Surviving Med Surg

Written by

If there is anything that the nursing community can agree on when it comes to reflecting on nursing school, it’s that Med Surg can really make your head spin! I remember going into my program and being terrified at the thought of Med Surg and just hoping I could make it through. Well, friend, I did it. And I’m here to tell you that you can too – and you will!  Here are a few study tips that helped me become a “Med Surg Survivor”: 

  1. Read that book! The book is where your professors are going to get their information from to create those exam questions, so might as well put it to use.
  2. Take your own notes! This may sound daunting to some, but I absolutely love having my own notes to quickly refer to in case I need to.  These also came in handy when it came time to working on my study guides for my final exams.
  3. PRACTICE QUESTIONS, PRACTICE QUESTIONS, PRACTICE QUESTIONS! Anyone who knows me, knows that I fully believe in doing all the practice questions/EAQs through Elsevier.  The more, the merrier is my motto. Even if you do 10-20 questions a day… those will add up quickly and you’ll feel more prepared for your exams. 
  4. Look up YouTube videos! I understand that reading the book isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, so that’s where I would recommend looking up YouTube videos regarding different topics that may not be clicking as well as you are reading the material. I still to this day can hear the voices of different YouTube content and it’s definitely saved me on exam questions.
  5. Go the extra mile! Complete those study guides from your professors, attend exam reviews, teach the content to others, reach out to your professors – do it all. The more you are exposing yourself to the material in different ways, the more it will reflect not only in your grades, but your career as a nurse. I made sure to always complete any study guides that were provided to us, and I’d read through the completed study guide 2-3 times.  When attending exam reviews, I made sure to take notes throughout the review session so I could refer back to them when I continued to study and made sure to come ready with any questions that I had for my professors.   

You are about to move Med Surg mountains, my friend! The world is full of nurses, so that means that people are passing their Med Surg courses, and you are on the path to joining them. YOU GOT THIS! 

Bullying in Nursing

Written by

“Nurses eat their young” is a common phrase that is engrained into the minds of nurses everywhere. What I learned the hard way – it can start as early as nursing school.

It is so, so real.

This summer I started a job at a new long-term care facility and had my first shift on my own. However, I had done CNA work for 5 years, I know how to do cares like the back of my hand.

I was originally supposed to have an internship in the ED-Trauma department at a major hospital that I was extremely excited for. Due to COVID-19, it was unfortunately cancelled. I decided to take a position as a summer CNA at a facility that was desperate for CNA help due to the rising COVID-19 cases.

I was pulled to a floor I had never been on before, and of course I was slow as I have never been one to half-do my cares in order to get all the residents done faster.

I was told to take my lunch break, which I did, and had no clue what I was coming back to.

Long story short, I was completely belittled by a nurse manager on my floor in front of all of the other nurses and CNAs. I was accused of taking my break when I was not supposed to, not following the daily schedule correctly, and yelled at over our walkie talkie system which everyone, including the residents, can hear. Take into consideration this was my first day on my own in a separate facility and new floor I had never stepped foot on. I stood there, in tears, innocently and hopeless explaining I was brand new and had never been trained on this floor, but the nurse wasn’t taking it. I had never met this woman before.

I’d like to thank the angel of a LPN who noticed I was struggling and pulled me into a closet and let me break down into tears, personally went with me to the floor to help with cares, and gave me time to collect myself before I went back out on to the floor with tears still running down my face shield for the remainder of my shift.

All I could think of was, “I should be at my internship in the ED-Trauma department right now. I chose to move here. I chose to come help this facility because I knew they desperately needed the help due to COVID-19. I’m even running on five hours of sleep because I stayed late the previous night to finish all the cares and to help out on the other campus.” I wanted to defend myself, but I stood there paralyzed and struggled to return to work the rest of the summer.

According to the Joint Commission, 44% of nursing staff members have been bullied.

Never, will I ever belittle my CNAs, patient care techs, or anyone considered “lower” than me. I know how it feels to be a newbie, overworked, and underappreciated.

I highly encourage anyone who experiences workplace bullying to report it immediately. You aren’t “tattling,” you are saving yourself, and probably many others, from mental distress and abuse. No one deserves to go to work scared or dreading it.

