What did you struggle with most in nursing school?

Spikey9001, BSN, RN · Jan 3, 2011

Tag to read later.

peas&carrots · Jan 3, 2011

I really feel like you should just relax and take it easy. Each program is different and there is really no way to prepare. If you try to take in all this info now you will just become overwhelmed. I think just reading about situations on here and just reading about interesting medical facts is the best way to go. Enjoy your friends and family while you can. :)

RNCEN · Jan 3, 2011

To be brutally honest, what I struggle with most is not yelling **** to the class idiot that asks 47 questions every class hour and has to recount how some member of her family has every type of disease known to mankind. What makes it worse is she can't piece together more than three words without taking a six second pause and saying "ummmm" before adding additional three words and repeating the cycle.

I think she may have sibling(s) in my class. :uhoh3:

momtojosh · Jan 3, 2011

ya...and one was in mine!!

Sarah010101 · Jan 4, 2011

The hardest thing so far... definitely Pathophysiology... Those 2 classes were THE WORST 2 classes (part 1 & 2), i have ever taken. WHOOOO needs to memorize the bazzilliiiooon steps of how HIV multiplys in a cell...

yes Mr. Jones, HIV enters macrophages and CD4 T cells by absorption of glycoproteins on its surface to receptors on the target cell followed by fusion of the viral envelope with the cell membrane and the release of the HIV capsid into the cell.... you can guarantee my patients are extremely well informed :) ha ha

I hated that class.. with a passion... BUT, i have beat the beast of patho... now onto year 3 :)

ImThatGuy, BSN, RN · Jan 4, 2011

The hardest thing so far... definitely Pathophysiology... Those 2 classes were THE WORST 2 classes (part 1 & 2), i have ever taken. WHOOOO needs to memorize the bazzilliiiooon steps of how HIV multiplys in a cell...
yes Mr. Jones, HIV enters macrophages and CD4 T cells by absorption of glycoproteins on its surface to receptors on the target cell followed by fusion of the viral envelope with the cell membrane and the release of the HIV capsid into the cell.... you can guarantee my patients are extremely well informed :) ha ha
I hated that class.. with a passion... BUT, i have beat the beast of patho... now onto year 3 :)

Ha, I think that stuff is pretty cool personally. I'd rather know why it all works than be doing something about it, but that's just me.

Dazglue, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 4, 2011

if i were in your shoes:
make sure you do not forget a&p i & ii
start learning drug classes (ace inhibitors, diuretics, beta blockers, etc.) a simple google search of "popular nursing school drugs" may help. i wouldn't worry about learning specific meds until school (unless you feel inclined).
know the basics - how to take vital signs, wound care, catheters
in your med-surg book start learning some disease processes (copd, diabetes mellitus, utis, heart failure, etc.)
do some research on "the nursing process"
for each disease process you cover, do something like the following:
introduction:
appendicitis happens when your appendix, a small finger-shaped structure that protrudes from your large intestine on the right side, gets inflamed. the inflammation is usually caused by a blockage, but may be caused by an infection. without treatment, an inflamed appendix can rupture, causing infection of the peritoneal cavity (the lining around the abdominal organs) and even death. appendicitis is one of the most common causes of emergency abdominal surgery. up to 75,000 appendectomies are done each year in the u.s.
signs and symptoms:
the following signs and symptoms may accompany appendicitis:
pain, starting around the navel, then moving down and to the right side of the abdomen. the pain gets worse when moving, taking deep breaths, coughing, sneezing, or being touched in this area.
loss of appetite
nausea
vomiting
change in bowel movements, including diarrhea or not being able to have a bowel movement or pass gas
low fever that starts after other symptoms
urinating often, or difficult or painful urination
what causes it?:
appendicitis usually happens after an infection in the digestive tract, or when the tube connecting the large intestine and appendix is blocked by trapped feces or food. both situations cause inflammation, which can lead to infection or rupture of the appendix.
who's most at risk?:
the following factors can put you at higher risk for developing appendicitis:
family history
age -- children 2 years of age or younger and people 70 years of age or older are at higher risk for a ruptured appendix
what to expect at your provider's office:
appendicitis is an emergency, because the appendix could rupture. if you have appendicitis symptoms, you should go to an emergency room. the doctor will ask about your symptoms and your medical history, do a physical exam to check for abdominal tenderness, and may order blood and urine tests. some health care providers use ultrasound to check whether the appendix is inflamed (and to rule out ovarian cysts or ectopic pregnancy in women). a computed tomography (ct) scan may also be done.
treatment options:
prevention
there is no proven way to prevent appendicitis. however, eating a diet that includes fresh vegetables and fruit may lower your risk of getting appendicitis.
treatment plan
appendicitisis most often treated with a combination of surgery and antibiotics. along with antibiotics, you may receive intravenous (iv) fluids and medication to control vomiting. if your doctor can' t tell from the ct scan or ultrasound whether you have appendicitis, you may have exploratory surgery. if you do have appendicitis, your appendix will be removed (appendectomy).
drug therapies
your health care provider may prescribe the following medications:
antibiotics
medications taken to ease nausea (anti-emetics)
surgical and other procedures
an appendectomy is the surgical removal of the appendix through an incision in your abdomen that can be several inches long. a laparoscopic appendectomy involves making several tiny cuts in the abdomen and inserting a tiny camera and surgical instruments. the surgeon then removes the appendix through one of the small incisions. recovery is usually faster than with traditional surgery, and the scars are smaller. however, not everyone is a candidate for a laparoscopic appendectomy.
complementary and alternative therapies
acute appendicitis is a medical emergency, and you should get conventional treatment immediately. never try to treat appendicitis with alternative therapies alone. some studies show that certain herbs and supplements may help to prevent appendicitis, strengthen your immune system, or help you recover faster from surgery.
nutrition
in england and wales, a study reviewed whether a diet that was low in fiber and high in sugar and meat had any influence on people getting appendicitis. no specific link was found with sugar or meat. but the study did suggest that the more fresh and frozen green vegetables and fresh and processed tomatoes people ate, the less likely they were to develop appendicitis. eating green vegetables -- particularly cabbages, cauliflowers, peas, beans, and brussels sprouts and maybe tomatoes -- may protect against appendicitis.
herbs
appendicitis should be treated with surgery. there are herbs that may help you recover faster from surgery; ask your doctor.
acupuncture
in chinese medical terms, appendicitis is thought to be caused by blockages in the circulation of blood and flow of vitality. acupuncture may help relieve pain, control peristalsis (the wave-like movements of muscles in the intestines), and improve blood flow. a licensed and certified acupuncturist would work with your doctor to monitor your condition closely. in some parts of the world, an acupuncturist works in the hospital to deliver care at the same time as conventional medical practices. even with surgery, acupuncture may be helpful for anesthesia, pain control, and better recovery.
prognosis and possible complications:
if the appendix does not rupture, the risk of death is very low. in cases where the appendix ruptures, the death rate is higher, especially among the elderly (15%). complications may include recurring appendicitis, inflammation of the abdominal lining, abscess (pus-filled inflamed area), sepsis ("blood poisoning" caused by infectious bacteria), blocking of a fallopian tube, infertility, and wound infection. appendicitis occurs in only about 1 in 1,000 pregnancies.
following up:
if you have surgery, you will need to see your health care provider 2 weeks after the operation, and again at 6 weeks.
that should hold you over for 6-8 months. good luck! :)

