Problem with Fundamentals of Nursing

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We just started "Fundamentals of Nursing" last week (Lippincott). I made a 73 on my first test and a 68 on the second. 80 is the minimum to pass. I made A's in Anatomy, Chemistry, and Biology without hardly even trying. I made a B in calculus. Sooo... that said I am not stupid, but Fundamentals seems harder than all the above!!! I don't really understand how to even study for it. Science seems black and white but nursing seems all over the place. I can't make sense of how things correlate together. The first test covered 7 chapters and we had 24 hours to learn it. The second test 3 with another 24 hours and the 3rd test (Monday also 3 chapters) we had 3 days (2.5 left). All I can do is read the chapters over and over. To memorize (like in Anatomy) that much information (nursing) would be like memorizing the Bible over night. There must be 10,000 facts to know 100% over night!! It appears to be easy at first, but again I can't connect things like with science and with so much info!!! Any tips would be appreciated. I am definitely rethinking the easier route (Engineering!!)

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Specializes in NICU.

you're probably way over-thinking fundamentals. you're right about not being able to memorize everything; the good news is that you really don't need to have the 27 steps of taking a temperature committed to memory ;).

the material covered in fundamentals (ironic use of the word "fun" in that word, yes?) is mostly common sense. it seems harder after taking all the science classes because it is very different from science classes.

try to study less. that's probably the only class you'll get that advice for, lol. when you're testing, try to look for the answer that makes the most [color=yellowgreen]common sense, instead of the smartest. relax, pharm will have plenty of memorization required :D.

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hikernurse- You must like hiking. I was thinking of going today to relax since we were off, but I figured I better study all day instead. I sat around until almost 11am worring about how to approach it different and then got nervous because I thought "oh know I only have 2 3/4 days left!!!" LOL... Its making me nuts. Then I had a flash back from my last test where my teacher asked how far to insert an Anal Thermometer in an adult, child, and infant. I put 1.5", 1" and 0.5" and got it wrong!! She put a note by my answer and said please use the correct unit of measurement! Meaning (") is not acceptable, it must be (inch) Rrrrr... Surly if I can use "ung for ointment" I could use " for inch. Ho hum... The rest of the questions were NCLEX. Which yes, is common sense... but doesn't make much sense :) Ok that didn't make since! Hee hee.

Maybe I am taking it to serious... I'm just scared to relax, thinking it might bite me!! I know we have around a dozen more test and a final to bring my grade up so (IF) I can control this I'll be fine. I found the study guide and was thinking about ordering it.

Thanks for the advice and quick reply. Guess I need to stop procrastinating and go study... sniff

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Specializes in ED.

A lot of students that do very well in the academic side of classes struggle with nursing tests and questions.

I think you might want to go see your instructors and see if he/she can guide you in determining what types of questions you are missing. Are they safety? Process? Application? Nursing is not so much what you know but how you apply what you know to the situation. You may find that you are reading too much into the questions and answer choices.

I'd also suggest getting the Fundamentals Success study guide book by Nugent & Vitale. You might want to just go ahead and get an NCLEX study book and practice some of those questions. Saunders makes a really good guide book that teaches you how to read and understand exactly what the question is asking and how to sort through the choices and chose the right one. These books also give rationales so that helps you to understand why "B" is correct but "D" isn't. Make sense?

In my study group I am the one that doesn't know all the "technical" stuff but I am very good at the nursing process and answering the questions. My good friend that is very academic and knows all the patho and physiology isn't as good at the NP or the therapeutic part. It is hard to train your brain to be able to do it all at the same time.

I think reviewing your past tests will really help you to see where your weaknesses are.

good luck!

meredith

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Specializes in NICU.

OR...go take a break :D.

I do love hiking and if there weren't a foot of snow in my front yard right now, that's probably where I'd be right now, LOL.

During my warm weather classes, I'd go study up in the mountains. Spread all my stuff all over a picnic table at the base of a trail and study until it got too dark to see. Fewer distractions and I loved not being stuck in a library :).

We do have some pretty funny abbreviations, LOL. I need a computer program that doesn't highlight as misspelling things like ung, gtts, etc.....

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Specializes in Medical/Surgical/Maternal and Child.