Nursing doesn’t have room for bullying. Stop eating your young.

How to: Head to Toe Assessment

Written by

Hello future nurses! Here is an outline of how to conduct a complete head to toe assessment. Included in this outline are some tips that will help you develop a routine and gain confidence when assessing your patients. Let’s get started! 

  1. Initial Assessment  

As soon as you walk into the exam room the assessment begins.The nurse should note: 

  • The patient’s general appearance (Hygiene, Dress, Affect) 
  • Posture (Is the patient sitting/standing with good posture?) 
  • If the patient is alert/oriented (Can they respond to questions appropriately?) 
  • Signs of distress (Labored breathing, Pallor, Confusion) 
  • Subjective Data (Medical History, Allergies, Pain) 

These initial assessments are essential when assessing a patient’s mental status. During this time, you should also obtain subjective data from the patient to have a better understanding of why they are in the office. You can do this by asking how they are feeling or ask what they are in the doctor’s office for today. 

2. Vital Signs 

After taking the time to speak with the patient, ask permission to collect their vital signs. Collecting vitals allows you to comfortably approach the patient with touch for the first time during the interview.  

TIP: Remember to ALWAYS ask permission before touching the patient and explain each one of the assessments you will be performing. 

3. Hair/Skin/Nails 

When performing assessments on different areas of the body (ex. abdomen, arms, or legs), you should note abnormal findings of the skin and hair on these areas. The nurse should assess nails for:

  • Delayed capillary refill
  • Clubbing
  • Fungus

Abnormal findings include: Uneven hair distribution, color abnormalities (Pallor, Cyanosis, Erythema), extremes in temperature or moisture of skin, decreased skin turgor, lesions

4. Head 

  • Assess for symmetry, size, and shape. 
  • Ask the patient to smile and raise eyebrows (Assessing Facial Nerve) 
  • Palpate the patient’s scalp. 

Abnormal findings include: Tenderness, swelling, asymmetry

5. Neck 

  • Inspect and palpate lymph nodes and glands 
  • Have a patient perform neck range of motion 
  • Have the patient shrug their shoulders to assess the Spinal Accessory Nerve. 

Abnormal findings include: Deviation of the trachea, enlarged thyroid gland or lymph nodes

6. Eyes 

  • Inspect external structures 
  • Check for red reflex using the otoscope. 
  • Check pupils for PERRLA (Pupils Equal Round Reactive to Light and Accommodation) 
  • Assess extraocular movements to assess functions of the Oculomotor, Trochlear, and Abducens cranial nerves. 
  • Perform Visual Acuity Test (Assessing Optic Nerve) 

Abnormal findings include: Discharge, lesions, redness, no PERRLA

7. Nose and Sinuses 

  • Assess for nasal patency in each nostril by having the patient blow out of each nostril. Then use a scented object such as vanilla or peppermint in each nostril to see if the patient can smell. This exam assesses the function of the Olfactory nerve. 
  • Inspect inside the nose with an otoscope. 
  • Inspect septum, determine the location. 
  • Palpate sinuses to determine if tenderness is present. 

Abnormal findings include: Deviated septum, nasal polyps, discharge

8. Ears 

  • Inspect external ear with an otoscope
  • Test Hearing with Whisper Test (Assessing Vestibulocochlear Nerve) 
  • Note the appearance of the tympanic membrane and cerumen present.

Abnormal findings include: Discharge, lesions, abnormal light reflection on tympanic membrane, scarring of the tympanic membrane.

9. Mouth and Throat 

  • Inspect the oral cavity 
  • Inspect lips
  • Inspect the tonsils and uvula
  • Have the patient move their tongue from side to side (Assessing Hypoglossal Nerve) 
  • Assess the patient’s ability to taste (salt vs sugar), ability to swallow, and gag reflex. (Assessing the Glossopharyngeal and Vagus Nerves) 

Abnormal findings include: Swelling, asymmetry, lesions, cyanosis, dry/cracked lips, cleft lip, discoloration, dryness, hairy tongue, enlarged tonsils, cleft palate.

