watsonsd

I can highly recommend Tallahassee, FL. It is a beautiful city for raising a family. We have two large hospitals to choose from (one with onsite daycare). Tallahassee Memorial (http://www.tmh.org) has many accolades and is a great place to work. Our area has great schools, activities, museums, arts, etc. We are approximately 1 hour from the beach. Our kids enjoy it the lifestyle here as do we! :) If you have any specific questions please feel free to PM me. Good luck with your plans!

Hi Digoxin-- Here's what I do: 1) Calculate the number of days I have until the exam. 2) Total the number of pages from the assigned book reading then divide by the number of days--finishing 2-3 days prior to the exam so that I have that time review and ask questions. 3) I highlight as I read--when I complete a chapter I take notes on the information that I highlighted. 4) During the 2-3 days prior to the test, I review my notes, and do the NCLEX book chapters that apply to the unit. 5) Finally, I do the CD or online questions supplied by the publisher of my textbooks. If there's anything that I'm unsure of I address it with my teacher during the 2-3 days prior to the test. (There's nothing worse than having questions the night before the exam!) I hope this helps you! :)

I would highly recommend the two following NCLEX-style question companion books: 1) Fundamentals Success (A Course Review Applying Critical Thinking to Test Taking) 2) Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Exam (4th ed.) I use both of these to review NCLEX style questions prior to my exams. So far, this strategy has made my exam-taking successful. Good luck to you! :)

Hi Honeybee, I suspect that viewers are passing over your messages because your questions are quite broad. Be specific in your requests here in the forums and I guarantee someone will answer them. Here's my advice for success in Pharmacology: 1) Make a reading schedule for the test unit which will have your material completely read 3-4 days prior to each test date. 2) As you read, highlight your text with emphasis on drug actions, nursing actions, contraindications, and patient teaching for each drug. Pay particular attention to the Tables and Information Boxes within each chapter. These are a favorite for many instructors for test questions because they condense the information and provide the detail in a concise format. (Do not read for any longer than 30 minutes at a time. Take a 5-10 min. break and then get right back to reading. You will retain more of the information with this method.) 3) Write notes for everything that you highlighted--if it was important enough to highlight it should be in your notes. (Do not type your notes -- there is quantitative evidence for the act of writing notes for yourself. Students who write notes from their text books and review them ALWAYS do better on tests than students who merely read the text.) 4) Use the 3-4 days prior to your test for simply reviewing your notes and taking the online/CD-ROM unit tests that come with most textbooks. If you have an NCLEX review book or Pharmacology study guide use these review days to study those resources as well. Giving yourself this 3-4 day gap between completing your reading and the test date will give you confidence and will allow you time to ask your instructor specific questions about the material that you feel you haven't mastered. 5) Finally, DO NOT stay up late (especially the night before the test) to study. Go to bed at a decent hour and review your notes again each morning. (Neurological studies have proven that in order to retain and recall information you must have a proper night's sleep -- during sleep the "true connections" are made.) I follow these steps for all of my courses and so far I have made all A's and one B. (I'm still upset about that B arrrgggg!) Good Luck! :)

Hi Hopefull, Your questions aren't stupid -- this is what it's all about--asking why, looking for rationales etc. Here's what you need to know: 1) Opioids are considered narcotics however, not all narcotics are opioids. Remember that Opioids relieve pain (analgesic effects). Not all narcotics provide pain relief some are stimulants (methamphetamine, cocaine etc.) 2) There are 3 types of sedative hyptonics: a. Benzodiazepines-used to relieve anxiety (anxiolytic) or as a sedative-hypnotic. b. Barbituates - induce sleep, relieve anxiety, stop seizure activity or provide anesthesia effect. The action of Barbituates is dose related--low dosages of barbituates have sedative effects while higher dosages of barbituates have hypnotic effects. c. Nonbarbituates - sedative/hypnotic effects - common are Zolpidem (Ambien) and Eszopiclone (Lunesta) Think of your drug classifications when categorizing these agents. Try not to use terms like "non-benzodiazepines." Stick to the real terms. Use your drug guide along with your pharmacology book to make a concept map for yourself so that you can really grasp the classifications. Concept maps can serve as a great tool for Pharmacology material. Good Luck!