nursing school is destroying me

1234student · Oct 25, 2009

I am in an RN program too. And it is not one bit easy. I'm am passing but not but much. I'm not sure what advice to give you but don't give up. It is a hard program, just keep going and keep studying and hopefully things will get better! You might talk to your instructors about test taking strategies??

tlc2u · Oct 25, 2009

i have read here on allnurses that being an lpn for years and then taking their nclex-rn that these rn students are at a disadvantage because they may tend to answer the questions based on how they do things on the job and that for the nclex they have to answer the questions based on the fact that the nurse would be in a perfect nclex world and basically would have all she needs at her disposal. i wonder if that may be some of your difficulty with your tests too.

click on "blogs" above and see this article from "vickyrn" "the teacher's corner" "student resources nclex review material"

for me personally in hindsite after completing lpn school and studying and passing my nclex i fully realize the value of the saunders nclex book.

i used this book "some" throughout nursing school. however, if i had taken the time during school to familiarize myself with all this book has to offer i believe nursing school would have been much less stressful for me.

i highly recommend all nursing school students get the latest version and don't just look at the 1 chapter for the body system you are studying but use the "content list" as a guide to other pertinent chapters. below is information from another post about how to put this book to best use.

saunders nclex study guide does break the material down into the body systems. ( use the newest version if you can it has multiple choice questions and the new style questions you'll want to practice as well).

however:

look at the "contents list" in the front of the book as there are seperate chapters that also have information pertinent to many of the body systems.

for example:

"perioperative care" may be pertinent to most of the systems.

"positioning clients"

"care of a client with a tube''

"lab values"

"acid-base"

"nutrition" (esp. k+ in cardiac)

nutrition needs for renal problems (uti, dialysis etc.).

nutrition for celiac disease etc..

there is a very valuable chapter in this book to help with taking tests in nursing school.

my suggestion fully absorb the chapter on "test taking strategies"

my 3rd edition saunders has 12 test taking strategies in it.

1. on "one sheet" of paper make a list of those strategies in the form of questions to ask yourself. use the list every time you practice questions until it becomes automatic for you to recall these strategies.

this list from another website is helpful as well. get used to asking yourself these questions before you answer test questions.

http://passnclex.drexel.edu/index.cfm?action=checklist

2. when you start studying a system in class. look at the "contents" list in saunders and determine any relevant chapters.

3. don't read those chapters yet. do read the questions and answer them. in your saunders book (in pencil so you can erase it) put a check or x for if you answered the question right or wrong.

4. look at your list of test taking strategies. beside each question write the number of the test taking strategy that would be useful to answering the question.

5. pay close attention to the questions you got wrong. when you do enough questions you will begin to see a pattern to which test taking strategies you need to improve on.

6. also pay close attention to the specific information being discussed in the questions. read the answers and rationales. (use the information in the questions and rationales as a guide to understanding what are the important points for this system) notice what the questions are asking about. is it specific medications? is it pertinent lab values? is it specific positioning of the client?

7. before you read your textbook chapters. answer any questions in saunders that is pertinent to the body system and to your lectures and notes. glance over the saunders chapters. glance at the boxes, charts, lists, and pictures in saunders and your textbook that pertain to your lectures and notes. depending on how much time you have to study use a little of that time to get a good idea of the big picture first and then read your chapter.

tobrea · Oct 25, 2009

thanks to those that replied. i am really frustrated with myself. hopefully i can get through this.

tlc2u · Oct 25, 2009

If answering the questions correctly is what you are having difficulty with then the more practice questions you do using the test taking strategies from the Saunders book the better you will get at choosing the correct answers. Doing practice questions is the key to getting better at answering NCLEX type test questions.

The test taking strategies and practicing questions should help give you the edge you need to pass your tests.

My difficulties in school were with test taking but also with the fact that I am very much a visual and kinesthetic learner. So sitting in classroom lectures (auditory learning) and reading out of the textbook was more difficult for me.

Using visuals from "Memory Notebook of Nursing" and using pneumonics helped me to have faster recall of the information during tests.

If you are struggling to understand any of the content if you do a search here on allnurses you will probably find a post with a great explanation of what the nurse needs to know and in simple terms you can understand maybe better than the textbook.

Best of Luck

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Oct 25, 2009

Nursing school is the hardest thing I ever survived.

Just hang in.

itsmejuli · Oct 25, 2009

Besides the Saunders NCLEX review pick up Prentice Hall's Comprehensive NCLEX review. The more NCLEX questions you do the better you will get at writing exams. Do the NCLEX practice questions before you write an exam and read the rationales for the ones you missed.

deleern · Oct 25, 2009

I was in the same boat. I found a Kaplan Book at a B Dalton Book store. NCLEX RN Strategies for the registered nursing licensing exam. It helps break down the questions and teaches how to take a test... it helped me. I felt it taught me how to focus my critical thinking. I was also struggling. it was the hardest thing i have ever done.

You need to stay on task for for a long time... for me it was 3 years. I went back to school as a second career. My objective was to do it as quickly as possible and still maintain my families finances. I had the money from the sale of my business BUT we needed Health insurance. so I worked full time during LPN as a CNA and then as a LPN during my RN But I did it. you can to.

caliotter3 · Oct 25, 2009

Your best resource is to consult with your instructors. They are equipped to give you the feedback you need to determine what is wrong with your study habits so that you can grasp the material. It is also their job to see that you understand the material. If it takes you visiting them in office hours for a one to one explanation, then so be it. You also might want to get a tutor or find a classmate who understands what is going on to explain it to you and work with you. Keep on making the effort.