10. Chest (Cardiovascular and Respiratory) 

Cardiovascular 

  • Palpate and Auscultate Apical Pulse 
  • Auscultate heart sounds with the diaphragm and bell of the stethoscope. Areas: Aortic, Pulmonic, Erb’s Point, Tricuspid, and Mitral

Abnormal findings include:Pericardial friction rub, murmur, presence of S3 or S4, irregular heart beat.

Respiratory 

  • Compare anterior-posterior chest diameter to transverse chest diameter. Normal is 2:1. 
  • Chest expansion 
  • Effort to breathe  
  • Auscultate lungs

Abnormal Findings include: Retraction, labored breathing, asymmetrical chest expansionRetraction, gasping for air, Bradypnea or Tachypnea, absent lung sounds, crackles, wheezes, Stridor, and Pleural friction rub.

11. Abdomen 

  • Inspect 
  • Auscultate bowel sounds in all quadrants. 
  • Palpate

Abnormal findings include: Abnormal pulsations, Hypo/Hyperactive Bowel sounds, purple or dark red skin pigmentation, tenderness, mass/protrusion.

12. Peripheral Vascular 

  • Inspect and palpate upper and lower extremities 

Abnormal findings include: Delayed capillary refill, bounding or absent pulses, presence of Arterial or Venous Disease, skin discolorations. 

13. Neurological & Musculoskeletal  

  • Palpate joints 
  • Demonstrate Range of Motion 
  • Assess Deep Tendon Reflexes 

Abnormal findings include: Crepitus, swelling , pain/tenderness, limited or no range of motion, hyperactive response, pain, tenderness, no response, hyperactive response.

If the tap triggers a repeated tendon reflex: Assess Balance – Romberg test; Assess Gait by having the patient walk across the room and walk back towards you in a straight line, heel to toe. 

14. Assessment Conclusion 

  • Let the patient know when the assessment is complete. 
  • Ask the patient if they have any questions or concerns. 

15. Practice…Practice…Practice 

  • It takes a lot of practice to perfect your head to toe assessment. 
  • When in your clinical rotations, ask your nurse if you can assess the patient; this will help you gain confidence and skills as you practice with different clients. 

The BEST Elsevier Assessment Resources 

Now that you are confident and prepared… Get out there and assess those patients! 

You’ve got this! 

How to Prevent Burnout

Written by

Burnout. Defined as “a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity”. Most of us hear this word and think “hey, that’s not me”! We tend to think of burnout as something that happens after years of working in the same position or at the same place. We think of burnout as something that won’t happen until later on- that right now we’re just a bit stressed and overwhelmed. 

Most of you have probably noticed that, especially in healthcare, burnout can happen quickly- and it can hit you at any time. As caregivers, we reach this stage much faster than others. And those who struggle with their mental health to begin with (speaking from personal experience) will feel that loss of enjoyment and accomplishment at an even faster rate. 

So how can we prevent this caregiver burnout? Here’s a little list of things you can do! 

  • Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Needing help doesn’t make us a bad nurse/HCP/caregiver. None of us can/should do this alone! 
  • Allow yourself to take a break. We often think of taking care of ourselves as the selfish thing to do when we have so many others to care for. But allowing ourselves to refuel is VITAL! 
  • Ask someone to keep you accountable for your self care. Have someone check in on you every once in a while to make sure you’re doing the things you should be doing for yourself. They can help keep you accountable for things like taking your medicine, making appointments, eating/drinking enough, and more! 
  • Allow yourself to feel your feelings, and then find a way to express them. This may look different for everyone! You can meditate, pray, journal- you name it! 
  • Work on prioritization and organization. And once you know what you have to do and when you have to do things by- don’t be afraid to delegate tasks! We were never made to take everything on, on our own! 
  • Communication and honesty with your support team and with yourself is key throughout all of this. If you’ve tried all of these steps and you still find yourself drained and unhappy with where you are- consider a change. Admitting that you need something new is not a failure! Sometimes taking that leap of faith is all we need. 

Burnout is real, and it is rough. Be open to help and be open to change. And remember, you are capable of so much more than you give yourself credit for! 

