"How to" notecard ?

nurseangel47 · Dec 20, 2006

I had a neato thick stack of purchased and ring-bound index cards that were the neatest and most proficient way in the world to study meds during pharmacology of nursing med/calcs/pharm. Unfortunately for me, after I graduated, I LOANED them to a nursing student I use to work with. She NEVER did return them. I hope she always remembers stealing them...which in my opinion, is what she did! Anyway, on the cards were the following info: (*you can make your own) name of drug, both generic as well as brand names, classification whether diuretic, betablocker, calcium channel blocker, etc. the actions of the med., the main side effects of; the averaged adult and pediatric doses usually ordered; designated usages expected for each. Some drugs are meant to be used for more than one dx. lots of times. So, that info might or might not be what you need to make for your study aids for pharm.

Now for the NCLEX questions: why not randomly go thru an nclex text study guide aid and pick out the biggies to study with flash cards you also make up for yourself? While you're writing these things down, you can also be studying...so after they're made, you've already written it down once, it may be a refresher in and of itself to then study them. One side has the question, the other side has the definite answer. I know it's difficult when some of the board's questions are multiple choice and some are even worded all of the above. But it might work for you as well as it worked for me.

Wish I had those nifty drug cards back, tho....it was a whole bunch of 'em that are rather standardized drugs....I could've used it during my entire career as a nurse!

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Dec 20, 2006

i used to make pages for each medical disease that included the signs and symptoms as well as the medical treatment, including the drugs usually ordered. i would list these in a column. in the column next to all these things i would list the nursing interventions that applied. what you will come to find is that some of the same symptoms apply to other medical diseases as well. therefore, the nursing interventions for those symptoms are also the same. you start to begin to see a lot of similarity in how you take care of patients this way. you also begin to see how just one or two symptoms is what distinguishes one medical disease from another within the same body system. anything on one particular disease that really stood out i would circle in red ink to draw my attention to it.

for nclex style questions, you need to know all the above things plus the nursing process. to answer nclex style application questions you need to assess the situation you are given as to where it lies in the nursing process first. then, you can begin to figure out what the next step you should be taking should be based on knowledge of the disease, normal treatment and patient response and the information you have been given in the question.

one of the best websites where you can get disease and treatment information in nice concise lists is here:

family practice notebook (use search box) http://www.fpnotebook.com/index.htm

you're on your own to find the nursing interventions! you should be able to define and state the steps of the nursing process in your sleep. however, if you can't, you will find it in your nursing textbook or the first chapter(s) of any care plan book.

http://www.mac.edu/faculty/nursingdepartment/200%20level/nursing_process.htm#return%20to%20top - the nursing process - a short introductory tutorial of what the nursing process is

RN007 · Dec 21, 2006

I found that after learning disease processes inside and out, the best way for me to study is to review as many NCLEX-style questions as I can because it makes you apply the nursing process. The best I've found is Saunders Comprehensive Review (the CD) and Lippincott's Review for NCLEX-RN. Our instructors actually use questions from these two books on our exams, so they're excellent study aids, obviously!

David's Harp · Dec 21, 2006

I tend to notecard for smaller chunks of info that just won't sink in otherwise, like insulin onsets and durations for example. It results in lots of writing and used -up cards, but it works for this purpose.

jov · Dec 23, 2006

I used notecards for everything.

I would only use notecards for that dry information that HAS to be memorized. Otherwise I rely on understanding concepts to pass the more advanced classes. The people who were failing in our Med/Surg and Mother/Baby classes were the ones that continued to rely on memorization as a passing strategy rather than higher level critical thinking.

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Dec 23, 2006

I got an A in Med/Surg. I found that if I understood the pathophysiology of the disease, everything else came a bit easier. Sometimes I would even have to go back and review the A&P to understand the patho. That REALLY helped me.

With nursing classes, sure there are certain things you just have to memorize (lab values, tests, etc.) but you have to use your critical thinking to sort through a lot of info in your head and organize that with the nursing process.

I use the Saunders NCLEX book, if you have not studied that, you need to (or a similiar book). I always do the practice Q for each subject (renal, peds, psych, whatever) and make sure you read the rationales for each answer whether you get it right or wrong.

I used notecards in pre-reqs, but not so much in nursing school unless I'm just memorizing certain terms, labs, tests, etc. Everything else you need to learn it, not memorize it.

SoulShine75 · Dec 25, 2006

Making note cards can be time consuming, especially with all the info you get in nsg lecture and you have little time to write them all out. Every time I did it I found that I only had like a day or two after actually writing them to then study them. (I'm still trying to find a good style of studying :uhoh3: ) My best advice to you that I've learned from experience is to record your lectures and take notes the best way you can, whether you make notes in the margins of your text, highlight or write on notebook paper (or all 3 like I use to do, because I learn the hard way). Sit down every night and organize your notes in sections. Ex: chromic bronchitis , asthma etc... this way you already have all of your notes condensed and all you have to do is study it.

Some people are great note card makers, I'm evidently not. Find your own way that works for you and that you can get the most out of.

Good luck.

p.s. I had 2 notebooks, one for class notes and the other for study notes, this way my study notes were more organized and in order.

RichardJBoro · Dec 25, 2006

Well, different folks study differently, but I've found that my way is to get a group and teach thru it. (i'm a former teacher) This works for me, since having to "know" the info, I explain it better some say. Our group has gotten larger each review.

heavencutstma32 · Sep 4, 2011

I made note cards for diseases and disorders, i used the NCLEX-RN made incredibly easy.. it has all of the information wrote right down in the book. It's a whole book about sypmtoms, causes, interventions, test results, drug therapy. I also added some information when I started class. I made index cards out of information, very important information out of my ATI Fundamentals book they gave us, like a head to toe assessment (what do you do) then general survey, glas coma scale, muscle survey, ect. Lab values, and anything that deems important. As study guides I use the Fundamentals made incredibly easy, Fundamentals Success by FA Davis, ATI Fundamentals, Perry & Potter Basic Nursing, Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, and Saunders NCLEX-RN.

heavencutstma32 · Sep 4, 2011

Also, I have textbook notes that I type up on the computer, clinical notes that I write down on index cards, and my notebook for lecture, which i use a livescribe pulse smart pen - I LOVE THAT THING! RECORDS YOUR LECTURES AND SYNCS THEM WITH YOUR NOTES. IT'S LIKE $100.. BUT TOTALLY WORTH IT. When they Print out lecture outlines, as my instructor does sometimes, I print out the lecture outlines on one page, and keep the next page blank for notes. I write everything down in an outline format, that is how i learn best. I also type up some index cards, and use them also. Im only in my first two weeks of class, so im not in a set routine yet.