HappyCat0325

I just sent you a PM about this topic! I believe that all you should have to do is click on the highlighted user name of the individual that you wish to chat with, and a list of options should appear; one of which is the "Private Message" option. Good Luck!

Thank you too! I also sent you a PM just a few minutes ago....

Good evening everyone! I just began my third semester of Nursing school at North Lake/El Centro and was curious to see if there were any previous graduates or fourth semester students who could offer some MUCH-needed advice to those of us in third semester? We can already tell that the topics are going to be VERY in-depth and highly detailed (mostly in-depth MedSurge topics/issues) so is there any advice that you guys could give us for study tips, readings, reviews and/or practice questions? Some of us have "heard" through the grapevine that third semester exams are by far the most difficult exams in the program and if that is the case, what is the best way to prep for these awful tests? Other than the required readings, powerpoints, note-taking and practice questions, what else will help us to be successful this semester and progress on to the fourth semester? We've also heard that many students tend to fail-out in third semester due to poor test scores from lecture exams. We don't know if this is true or not, but just in case it might be, we ALL want to be successful and prepared! Though this semester has just begun, the workload is already crazy and the reading topics are VERY in-depth! Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks for all your help!

We were told by our lecture professor that there was NO BLUE PRINT & NO REVIEW for ANY tests for the remainder of Nursing School! Apparently, some of the first semester lecture instructors gave reviews and they were NOT supposed to, so now it looks like we won't be getting anymore reviews/blue prints for the remainder of school! And no, I definitely do NOT wait until the last minute on reading or it would be an absolute nightmare! I have spoken with the instructor and her advice was to use the Objectives that are provided, which I have. I guess I just need to really "look" into each question and figure out what it is asking for. Thanks for your help! And just curious....is it NORMAL to NOT get reviews before exams in Nursing School? I thought it was kind of odd myself.

Excellent! Can't wait to get the Success books and get started on the questions before my next exam! And to answer Heidi's question....I can't exactly put my finger on it, but it just seems like this semester the exams are structured in a different format and the concepts are so different from what we had last semester. It seems like L&D/PP/NB are a totally different beast as compared to MedSurge! Maybe I'm just not approaching the topics the correct way, but it just seems to be a LOT more complex than what I was used to. Anyone else feel the same?

I actually ordered those two books yesterday because I heard a few people taking about them and figured that it certainly couldn't hurt my grades any!!! Thanks for the recommendation! Just curious....how many hours do you tend to devote to the Success books as opposed to the textbooks prior to the exams? Thanks!

I need some advice from some of you seasoned Nurses and/or upperclassmen!!! I am currently in my second semester of Nursing School, and this entire semester revolves around L&D, Postpartum, Peds, Newborns and EVERYTHING related to these topics. Even though these topics are VERY interesting to learn about/read about, I am REALLY struggling with finding the proper way to study for the exams this semester! Last semester was MedSurge and the basics and I did fine on my exams and really had a good method of studying and preparing for exams. Unfortunately, I'm not as lucky this semester and need some advice from those of you who have made it through this semester and/or subject matter and survived!!! Any advice on how to approach practice test questions, note-taking, study skills???? I don't have children yet either, so I'm sure that doesn't help! ANY advice you guys could give would be greatly appreciated!!! I've got my next exam in one week (Newborn and Postpartum) and I really need to do well! I'm a good student and I take Nursing School very seriously, but I am struggling this semester for some reason. Any advice???? Thanks soooo much to all of you!!!!

I'm sorry if this question has already been asked, but I SERIOUSLY need some sound advice!!! I am a first semester Nursing Student and I have never been so overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, tired and scared in my whole life! Even though I seem to be spending ALL of my time reading, taking notes, watching skills videos and studying, I just can NEVER seem to get ahead of the game.....much less feel secure and ready each day for class/skills lab. We start our clinicals next week and I am already freaking out about the vast amount of work that is required before and after we care for our assigned patients each week. I am only working about 10-15 hours per week (part-time) and I rarely do anything NOT school-related because I just feel guilty and feel like I need to be dedicating ALL of my time to school. In fact, I went to lunch with my husband today and then felt extremely guilty for doing so because that was a couple of hours that I could have used for studying! I know that as each semester passes, the workload is only going to get worse, so is there a trick to getting it all under control????? Can any of you practicing nurses or later semester students please offer some suggestions/advice on how to get a hold on everything that is occurring right now so that I don't make myself crazy? What is the best way to read all of the massive amounts of reading assigned each week and be able to understand/comprehend the material? What is the best way to approach care plans for my new patients each week at the hospital? Any suggestions on the best way(s) to prepare for skills lab and the VERY important check-offs? ANY advice you guys could give would be greatly appreciated! Please help before I go crazy!!!! Thanks so much!!!!

These are ALL wonderful suggestions and excellent pieces of advice!!!!! THANKS to all of you!!!!! One additional question.....when would be the appropriate/best time to put on gloves? We were discussing this today in lab and some teachers are requiring gloves ONLY if there is a Nitro paste/patch or if we have to give a sub-lingual tablet. Would it be improper to put on gloves as soon as we walk into the patient's room immediately after washing our hands? Many of us think this might just be one way to keep everything hygienic (i.e. NOT touching pills with our bare hands) and also a way to NOT forget this most important step. What do you guys think?

I'm a first semester Nursing student and we have our Medication Check-Off next week and ALL of us are soooooo nervous and scared about passing this check-off! We were told there would be three different types of medication (i.e. tablet, patch, inhaler, liquid, drops, etc.) and we will need to properly read the patient's chart and correctly administer the medication. I know that we need to observe the three label checks and the patient's rights, but is there ANY other advice that some of you seasoned Nurses and later-semester students could give us to help us pass this MOST important check-off? We have been practicing, but there just seems like there is sooooo much to remember and only ONE little slip-up and we will fail. PLEASE send me some study/practice suggestions for this if you guys can! It would be very much appreciated!!!! Thanks!

I cannot THANK all of you enough for all of your replies and awesome suggestions!!! The one main thing that threw me off during the check-off was there was a tube attached to the "patient's" face and it was a tube I had never seen before but for the purposes of the check-off, I was required to verbalize what it was and to check it/analyze it. I got so thrown off and nervous from not knowing what this tube was that I totally crumbled under pressure! I just wish I had been more prepared for that and I might have actually passed. I think this is what ended up throwing off a lot of the students as well. Any suggestions for this kind of scenario for tubes, etc? Would Youtube be a good resource? Thanks!

Thanks so much for your quick reply! And it does make me feel better to know that someone with your experience has also failed a check-off! I certainly do need to slow down and take a deep breath. I was so caught up in wanting to get the check-off done and over with that I know that I rushed through it and got myself all flustered. I will continue to just take it easy during my practice runs and hopefully I will make it through the second round with no problems! Thanks again!

Ugh....I feel like such a loser! We had our Physical Assessment check-offs today and I got so nervous that I let one little thing throw me off and I failed! I practiced this assessment over and over again and I just don't know what happened. Only a few students in my class ended up passing so that did make me feel a "little" better, but it was still upsetting, nonetheless. I am asking all of you seasoned Nurses and later-semester Nursing students for some advice on how to calm my nerves before check-offs so that I don't flub-up again and NOT pass. I'm a perfectionist and this really upsets me that I did not do well. ANY advice you guys could give me would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks!!!!:)

I heard that there were 225 or so applicants! I'm so nervous....I wonder if the letters didn't go out on the 15th?

Ugh.....I can't handle this anxiety from not knowing much longer!!!! Good luck to everyone and PLEASE post something if/when you guys get your letters! Fingers crossed.....