How to Succeed in an MSN Program

Written by

Hello everyone, my name is Polly and I have just finished up my 3rd semester in my Master’s Entry – Masters in Nursing Science. This marks the halfway point of my two-year program! For those of you who are interested in applying to a ME-MSN program or are currently in one, I hope this can help you. 

In order to apply for an ME-MSN program, you must have a bachelor’s degree in something else. Many may wonder if MSN’s get paid more than BSN’s but they do not. All new grad nurses will get the same pay when they first start. What really differentiates a master’s level nursing program is its emphasis on clinical leadership as well as public health. This can help in the future if you want to go into nursing leadership. Throughout my program, we have a bunch of clinical leadership classes ranging from healthcare outcomes, to nursing research, to educator role, and more. You should expect to have a lot of research papers and presentations! 

Here are some strategies that have helped me succeed in my CNL classes as well as my MSN Program: 

  1. Think like a leader: It might be obvious from the “CNL” part but when you take quizzes, exams, or answer free response questions for your leadership classes, you must think like a leader. You need to analyze each question and answer it in a way that will benefit the microsystem. Be inclusive, always hear other people out to understand what needs to be changed in the microsystem to help improve health outcomes.
  2. Plan out and start on your papers early: For all my CNL courses, I have been bombarded by research papers, leadership papers, and group projects. I would advise you to start on them early! Although they might seem like simple papers, sometimes when you finally read the instructions, you’ll realize how much work you must put into it. These papers are usually all research based and require you to critically think and apply solutions to current problems.
  3. Understand other Healthcare Professions: I think it is super important to understand most of the healthcare professionals’ roles and scope of practice. You will often need to know what each role can and cannot do. This applies to HESI questions as well as NCLEX questions. Be able to delegate work to the appropriate professionals.
  4. Know your Change Theories: Change theories come up a lot in CNL courses because they want you to implement these theories into projects that can be initiated in the hospital. I think it is super important to learn the change theories for you to apply it in your coursework. I’d highly advise watching a short YouTube video on them.
  5. Be positive and don’t over think it: I think one thing that I changed about myself during my nursing journey is to be more positive about my grades and not to overthink my answers when I take an exam. Go with your first instincts and don’t doubt yourself because you are correct.   

These tips may be more generalized, but I hope they can help you all regardless of BSN or MSN. Just remember to never lose hope and always strive for your best if you want to succeed. There will always be someone out there supporting you from a distance. 

Transitioning from Graduation to Clinical Practice

Written by

So, you’ve made it through your nursing program and now it’s time to start job searching… Cue all the emotions, right?  I don’t know about you, but whenever I realized that it was time for me to start looking for a job, I freaked out several times.    

It was an overwhelming feeling trying to decide what was next, where I wanted to start my nursing career, what area of nursing was going to make me feel fulfilled, and so on.   

Did I want to be at the bedside?  Do I want to work part-time or full-time?  Do I want to be in the hospital or in an office setting?   

The great thing about nursing is that there are SO many different job opportunities that can cater to every individual. As we start our nursing careers, it’s important to understand that we don’t have to follow the “typical” new grad journey.  However, I realize that there are some of us who thrive at the bedside which I think is amazing.  If you do choose to start at the bedside, then hold onto these next job ideas for later if you happen to want to switch things up a bit from the bedside. 

Create your own path. 

One idea that we can start to think about is not feeling like we have to put in our time at the bedside on a Med Surg floor while working night shift.  I know that I personally had several nursing professors/instructors tell my classmates and I that we should start our nursing careers on a Med Surg floor and I don’t know about you, but I knew that path wasn’t what I desired personally.  Instead, we could consider jobs, like: 

  • in an office or clinic setting 
  • working for private companies 
  • occupational nursing 
  • or hospice care.   

Throughout school, I’ve been able to work in a Pediatric Specialist office through my local hospital.  I think this is a great option because as a nurse, you’d be able to still be immersed in a specialty area that you’re interested in but not having to work those 12-hour shifts if you aren’t a fan of those long hours.  Other benefits that come to mind with working in an office setting is that you always know your schedule and you’d most likely not have to work weekends or holidays. 

