Straight A Nursing: Study for nursing school exams & NCLEX

It's a great day to review the differences between STEMI & NSTEMI! In this episode, we'll review: The key differences between STEMI and NSTEMI How to recognize a STEMI on the ECG What “contiguous leads” actually means Signs and symptoms of myocardial infarction Tests utilize to diagnose and evaluate an MI How STEMI and NSTEMI are treated Feeling overwhelmed or unsure how to approach nursing school...

Acute confusion is often one of the first signs something is wrong. The sooner you identify the cause, the sooner your patient can get the treatment they need. Hit play to review 3 common causes to keep an eye out for. ___________________ ⁠Nursing School Survival Blueprint⁠ - Feeling overwhelmed or unsure how to approach nursing school? Download this free Blueprint to understand exactly what's wor...

Most nursing students spend months anxiously waiting for school to start. Then day one arrives and they're completely reactive, overwhelmed, behind, and wondering why nobody told them what to expect. This, my friend, is a quick path to nursing school burnout and I definitely don’t want that for you! If you're starting nursing school soon (or you've just started and you're already feeling the press...

A common misconception is that ETCO₂ measures oxygen. It doesn't. Hit play to find out what ETCO₂ does measure, how it works, and why it's so valuable. ___________________ ⁠Nursing School Survival Blueprint⁠ - Feeling overwhelmed or unsure how to approach nursing school? Download this free Blueprint to understand exactly what's working against you — and what to do instead. Straight A Nursing Study...

Understanding the key foundational concepts of pain is crucial as a nurse and I've got you covered in this episode. Press play to gain a deeper understanding of pain and pain management for nursing, including: types of pain pain scales pain interventions nonpharmacologic pain therapies patient-controlled analgesia Feeling overwhelmed or unsure how to approach nursing school? Listening to my podcas...

As a clinical instructor, I noticed that many new nursing students struggle with care plan pharmacology. In this episode, I'm addressing the key things your clinical instructor wants to see as your fill out your med worksheets. ___________________ ⁠⁠Nursing School Survival Blueprint⁠⁠ - Feeling overwhelmed or unsure how to approach nursing school? Download this free Blueprint to understand exactly...

Over the years I've seen students struggle and students thrive, and what becomes clear pretty quickly is the students who struggle tend to repeat the same handful of mistakes. And the sneaky part? Most of them won’t feel like mistakes when you’re making them. It’s not that you're not smart enough, or not working hard enough, or not meant for this. Nursing school rewards a specific kind of engageme...

You've picked up the blood pressure cuff and your patient says "Wait! Not that arm! I had a mastectomy." You swiftly go for the other arm, but let's talk about WHY we avoid taking blood pressures, starting IVs, and doing veni-punctures on the side of a mastectomy. ___________________ ⁠Nursing School Survival Blueprint⁠ - Feeling overwhelmed or unsure how to approach nursing school? Download this f...

Want to start clinicals with more confidence? Walking in, already knowing these 8 common labs inside and out will definitely give you an edge when it comes to interpreting your patients lab results and understanding important components of their care plan. Still nervous about starting clinicals? One of the best ways to fast-track your clinical learning is having the right tools. And you're in luck...

If you've ever wondered why your patients with low albumin also have edema, hit play and I'll explain. You'll see that the "why" behind this connection makes total sense and it will stick with you forever. This is a quick episode that covers what albumin is and does in the body, what happens when it's low (hello edema!), where you'll most likely see this clinically and your nursing priorities when...

If you can relate to feeling like your mind has blanked while you're taking your nursing school exams despite studying all weekend going through your notes, rewatching lectures, and rewriting your study guides, I'd bet that you've fallen in to something I call the overstudying trap. It's one of the most common, most exhausting cycles nursing students get stuck in. More hours + More highlighting +...

Let's start your week strong with a quick tip you can incorporate right away. In this Mo's Monday Minute shortie episode, I'm breaking down the BUN-to-creatinine ratio and why nurses look at them together. See you there! ___________________ Nursing School Survival Blueprint - Feeling overwhelmed or unsure how to approach nursing school? Download this free Blueprint to understand exactly what's wor...

