Our class (we just graduated) had higher attrition first quarter. By the end of second quarter, you know if nursing is really something you want to do or not. Second quarter clinicals expose you to a lot more stuff, so the really squeemish make their decisions to opt out. By about half way through 2nd quarter, you've figured out how you need to study most efficiently and also start to believe that you will survive, and the stress goes down a couple notches.
A couple things I wish I had known:
You won't have your reading assignments over the summer, but it sure wouldn't hurt to read as much as you are able from your Nursing Fundamentals text. Everything from your CNA class will be just a tiny blip of info - they assume you already know it and they will be teaching you nursing assessment skills and lots of other stuff.
When you do care plans, make a spread sheet or data base of each medication. Then when you come across it for the next patient, the work is already mostly done. Just make sure that it is being given for the same reason - if not, copy/paste/edit and save both versions. Then cut and paste them into your new care plan when needed.
If you will be taking the ATI subject tests at the end of each quarter, do use the ATI book to study. Since Med-Surg is both second and third quarters, your ATI will come at the end of third quarter. You will need to review what you studied second quarter to do well on the subject test.
Make sure to download/print the outlines or power points before you go to lecture. There is just too much to keep up with writing everything down, and you will miss stuff. You can use a laptop for notes if that works for you and you're a fast typist. I found that taking notes on the power point worked best for me. You can print some stuff on campus up to a point, but you have to go to the computer center across campus so it isn't very convenient.
Plan to get enough excercise. Don't gain a bunch of study weight like most of us did!
And I don't know if it was something in the water, or what, but there were 9 babies born or conceived during our time in nursing school, and they were all boys! I don't think I would want to increase the stress by being pregnant if I could avoid it. The timing with clinicals worked out for everyone, but it could cause you to repeat a quater if you had to miss clinicals.
Have a good summer. Get lots of sleep - you'll miss it!