Don’t limit yourself. 

Another idea that I think we should also begin to consider more is not feeling like we have to work full-time.  Something that I have considered is finding a job that is either part-time or PRN, that way I’m not confined to all the full-time job requirements and can have a little bit of freedom.  I’ve also thought about working part-time in an office setting and then PRN at the bedside so that I’m able to get the best of both worlds.   

You could even look into being part-time at the bedside on one unit, but then PRN at the bedside on another unit if you have a couple areas of bedside nursing that you’re passionate about.  For instance, I am really passionate about maternity as a whole.  So, I’ve considered trying to find a part-time position in Mother-Baby or L&D and then a PRN position in NICU.  I personally think this would be exciting for me to be able to potentially work in both areas that bring me joy and can allow me to learn things in one unit that I can carry over with me to the other.   

Discover what you are passionate about. 

The biggest takeaway that I hope you gain from this is that our journeys do not have to resemble one another.  It’s okay to mix things up a bit and create a new career path for new grad nurses!  It’s never too soon to chase after your “end goal” with nursing.  I knew from the start that I wanted to work in Maternity and I’m glad that I told myself it’s okay for me to start in the unit where I knew I wanted to be at all along rather than feel like I had to listen to those professors/instructors who advised me to do my time on a Med Surg floor. 

Do you learn a ton on Med Surg floors? 100%.  But I knew that wasn’t what I wanted deep down and if I’m going to dedicate a large portion of my time to working, I want it to be in a place that lights a fire in me and brings me pure joy.  As the famous quote from Confucius says, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”.  Go after that job that will bring this quote to life for you, even if it does go against the typical new grad path! 

Being a Mom AND a Nursing Student

Written by

I worked at a car dealership for 5 years leading up to my pregnancy. I bailed on going back to my job 3 days before maternity leave was set to end and tearfully informed my boss that I was going to stay home with my son and pursue my education. He wasn’t thrilled, but he was understanding and supportive. 

I began my nursing school journey when my son was just 4 months old at my local community college. My partner would meet me at the parking lot from work and we’d swap our sweet little boy. He would wait around until my break because my son needed to be nursed every few hours. So we tucked away in a quiet hallway of my school, and back to chemistry lab I would go. 

My little boy would come to daytime advisor meetings, interviews for nursing school, study sessions, you name it. Oliver was by my side. 

As he has grown older, and especially with the pandemic, we have shifted into a new phase (as many of us have). For instance, I’ve become a pretty darn good one-handed typist because I will never deny a snuggle session. I have also learned to ALWAYS have my study material handy, because you never know when a two hour “car nap” will happen. Thank goodness I can register my textbooks with Evolve and have access to everything on my tablet! Multitasking has become second nature. 

Having helpful resources has been vital to my success in maintaining straight A’s while being a full-time mommy. I particularly love the Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN to practice those tricky questions. 

Most of my schoolwork gets done after his bedtime (my prime homework/study hours fall between 9:00pm-1:00am). And seemingly in the blink of an eye Oliver is bright eyed and bushy tailed at 6:00am. 

Countless times I have studied for an exam or completed a homework assignment as my little boy was asleep in my arms. Oliver has also attended some Zoom lectures right alongside me. My sweet little guy. 

And you know what? Going through all of this is what FUELS me. To see that innocent, peaceful face right in front of me as I’m taking steps to accomplish my goal is what drives me to continue doing it. 

I’ll be honest, some days, it is just plain TOUGH. We don’t have a lot of help (and even if we did, the pandemic has made that difficult to impossible in many circumstances). Luckily, I have an amazingly supportive and helpful partner. We truly operate as a team and I am extremely grateful for that. But we still feel tired, we get burned out, we sometimes need breaks. And that’s OKAY. 

So, to my mama’s AND to everyone else, find your “why” and use it to motivate you. Take breaks if you need them and as a wise fish once said, “just keep swimming”. 

