What should I study while waiting to begin an RN program?

U.S.A. Michigan

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Hurray, I just passed the NET at HFCC despite being very nervous about it. And now... I get to wait for a very long time!

Can you guys point me in a direction for what I should start studying now in the meantime? I'd like to get a leg-up on anything that requires brute memorization.

Thanks!

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Specializes in DOU.

You might want to learn the medical abbreviations. You can find them in a medical encyclopedia. Also, the normal range for labs values.

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You can also check the curriculum that you'll be taking and see if any of the courses could be taken online at a different school. For example, in our school you could take the pharmacology class online from any school that offered it....it would transfer back to our school. If that were the case for you, you could actually begin taking some of those classes now. The Pharm classes were a lot of memorization so if you could take them one at a time now, it would be helpful. (You didn't have to be enrolled in a nursing program....anyone could take them online.)

Also, I know it seems early, but if you bought a NCLEX study book and began looking at some of the areas of nursing, some of it will stick. The books give you rationale for the answers and you'd learn a lot and discover what is important to concentrate on. I didn't look at the NCLEX books until my second year and then found that a lot of the material the instructors put on our tests....came right out of the NCLEX books. By studying them early, you not only prepare for Boards but prepare for your nursing school exams too.

You are very smart to look ahead and try to get some knowledge under your belt early. There's an awful lot to cover and the more times you read something, the easier it is to understand and remember it. Good luck!

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

The insides of your eyelids, cuz you won't see much of them once you start school:lol2::lol2:

Best of Luck to You!

Diane:D

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Your favorite TV shows because you won't have time for those either. You could also get a good Medical Dictionary. I have Mosby's Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions. The pictures in there are awsome. I signed up for B&N and they send 25% coupons off a lot, plus my 10% for being a member helps keep the price down. I also liked Taylor's Med Dict. You can look at the library to see some of them or just go browse the bookstore.

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If you are not up to speed in math, you could do some exercises to prepare for dosage calculations. I got a workbook "Calculate with Confidence" (it was one of our required books, actually) before classes started and did the harder chapters - just one less thing to worry about when classes begin. Most programs will require you to pass at least one test before moving on.

Also, as another poster mentioned, start looking at drug classes and be familiar with the more common drugs, as well as medical terminology and abbreviations.

But mostly, enjoy the time you have while you have it!!

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You want brute memorization? Know the signs and symptoms of:

hyperkalemia

hypokalemia

hypocalcemia

hypercalcemia

hypernatremia

hyponatremia

the entire endocrine system, esp. abnormalities

You will see these things over and over and over again, every class. I struggle with these concepts the most. Hate 'em. :banghead: :barf02:

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Try to study some medical math if you have not already.

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