses to follow. You will constantly refer back to the books you used in prior semesters. You have to really understand the whys of everything they teach you, so you can apply them to the novel situations you will encounter in a later semester.Your faculty-- and the NCLEX-- will expect that you will be able to do that, and if you can't/won't, you will fail.

Therefore the minute something doesn't make complete and total sense to you and you can't think why it would ever be useful, find out immediately. (I used to ask my students all the time, "Why do we care about this?") Those moments tend to pile up if not cleared away, and before you know it, you're in too deep. Always know why, and you'll have the tools you need for problem-solving (what they call "critical thinking") later.

KJM-RN, BSN · Dec 1, 2012

A&P II is very important to nursing classes, more so than A&P I, but also more so for a med/surg class then for nursing fundamentals. I'm surprised you can take nursing classes before taking that class, I thought that was a pre-req, at least it is in all the schools by me (NY). I didn't find fundamentals very difficult, mine was a 7credit course as well. I think profs and students like to scare the new students, I remember hearing the same thing. You definitely need to study a lot, as long as you keep up with the reading as others said, you should be fine. Good luck!

Lovely86 · Dec 2, 2012

A&P II is very important to nursing classes, more so than A&P I, but also more so for a med/surg class then for nursing fundamentals. I'm surprised you can take nursing classes before taking that class, I thought that was a pre-req, at least it is in all the schools by me (NY). I didn't find fundamentals very difficult, mine was a 7credit course as well. I think profs and students like to scare the new students, I remember hearing the same thing. You definitely need to study a lot, as long as you keep up with the reading as others said, you should be fine. Good luck!

You are right, before I came here (Key West) I also thought A&P was a prereq. but I guess it is not here. I wish I already took the class but when I applied I honestly didn't I would get in. I just wanted to see what weaknesses I still have in my application. I hope I will be fine, I know I will have the busiest schedule of my life starting January though :)