How I Increased My HESI Exam Scores and Achieved NCLEX-RN® Success

Written by

I used to dread taking HESI exams after every course. Since the HESI specialty exams are not written by my professors, I was never sure exactly what to expect. These exams test on the entire course and everything is fair game, even the things that we did not get to cover in lecture or weren’t emphasized in classes. 

My first HESI covered all of fundamentals; I learned the hard way that I needed to change how I prepared for these types of exams. My university set a minimum score of 850 and I scored in the low 700s, which is very poor. This was certainly not the first impression I wanted to give off to my professors and classmates, I felt embarrassed and heartbroken. The entire situation left me confused and discouraged as I did well on most of my exams throughout the course. 

HESI exams require a high level of critical thinking for each and every question to help you prepare for NCLEX style questions. Preparing for these types of questions requires a careful combination of studying, practice and remediation. 

When it came time for me to take version 2 of the fundamentals HESI specialty exam, I was determined to prove myself and pass. I started to look into outside resources to study for HESI exams and improve my performance answering nursing school question types. While researching, I came across the HESI Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination book. The reviews I read online were very promising, students were scoring in the 1000s after utilizing this book (above the national average). Thankfully, I decided to purchase it. Here’s how I used it to prepare for my HESI exam: 

My first HESI covered all of fundamentals; I learned the hard way that I needed to change how I prepared for these types of exams. My university set a minimum score of 850 and I scored in the low 700s, which is very poor. This was certainly not the first impression I wanted to give off to my professors and classmates, I felt embarrassed and heartbroken. The entire situation left me confused and discouraged as I did well on most of my exams throughout the course. 

HESI exams require a high level of critical thinking for each and every question to help you prepare for NCLEX style questions. Preparing for these types of questions requires a careful combination of studying, practice and remediation. 

When it came time for me to take version 2 of the fundamentals HESI specialty exam, I was determined to prove myself and pass. I started to look into outside resources to study for HESI exams and improve my performance answering nursing school question types. While researching, I came across the HESI Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination book. The reviews I read online were very promising, students were scoring in the 1000s after utilizing this book (above the national average). Thankfully, I decided to purchase it. Here’s how I used it to prepare for my HESI exam: 

  1. I read every chapter corresponding to the exam.
  2. I focus on the ‘HESI Hint’ boxes scattered throughout the chapters.
  3. I do the Review questions highlighted in yellow.
  4. After I finished reading the material, I scratched off the access code inside the front cover and redeemed the code on Elsevier’s Evolve site. It unlocked many valuable online resources and tools, including practice questions. I completed all the online quizzes and read the very thorough rationales. 

After completing HESI V2, I felt like I accomplished the impossible. I went from a failing score to scoring in the 1000s! I was able to confidently say that I had mastered the content and felt prepared to answer fundamental questions when presented during the NCLEX. 

Don’t Let the Pandemic Hold You Back

Written by

I don’t know about you, but when I first heard about COVID-19, I truly didn’t give it much thought. I had no clue that in the middle of my second semester of my accelerated nursing program that things would dramatically change. Clinical rotations would be switched to being completed virtually (let me tell you that virtual clinicals for classes like Maternity are a real conversation starter). Job shadowing in areas that you wanted more exposure to would not be happening.  Meeting up with your classmates in coffee shops or libraries to study would no longer be an option. The list could go on and on of all the changes that have taken place for nursing students since the pandemic hit us. 

However, just because this pandemic has given us a list of changes and new challenges, this doesn’t mean that it should keep you from still reaching your full potential while you finish out your nursing program. Looking back on this past year leading up to me landing my dream job as a mother baby nurse and graduating from my nursing program, I wanted to list off some tips that I think are helpful to ensure that the pandemic is not holding you back from reaching your highest potential in school and as you approach life after graduation. 

