Struggling with my first semester.. need reassurance

[ONCRN2017]

Hello! On May 17 I started my first session of nursing school. My college just recently changed their policy that requires us to take Physical assessment and Fundamentals of nursing over the summer session. This is the first time they have ever done it and they changed they classes up a bit because they now require CNA before being in school. They also announced two days ago that this will be the last summer they will do this because it is not working well and it is overwhelming. That being said my first session of nursing school is not going well and has me second guessing everything. The classes were very disorganized at first because of the changes and trying to figure out the adaptive quiz system. I have class everyday 8-11:50. Fundamentals is Mon and Wed and Assessment is Tue Thur and Friday. It is soooo much work in so little time. Our summer sessions are only a month long so June 17 is our last day. I have had my first test in both classes. Waiting on Fundamentals grade (which I don't think i did to great on) but I did make a 96 on my first assessment test! The problem is I don't feel like I am retaining the information like I should. I always heard how important assessments are but we are moving so fast paced that I am not able to practice on the systems like I should be able to and I am struggling to learn all the disorders with each system. Every night its 100 pages of reading. My first test was on 350 pages. I have a test again Tuesday on Head, mouth, face, neck, throat, lungs and thoracic, ears, eyes, heart, and peripheral vascular. We spent 4 days of class on that. While I know the basics of how to assess those body systems I definitely wouldn't feel comfortable doing them in a hospital right now and I definitely dont think I would be able to tell when something is greatly abnormal. I just need reassurance or advice. I want to be a nurse and I am studying every possible hour I have but I want to be able to retain the information so when I become a nurse it is useful.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

First, breathe.

I'll address health Assessment first:

You will learn how to listen and do a head-toe assessment in clinicals; also in the meantime, listen to everyone you know; also search online for heart sounds, lung sounds and bowel sounds to listen to in order to become familiar with normal and abnormal sounds.

As far as Fundamentals: this information will be built on from semesters to come, especially regarding the nursing process and care plans; they will help you think like a nurse when once you are licensed, so become familiar in using a good care plan book, the NANDA-I care plan book which can be bought on Amazon.com.

Nursing school is jam-packed with information that only provides a framework into being a nurse; the real working and leading happens throughout your years as a nurse. Advocate and speak up if you don't understand something; also, there is a nursing student forum where you can come and share what you have learned and ask for feedback on whether you are on the right track and give some insight.

To add: also my reading tips-

Read the objectives, the boxes, and then read the "nursing process" information; then organize notes in the form nursing process.

A lot of the books have the nursing process arraigned in the text; focus on those aspects in order to think like a nurse.

[MKIVSupraRN]

Do not give up, we all went through the same thing. Myself also had tests over x amount of chapters that covered hundreds of pages. However, that's where listening and following along during lecture comes in handy.

Helpful way to study for exams by cutting the fat:

1) If you follow the lectures along with your book/ chapters, you will see many times the teacher may skip sections in the chapter. That is a huge hint as to "this material is not covered, so it will PROBABLY not be tested on"

2) If your teachers give out study guides, those study guides touch base on material that is the main focus of the exam, it WONT cover everything on the exam, but it sure will cover a majority of it. For example, "if" your teacher does do study guides and your teacher says you need to know about X, go to the chapter that talks about X and read that section.

Overall, you should put your social life on hold while in school. You need every minute, every hour you can to read and study. Stay on top of things, always do your readings at the same time of the week they are lectured on. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE every opportunity you have in the skills lab. Having an ability to connect skills with lecture really helps.

Don't be discouraged, you need to have faith in yourself. REMEMBER you got accepted in the nursing program because the board of admissions can tell you WILL be successful in nursing school and have the potential to be a great nurse.

[ONCRN2017]

Unfortunately they don't give out study guides and this is my teachers first time ever teaching the course so she also questions herself a lot. As far as your first piece of advice with skipping sections I have heard this a lot and plan to start doing that once classes start in the fall. But I am unable to do that now because my course is taught at two different times by two teachers and unfortunately my teacher since she is new is not the one that makes the test so the test are based off te other teachers lectures. I have definitely gave up my social life so no worries there. I was more concerned with not being able to retain the info for hospital settings

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

You will learn that clinical is where you will be able to put reading, learning lab, and outside studying together. This is what it's for. Don't expect to be an expert in the first days! Do your prep work and use your instructor to help you put it into practice when you get there. That's how nursing education is set up.