thanks! i'm going to use this myself!

chinacatSN · Jan 4, 2011

In my program, the main thing students struggle with is the critical thinking process. It's a whole new way of thinking and many people fail to understand it and since all the test questions (including NCLEX questions) require crictical thinking abilities, not knowing how to critically think will most likely lead to failure of the program. If you can find a class or course on how to think critically, I would take it! It will definitely give you a leg up!

Knowing your drugs is also a good idea - at least know the major classes. In my program, we do "drug cards" to learn the various drugs and when we get a new patient, we have to have a drug card for each drug they're on. Each drug card has the name written correctly (generic in all lower caps and Trade with the first letter capitalized), the drug class (you will probably uses the pharmacological classification more), the action (tip: some drug books have a therapeutic action listed, don't go by this as it usually doesn't give enough info on what the drug really does), the uses (why the pt is taking the drug), safe and usual dose, most common side effects, and nursing implications (if drug should be taken with food or not, where to give the shot, what s/s to look for, etc). You might just look in the index of the drug book and look for names that sound/look familiar. You need to know about OTC drugs as well, so don't forget about those - you may know why a pt is on acetaminophen (Tylenol) but be assured that your instructor will ask how the drug works in the body and what the side effects are.

I assume you've taken A&P I and II? We were told that we wouldn't use a lot of the stuff we learned in A&P - to some degree, this is true, but you will use a lot of it especially on your care plans. I hope you kept your A&P book. If not, try to find a good Med-Surg book such as Understanding Medical Surgical Nursing by Williams and Hopper. It has lots of A&P in it, just in case you forgot exactly how the nephrons in the kidney work or something. For your care plans you will most likely need to know the correct functioning of the body system/organ as well as how the disease affects it. Therefore, disease processes are good to know. Popular illnesses in the hospital setting are pneumonia, influenza, COPD, renal failure, colon cancer, diabetes mellitus, and heart failure.

Many students also struggle with nursing diagnoses and interventions - however, even with a good nursing diagnoses book it may be over your head without someone to explain it. You can try though - many med-surg books give diagnoses after disease processes. A knowledge of the nursing process helps.

Good luck!

Sarah010101 · Jan 4, 2011

Ha, I think that stuff is pretty cool personally. I'd rather know why it all works than be doing something about it, but that's just me.

Dont get me wrong... i think it is interesting.. but I also think that there is something wrong with a class that bases its grades on memorization rather than understanding. I dont care how well you know those 4 facts... if you cannot explain it to a patient and have them understand what is happening and what you are going to do about it and why... that information is useless :)

ImThatGuy, BSN, RN · Jan 5, 2011

Dont get me wrong... i think it is interesting.. but I also think that there is something wrong with a class that bases its grades on memorization rather than understanding. I dont care how well you know those 4 facts... if you cannot explain it to a patient and have them understand what is happening and what you are going to do about it and why... that information is useless :)

Oh, yeah, you've got to understand it, but who cares about explaining it to patients, lol. I just want to know the info! I'd just say "you've got HIV." Somewhere they've got internet access if they want to know more.

Sarah010101 · Jan 5, 2011

Oh, yeah, you've got to understand it, but who cares about explaining it to patients, lol. I just want to know the info!

How can you expect to be a nurse if you are not wanting to teach anything to your patients?...

ImThatGuy, BSN, RN · Jan 5, 2011

Im looking for short term patient encounters. No time for that much teaching. What they need to know...don't have unprotected sex, don't give blood, knowingly transmit it to someone you go to prison, and meds. That's about it for the short term.