Patho nervousness

[aerorunner80, ADN, BSN, MSN, APRN]

:uhoh21: I just bought my patho book on Tuesday and have been reading it and holy cow I"m nervous about taking this class. I have gotten A's in all of my sciences so it's not like I don't understand the basics but it's the terminology that the patho book uses that has been throwing me a curve! When I read my patho book, I keep my medical dictionary at hand so I can look up words I'm unfamiliar with! :trout: Has anyone else felt the same way? I start class May 15.

[LoneStar1908]

I know what you mean. I'm taking it this summer too and i'm a little worried. I even noticed that the people that post in the patho spring 2007 don't post often, I guess they are working hard:uhoh21:

[RN BSN 2009]

Patho is VERY challenging, the hardest class I've had in my undergrad career... are you taking it by itself? I'm not doing very well in it, just barely passing... but I'm also taking 4 other classes and one clinical with it. Be prepared for lots of cards, study time, and extra visits to the professor for questions.

[Megsd, BSN, RN]

This is why I no longer read textbooks or syllabi before my class starts -- it's too easy to get overwhelmed. Patho is challenging, but it can also be really interesting. I just reminded myself that lots of other people take patho and pass it, so I could too, and I did. :) I think once you get in class a lot of the terminology will make more sense because you'll have more of a context for it. Good luck!

[shoegalRN, RN]

I'm in Patho right now (first semester nursing student) and I'm doing ok. I got a B average right now before any quizzes are counted into my grade. I'm trying to pull a B+. It's a very hard and challeging class, but it's doable. Word of advice, pay special attention to the manifestations of the diseases. Also, I would highly recommend Patho Made Incredibly Easy by Lippincott. It really gives a laymen understanding along with great pictures and cartoons if you are a visual learner.

Be really prepared to study every little detail of the diseases. Also, I would spend about 2-3 days a week (about 2-3 hours a day) studying one study guide for Patho, along with my Foundations lecture and clincal, Theology, and Philosphy classes. Our test consists of about 5 chapters each.

Patho is not that bad. It's all what you put into it. The tests are worded as if you are already a nurse. Along with studying and good test taking skills, you should be ok.

[panzyo3]

I took patho last fall. It was pretty hard, but it was one of my favorite classes to take (along with A&P I & II). Believe me, you will get used to the terminology. I don't think it was any harder than A&P (I made an A in A&P & patho). So relax, and remember this class will help you on your path to becoming a nurse!

[MB37]

Yeah, I have to take it this summer too - with pharm and ehtical/legal in my first semester of NS. Our books aren't available yet so I can't go and scare myself. I think it'll be more interesting than pharm, at least - I loved learning about all the diseases in micro, so this will just be learning their physiology, right?

[catzy5]

good luck

[catzy5]

I don't think physiology is even offered in our school, I think it will be combined as a nursing course of some kind but it looks really interesting.

[RNMom2010]

My Patho class had my attention from the beginning. I found it all so interesting! I was lucky though and had a great professor who really took the time to answer our questions and prepare us for our exams. Our exams were over 5-7 chapters at a time so it was very time consuming to study for, but I still got a B in the class.

[moncj66]

Do you think patho is ok to take with nutrition, ap2, and sociology in the summer? Pathophysiology is scarring me too!

[IShallWearPurple]

This subject is really, seriously the most bang for your nursing buck as far as pre-reqs are concerned IMHO. The terminology, concepts, and manifestations you learn in that class will return in EVERY single nursing care class you will take thereafter. If you can, take patho with a lighter class load than other semesters so you can really tear into the material. I am in my final semester of BSN and I hear, "I'll just skim through these slides because I know you already had this in patho..." at least once a week in my lectures. Knowing the basics will help you in Health Assessment, Pharm, Med/Surg, Critical Care, and OB/Peds. Everything basically. And your profs will LOVE not having to spoon feed basic A&P concepts to you in later semesters. They want to teach you nursing, not rehash A&P and patho again. Good luck, have fun, and keep up the looking-up-unfamiliar-term activity! It will SO pay off. :)