Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

allnurses

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.
Discussion

What to study before Nursing School?

So I am applying to nursing school for spring of 2016. Right now I'm just reviewing my anatomy and physiology, but is there something I could start studying right now that would help me start off nursing school? Any topics I should try to learn, recommended websites, or books? I like to get ahead and I have so much time to study so it would give me an upper hand and also beneficial for me.

Featured Replies

If you aren't strong or confident with med math work on that- you could get a used old edition of calculate with confidence very cheaply

No. You are not going to understand anything until you are in the program. Finish your classes up now and relax. I can't tell you how many times I tell people to relax before the program. There is nothing you need to get an upper hand on, I promise.

I'm four weeks ago from finishing my final three pre reqs and have 2 and a half months off before I start the 22 month program at Hopkins.

I intend on relaxing and arriving mentally and physically strong to tackle the accelerated program.

Don't risk burn out!

By the time I finish my pre reqs I'll have been studying for 8 months for GRE included! I took them three at a time and it's been intense!

We all need a break

Study!?.. Study NOTHING! like mentioned above nothing nursing related will make much sense and A&P is the section in nursing books the instructor says to skip! I would relax because believe me you will have plenty to look at, learn, and study when nursing school starts!

A and P, maybe but there is nothing else to really start without beginning lectures. Just enjoy the time off in between.

I think you're good just reviewing the A&P. I had started reviewing abg's, isontonic, hypertonic, hypotonic solutions, electrolyte imbalances, and some other things and not only was it confusing but we haven't learned that yet even in fundamentals and intro to pt care.

A&P is pretty big in my program though. Next semester I have pharmacology so over the winter break I'm going to learn basic med math.

Maybe if you don't already know these things it's good to learn before school: Vital sign ranges, pulse points, words to describe normal and adventitious breath sounds, chain of infection, and medical terminology.

Memorizing details without having any basics about the whole picture is confusing, a waste of energy and will make you feel unnecessarily stupid.

At most I might suggest looking at medical terminology. Nursing/medicine has a language of it's own. It does have some basic prefixes and suffixes that will be used over and over to make different words.

Hyperthermia for example is a combination of hyper (excessive) and thermia (state of heat) to make a medical word for the condition of an abnormally high body temperature.

Hypothermia combines hypo (below) and thermia (state of heat) to make a medical word for the condition of an abnormally low body temperature.

If brady means slow and cardia means heart what would the word bradycardia mean?

It's fun to make up words too, to insult the bradycerebrums you encounter.

Get the Saunders Q&A NCLEX book (the yellow one) and study chapter five on test taking strategies. Nothing "nursey" about the chapter, but a lot of good points on how to answer nursing school exam questions.

I say relax and enjoy it while you can. I wanted to study ahead but I am glad I listened to others and just relax. Trust me you will do enough studying that you would regret not enjoying thst time.

However, if you do want study then review A&P and maybe medical terminology.

In the words of Frankie goes to Hollywood, "Relax don't don't do it."

If you are taking pharm, read up on pharmaco kinetics/dynamics and get real familiar with parasympathetic receptors and neurotransmitters as well as sympathetic. Other then that just enjoy the time off. Like mentioned above get familiar with root words- hypo hyper, intra, inter, trans, days, itis etc

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Add a Comment

Currently Reading 0

  • No registered users viewing this page.

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.