ejones4

I have posted in this forum since I was a CNA. I have done the CNA to LPN to ADN to BSN. All I heard throughout the years is "are you going to go further?" While I understand it from the beginning standpoint, I'm done! I have my BSN now but feel "not worthy" because people make it seem to make good money and be useful, you have to get a masters. I do not wish to be at the beside forever but don't want to get a masters. I have spent years in school and ready to just enjoy life. I was looking at informatics which I heard doesn't necessarily require a msn, just experience. Any thoughts are appreciated!

I split my chapters up. This allows me to be able to learn a small amount of info at a time and really focus on learning the material instead of finishing a chapter and feeling overwhelmed. For example: I will take a chapter, look at the full number of pages, split it into two days, and learn it that way. This is the first time I did it because I HAD to find a way to study and do better. The test weren't the same FYI. I made an 87 this time around on my first test which is the hardest of the 3! I also take a highlighter into my test and highlight important things like signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and anything related to the patient. It actually kept me from getting s few answers wrong since ONE word can change an answer completely. I also make notecards of symptoms I need to remember like for respiratory and cardiac patients, etc. I hope this helps someone! Failing was a wake up call but I found what works for me. Thank God I was chosen to continue this program!

So I thought I would share what I had to learn the hard way. I started my LPN program in August 2014 and was suppose to graduate in a few weeks (end of July). Well I made it all the way to Med/Surg 2, which I failed. So now I'm taking it again and will graduate in December (we can only repeat one class and it has to be approved by the nursing programs. All my previous classes I had good grades and I was really strong in clinicals so they approved me). What I'm doing this time around: I split my chapters up. This allows me to be able to learn a small amount of info at a time and really focus on learning the material instead of finishing a chapter and feeling overwhelmed. For example: I will take a chapter, look at the full number of pages, split it into two days, and learn it that way. This is the first time I did it because I HAD to find a way to study and do better. The test weren't the same FYI. I made an 87 this time around on my first test which is the hardest of the 3! I also take a highlighter into my test and highlight important things like signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and anything related to the patient. It actually kept me from getting s few answers wrong since ONE word can change an answer completely. I also make notecards of symptoms I need to remember like for respiratory and cardiac patients, etc. I hope this helps someone! Failing was a wake up call but I found what works for me. Thank God I was chosen to continue this program!

Congrats!! I also passed my first semester. Probably the hardest thing I've ever done!! Glad we made it! Good luck this upcoming semester.

I agree, rest up now. It's an entire different world from regular classes. I have social media as well. I didn't give it up, but I'm going to limit it more come next semester. Stay ahead and take it one chapter, one class, one day at a time. But for now....REST!!

Well firstly don't get so caught up on the drugs individually. You will NEVER remember every drug. Focus on the drugs as a group. Ex: -lol as a suffix are most likely beta blockers. They work to help lower blood pressure and help the heart work. So focus on the drugs as a group, their function and what some side effects could be. That's the main thing I did. Note cards can help with that too. Also we had a lot of drug cards to do. Stay ahead!! We would have like 25-30 a week, 5 per chapter. So I would do 5 a day so I could stay ahead, not feel overwhelmed, and learn the material. Our final is on ATI so it's not made by our professor so I'm not sure what to expect. Hope this helped.

I only took A&P 1. There's 1&2 for my program.

Passed med/surg I with a C and pharm with an A. Man med/Surg was so hard. I literally passed by .3 and I'm thankful. I figured out my way of studying a little late in the game, but I passed. What works for me: reading the entire chapter before class, taking notes in class, going back over each section and making notes, highlighting and focusing on the nursing care plan and safety. Then doing a study group. Next semester I have med/surg II & III and A&P II.

Passed med/surg I with a C and pharm with an A. Man med/Surg was so hard. I literally passed by .3 and I'm thankful. I figured out my way of studying a little late in the game, but I passed. What works for me: reading the entire chapter before class, taking notes in class, going back over each section and making notes, highlighting and focusing on the nursing care plan and safety. Then doing a study group. Next semester I have med/surg II & III and A&P II.

I wrote a response!! Forgot to quote you. It's further up!

Here is what I do. Example: it's Tuesday. We went over chapters 1-3 Monday. On Monday I simply read over and review what we did that day. I then do an outline for the chapters we are going to do the next day. Do it's Tuesday. I review the chapters we went over Tuesday and then go back and review the Monday chapters. And when I say review, I don't mean extensively. You would be surprised at how much you remember just by rereading the material everyday. I didn't do any prior reading before the semester started but if you think that will help you then go for it!!! Everyone is different. To make sure I didn't fall behind this semester I never left school until my work was done. Whether it was rereading the chapters or finishing my pharmacology drug cards, I never went home having something to do.

Nursing classes are 6-7 weeks depending on which program. My program is only a year long. And a prereq for my lpn class was to already be CNA certified or have taken a class on the basic ADLs. You had to have done that to get accepted so we were tested on personal care, ambulatory and all that the first week. So we jumped right into everything else. Still covered 22 Chapters in the class portion of fundamentals. Very very fast pace!

Just finished my first lpn class! Earned a B in fundamentals and let me just say that wasn't an easy grade to learn. I had 3 exams and a final. My grades were 85,82,79 and 85 on the final. I was praying for a B on the final to get a B in the class. Nursing questions really trip you completely up!! Especially select all that apply. Well I'm thankful that I got a B. I have a week off then I start med/surg and clinicals. Hope everyone's semester started off great!

Just finished my first lpn class! Earned a B in fundamentals and let me just say that wasn't an easy grade to learn. I had 3 exams and a final. My grades were 85,82,79 and 85 on the final. I was praying for a B on the final to get a B in the class. Nursing questions really trip you completely up!! Especially select all that apply. Well I'm thankful that I got a B. I have a week off then I start med/surg and clinicals. Hope everyone's semester started off great!

Just finished my first lpn class! Earned a B in fundamentals and let me just say that wasn't an easy grade to learn. I had 3 exams and a final. My grades were 85,82,79 and 85 on the final. I was praying for a B on the final to get a B in the class. Nursing questions really trip you completely up!! Especially select all that apply. Well I'm thankful that I got a B. I have a week off then I start med/surg and clinicals. Hope everyone's semester started off great!