  1. Don’t lose sight of your goals.  Write them down, look at them daily, and continue to work towards them every day.  Whether you want to work ahead to finish all your assignments well before they’re due, reach a milestone in the number of EAQs that you complete, doing a certain number of NCLEX practice questions each day, or ending your semester by making the Honor Roll.  Work on your goals each day so that you aren’t trying to cram in a large amount of work all at once. 
  2. Keep reaching out to your people.  Even though this pandemic has taken away a lot of our in-person interactions (BIG SAD FACE), that doesn’t mean we have to lose contact with our people.  Schedule times to do a study session with your classmates, whether it’s through Zoom, a phone call, FaceTime, or whatever is going to get you guys together virtually.  Have your heart set on a particular unit after you graduate but are unable to job shadow in person?  Reach out to the unit manager directly and express your interest in their unit upon graduation. Reach out to your clinical instructors to see if they have any connections to the unit that you’re interested in.  is that unit hiring nursing students?  Apply, apply, apply!  Use any resources that you can in order to stay well connected to those who will bring you closer to your goals. 
  3. Don’t forget your why.  During all the chaos and changes going on, it can be easy to get lost in it all and forget why you started this journey in the first place.  Taking the time to remember what motivated you in the very beginning to set out on this whirlwind of an experience is bound to bring back some good motivation to keep you pushing forward!  No one ever thought they’d be in nursing school in the middle of a pandemic, but I fully believe that if we can make it through this then we can do anything! 

Online for Nursing School

Written by

Amidst COVID-19, many changes have taken place around the world. This is also true regarding nursing programs. Some nursing programs have stopped their courses completely until further notice. Some have switched from in-person courses to online and clinical hours taking place inside the hospital have been halted until further notice. Although we all understand these changes have been made not only for our own safety but for the safety of everyone else, these changes can leave nursing students wondering how to go about these adjustments. I may just be one of many nursing students, but one thing I know for certain is that as long as you have the determination, self-discipline, organization, and time management skills, this bump in the road will only prepare us to become even stronger nurses someday. 

When I began researching different accelerated nursing programs, I was torn between programs that were online versus in person. I ultimately took a leap of faith and chose an online-based program which I am even more grateful for with the current circumstances and since COVID-19 has created so many changes for those in traditional nursing programs. While others were left feeling uncertain after being switched from in-person lectures to online, all I’ve wanted to do was tell these students how this change will not alter their ability to still become great nurses. There are many ways to power through and make the most out of your nursing program, even if it is online.   

The first key to success with an online nursing program is determination. Just because you are not meeting in person for the time being does not mean that you can lose sight of your end goals. Staying determined to keep turning in all your assignments on time, writing out your own notes, answering practice questions, working ahead instead of falling behind, and so on, will continue to keep setting you up to reach your goals. 

Self-discipline, time management, and organization with an online-based nursing program are all HUGE. Since you are not always meeting up with your classmates, professors, or instructors, it is solely up to you and you alone to hold yourself accountable. Get a planner, dry erase board, notebook, or whatever you will put to good use in order to keep tabs on what you need to be getting done on a daily and weekly basis for your classes. I tend to treat my days like an actual “workday” where I will work on my courses from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  I will develop a set plan of attack beforehand that could consist of me working on one class from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., take a lunch break, and then finish the day with another class from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.   

Within those set timeframes for each class, I listen to the lectures online while simultaneously viewing the PowerPoint presentation and look up anything in the book that I may still be struggling with. Once I am finished with the lectures and readings, I make sure to write out my own notes and/or type out topics that are helpful towards a study guide. Finally, I ALWAYS finish up with Elsevier Adaptive Quizzing (EAQ).  

When I say that EAQs have been a game changer for my success in my nursing program, I truly mean it. The more exposure I get to the material in a question format, the better understanding I begin to have overall. Being able to have rationales for every question, whether you get the question correct or not, adds even more learning. I always strive to do at least 20-30 EAQ questions a day, which can end up being hundreds of practice questions by the time of my exam!  Anyone can make 20-30 EAQ questions a day happen no matter how busy they are – do them while you’re on the couch watching TV, when you’re lying in bed before you go to sleep, do 5-10 at a time in between assignments, etc.  I promise you that it is doable, helpful, and there’s truly NO excuse to not take full advantage of these Elsevier resources! 

In the end, it’s important to remind ourselves that all these changes will not last forever. These changes may have created a bit of chaos in the beginning, but in the end how we choose to handle this phase of our nursing programs will play a large role in our actual nursing careers. Keep pushing forward, friends! No matter what, we will all be amazing nurses someday. 

Making the Most of Virtual Nursing School

Written by

I bet when you received your acceptance for nursing school, you never thought you’d be taking some of your most vital classes through a computer. When COVID took over our world, it unfortunately changed the way most of us did nursing too and left most of us wondering…what now? If you’re anything like me, you thrive off of face-to-face interaction, hands-on learning, and a set schedule. Because of this, I already knew that moving to a virtual format would not come without challenges. Because I attend an accelerated BSN program, my classes change every 8 weeks. With that being said, I am currently in my 4th online class and I wanted to share some tips and tricks I have found useful in making the most of being a virtual nursing student.

Form a Routine.

This is so very important. Being at home can make it easy to fall into your usual day-to-day routine and push off school related tasks. This is an easy way for you to fall behind. By creating a daily schedule, you are putting yourself back into a routine and practicing self-discipline.

Be Active in Class.

Although your professors may not be right in front of you like they would be in a traditional classroom, it is important to know that you still have your faculty’s support. If you are not understanding a concept, don’t be afraid to ask because chances are someone else in the classroom doesn’t understand as well. I know it can be intimidating to ask questions during online lecture, but the only silly question is the one left unasked! Remember that this is your learning experience and keeping an open line of communication with your professors is an important part of your success.

Use a Planner.

I cannot stress this enough! It is so easy to lose track of deadlines and due dates when your days seem to run together. Taking a day out of the week to fill out your planner will help you tremendously by allowing you to see what is due when and also how much extra time you’ll have from week to week.

Connect with Classmates.

Remember that during this challenging time, you are not alone! Connect with your classmates and set up virtual study dates. This is a great way to bounce ideas off of each other and to gain a different point of view on concepts of nursing.

Open Mindset

While this is a very trying time for most of us, it is important to remain optimistic. As future nurses, resilience is important, and this is the perfect opportunity to practice that personality trait. We did not ask for this and unfortunately it is the way of the world right now so keeping an open mind and remaining positive is important. Remind yourself of why you want to a nurse and remember that this is only temporary!

How to Retain Critical Information in Nursing School

Written by

Before attending nursing school, I was able to study by writing a few things on flash cards and going about my day, often passing courses with As and Bs. That quickly changed after admission into nursing school. Not only did I have a load of coursework to study, but I had to study “learning how to study” before I could effectively learn any material …I’m sure any nursing student can totally relate to that.  

Being a tutor for many nursing students as well as being a student myself, I can say the reason most students fail exams or pass with undesirable results is because they simply do not know how to study rather than not studying at all. Since my first semester of nursing school, I have invested in NCLEX books. When I suggest using an NCLEX book, the initial reaction is usually “aren’t those for people who are graduating?” My answer is absolutely not. 

Using an NCLEX practice book is imperative to any student in nursing school. Why? Because NCLEX-style questions are typically what you will see on your exams up to and after graduation when you try to pass boards. Owning an NCLEX book will give you an opportunity to see how questions are structured, with lots of topics broken down into what you need to know.  

The NCLEX book I use is the Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination, 8th edition. Honestly, it is the best one I’ve used! It has every subject that you will see in nursing school from pathophysiology to critical care nursing. I use my NCLEX book to refresh on topics from the previous semester during school breaks and to ensure that I am prepared for my upcoming exams.  

I am currently in my fourth semester of nursing school and this book has made learning critical care and pediatrics much easier. Learning material can feel overwhelming because it’s not always easy to follow along, but I use my book to get a baseline of what my professor would like me to know. Then, after taking notes from readings, YouTube videos, and lecture, I end the week off with my NCLEX practice book to help me narrow everything down. 

Once I have gotten a pretty good idea of the material, I test myself using the questions provided in the book. There are over a thousand questions throughout the book and they are organized by subject and topic. I love that rationales are provided with each question. Not only am I developing better testing strategies, but I am able to see what areas I could improve in. 

In conclusion, I recommend any student of nursing or graduate preparing to take their NCLEX examination to use an NCLEX book. It always leaves me with a boost of confidence before my exams and wonderful grades to reflect.  

Happy studying, 

Jehr