Every other week I republish one of my most popular or impactful episodes from my backlog of over 450 episodes. This week I'm throwing it back to episode 267 and talking about what to know before you start clinicals. These tips are exactly the things I’d make sure you understood before your first clinical day if I was your clinical instructor. ___________________ ⁠Nursing School Survival Blueprint...

It’s PodQuiz Monday! Test your knowledge from last week’s episode with a quick set of audio flashcards designed to reinforce what you learned. These mini-reviews are a great way to study on the go, and they give you a taste of what it’s like inside Study Sesh, my audio study tool for busy nursing students. If you need a brush-up on perfusion before you do this podquiz, I've got you covered in epis...

You know that moment when you walk into a patient’s room and something just feels… off? Not wrong in a pull-the-crash-cart way. Just… different. Their blood pressure is trending down a little. They’re not quite as sharp as they were two hours ago. Urine output isn’t great. And your brain starts doing that scrambling thing — flipping through every diagnosis you’ve ever learned, trying to figure out...

It’s PodQuiz Monday! Test your knowledge from a recent episode with a quick set of audio flashcards designed to reinforce what you learned. These mini-reviews are a great way to study on the go, and they give you a taste of what it’s like inside Study Sesh, my audio study tool for busy nursing students. If you need a brush-up on vascular assessments before you do this podquiz, I've got you covered...

Every other week I republish one of my most popular or impactful episodes from my backlog of over 450 episodes. This week I'm highlighting Episode 274, which walks you through how to perform a vascular assessment. ___________________ ⁠Full Transcript⁠- Read the article "Performing a Vascular Assessment" and view references ⁠Nursing School Survival Blueprint⁠ - Nursing school gets easier when you h...

It’s PodQuiz Monday! Test your knowledge from a recent episode with a quick set of audio flashcards designed to reinforce what you learned. These mini-reviews are a great way to study on the go, and they give you a taste of what it’s like inside Study Sesh, my audio study tool for busy nursing students. If you need a brush-up on burn fundamentals before you do this podquiz, I've got you covered in...

You studied all weekend. You put in the hours. And you still walked out of that exam feeling like something just didn’t click. If that’s ever been you (or if you’re about to start nursing school and you’re already worried it will be) this episode is going to change how you think about studying. Because the problem isn’t how much you’re studying. It’s what’s happening in your brain while you do it....

Let's start your week strong with a quick tip you can incorporate right away. In this Mo's Monday Minute shortie episode, I'm breaking down early warning signs of clinical deterioration that, if noticed, could mean the difference between life and death. See you there! ___________________ ⁠⁠⁠FREE CLASS⁠⁠⁠ - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in...

Every other week I republish one of my most popular or impactful episodes from my backlog of over 450 episodes. This week I'm highlighting Episode 149, which takes you through the four main factors to keep in mind when you are looking at burns. ___________________ ⁠Full Transcript⁠- Read the article "The Basics of Burns" and view references ⁠Nursing School Survival Blueprint⁠ - Nursing school gets...

It’s PodQuiz Monday! Test your knowledge from last week’s episode with a quick set of audio flashcards designed to reinforce what you learned. These mini-reviews are a great way to study on the go, and they give you a taste of what it’s like inside Study Sesh, my audio study tool for busy nursing students. If you need a brush-up on rhabdomyolysis before you do this podquiz, I've got you covered in...

Thinking about taking the ATI TEAS exam? In this episode, I break down what the TEAS is actually testing and why so many students prepare the wrong way. Learn how the ATI TEAS measures foundational reasoning, reading comprehension, scientific literacy, and applied math skills, plus the four biggest mistakes students make when studying. If you want a strategic plan for TEAS prep that sets you up fo...

If you're starting nursing school soon, you won't want to miss this week's Mo's Monday Minute. In this shortie episode, I'm breaking down what actually matters before you start nursing school, and what you can safely ignore. See you there! ___________________ ⁠⁠FREE CLASS⁠⁠ - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand session where I...

Every other week I republish one of my most popular or impactful episodes from my backlog of over 450 episodes. This week I'm highlighting Episode #251, which is about a critical condition that is actually more common than you think. Hit play to break down rhabdo. ___________________ ⁠Full Transcript⁠- Read the article "Rhabdomyolysis Simplified" and view references⁠ Nursing School Survival Bluepr...