The best thing to do is if you have a syllabus answer all the questions on your syllabus and use the textbook study guide otherwise you're going to really get overwhelmed. The instructors probably won't share that little piece of advice with you nor will they share that most of their test questions come out of they study guide and the syllabus. Also be sure to go over your class notes after class. Good Luck. Been there done that and I've been an RN for 17 yrs now.

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I'm in nursing 2 now and I'm studying the same way I did for nursing 1 and I've gotten As so far. I read the chapters twice, do the practice questions at the end of the chapters, do the online questions from the disks that come with the books. But everyone studies and learns differently, this works for me. Nursing tests are like no other! With A&P and most everything else, there's 1 answer and that's it. Nursing isn't like that...it's annoying. It's tough but hang in there!

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One of the best tips that has helped me in my first semester of nursing - get an NCLEX study guide for PRACTICAL nurses and review it as well. I got a couple of NCLEX study guides from amazon - NCLEX (for RNs) and NCLEX for practical nurses made incredibly easy. I LOVE the made incredibly easy series. I go through it as well as our textbooks for all the chapters.

Good luck! You can do it! As someone else said, Fundies is actually more common sense than skills or regurgitating knowledge. Remember your ABCs for all the priority questions - that helps a lot! I joke at school all the time that it doesn't matter if the patient is at risk for falls if they aren't breathing. :D

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Thanks for the tips everyone.

It quit raining, so I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon sitting by the creek bank in the front yard reading.

We we not required or offered study guides. I found a new one on amazon that goes with my test book for around $20. I am going to order that before the weekend is up. They did require us to get an NCLEX review book, but I haven't opened it yet. I know bad... I was trying to just learn the Billion things in each chapter. I was trying to relax a bit more last night and take it slower. I asked myself questions after each page I read. I was telling myself to not think to in depth... relax, relax, and think practical. My cats were looking at me like I was nuts because I was talking out loud. Once I finish up the next chapter, I'll look at the NCLEX book and see if there is a section that corresponds to our next test.

I always thought I had a lot of common sense... evidently I was wrong or all those science classes sucked it out of me.

I live in Tennessee and it did rain this morning, but right now It's 75 and BEAUTIFUL!! The grass looks almost florescent green and the trees are blooming. I hope everyone has a nice Easter weekend. CHOCOLATE and sunshine! :)

Thanks again for the advice.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

Nursing school unlike a lot of the pre reqs is not about memorizing, you need to understand and be able to APPLY the things you are learning. I have actually done better in nursing school then my pre reqs because I sucked at memorizing a bunch of things, I am much better at these types of questions that we see in nursing school. Im not a perfect student and I have my own struggles, but overall I pretty much thing, FINALLY some tests I can relate to if that makes sense.

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Thanks for the tips everyone.

It quit raining, so I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon sitting by the creek bank in the front yard reading.

We we not required or offered study guides. I found a new one on amazon that goes with my test book for around $20. I am going to order that before the weekend is up. They did require us to get an NCLEX review book, but I haven't opened it yet. I know bad... I was trying to just learn the Billion things in each chapter. I was trying to relax a bit more last night and take it slower. I asked myself questions after each page I read. I was telling myself to not think to in depth... relax, relax, and think practical. My cats were looking at me like I was nuts because I was talking out loud. Once I finish up the next chapter, I'll look at the NCLEX book and see if there is a section that corresponds to our next test.

I always thought I had a lot of common sense... evidently I was wrong or all those science classes sucked it out of me.

I live in Tennessee and it did rain this morning, but right now It's 75 and BEAUTIFUL!! The grass looks almost florescent green and the trees are blooming. I hope everyone has a nice Easter weekend. CHOCOLATE and sunshine! :)

Thanks again for the advice.

The best thing is just keep on reading....don't stop, lol. I'm in upstate NY and we've had 80 degree weather yesterday and today, very rare this time of year...we're loving it! I take the kids to the park and study under the pavilion. And don't worry about your cats looking at ya funny, lol. I have to read out loud, so I get the same reaction from my kids and husband (and 3 cats and dog, lol). I mainly read downstairs alone but sometimes during the day I'll be walking around the house reading while my kids are playing. :lol2:

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