Nursing School Brain Fog

Published

Does anyone else feel like nursing school is making them stupid? I'm on break before we start spring semester and I still feel like I'm burned out from last semester and that I can't remember the simplest of details. My family asked me what specifically heart disease meant, and I definately know the answer, but embaressingly enough I had to wait and think about it for a moment. I feel like I am in a complete brain fog from all of the the information I crammed into my head last semester. Has anyone else experienced this? What should I do to get rid of this before next semester starts? It's very disconcerting...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, ICU, Medsurg.

I'm with you on this one. We had company over and the wife was saying she needed her BP taken and I quickly responded "When so-and-so comes over, we'll have her check it for you". She looked at me like I had 3 heads and said "Did you not learn that last semester?" Gosh, I felt like an idiot.

I don't know how to get over it other than I started preparing for spring semester. Hoping that will spark those neurons again! Good luck and if you come up with anything let me know.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC.

I feel like I'm smarter than ever ! For some reason I've retained alot of information. When my boyfriend or family member ask me something medical, I love explaining the details I've learned in nursing school. I feel like I still have soo much information in my brain ready to be used ! I was watching medical diagnosis the other night and someone had rickets... As soon as I heard " rickets" I blurted out A VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY" ! my cousin looked at me like I was crazy... but after I said that, the guy on tv says" rickets is caused by a vitamin d deficiency" Sorry you guys feel that way. I'm sure I'm cloudy on my values... but I'm totally fine with other common health problems !

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Our brains are being stuffed full of so much information in such a short amount of time that the brain fog is inevitable. I have found myself completely blanking out on the stupidest things. I know that the humerus is the upper arm bone and I was writing a nursing care plan for a pt with a humerus fx to the LT arm. So, what did I start writing my care plan about? Impaired physical mobility r/t injury of the LT LEG!!!

About 15 minutes into my care plan I hit myself on the forehead and had a, "D'oh!" moment. I had to laugh at myself for being such an idiot. I totally blame it on the nursing school brain fog. ;)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

YES!!! But mine seems to be overflowing into just regular life. If someone tells me something I forget it about as fast as they say it!! Seriously, I have lists for my lists! I will be in mid sentence and completely blank out what I was saying, talk about embarrasing!!!:confused: I still have 3 semesters to go so I hope I will have enough memory to get me through! Do you think they sell memory sticks for people as well as for electronics? I need about a 30 gig or so...:chuckle

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Just remember to unwind from everything during the week! That has been helping me. I find ways to escape for a while (posting here, watching my shows on DVD, walks, working out, etc.).

And, I could totally use a 30gig flash drive for my brain. That would come in handy when I'm taking tests!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, ICU, Medsurg.
YES!!! But mine seems to be overflowing into just regular life. If someone tells me something I forget it about as fast as they say it!! Seriously, I have lists for my lists! I will be in mid sentence and completely blank out what I was saying, talk about embarrasing!!!:confused: I still have 3 semesters to go so I hope I will have enough memory to get me through! Do you think they sell memory sticks for people as well as for electronics? I need about a 30 gig or so...:chuckle

LOL I'm doing this as well. I've told everyone that if they don't email me or call and remind me I won't remember cause my brain is on selective memory "need to know" basis. And I'm thinking, anything thta isn't nursing is on the "dont need to know" list.

Pass me a 30 gb too please

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I was so tired at the end of last semester when I was studying for our Fundamentals final, I got my classes confused, lol. I was on the phone with another student from class, and I was looking for a handout the instructor gave us because we needed it for studying. I remembered what it looked like, but had no clue where it was at. Suddenly, it dawned on me that what I was looking for had nothing to do with the Fundamentals class, but was given to us in pharm class! We had a good laugh over that one, about how our brains were totally fried from too much studying, lol.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Post Anesthesia.

Brain Fog is a very appropriate description. The massive ammounts of tidbits of information presented to you by various instructors, clinical staff, and textbooks all form a kind of mist of unrelated factoids that float around in your head. The problem being - they all relate to one very organized center- patients and thier care. As you gain experience the fog will begin to coalesce into a bigger and bigger picture. Once the mist has parcipitated into a single body of knowledge you age ready for NCLEX.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion