Straight A Nursing: Study for nursing school exams & NCLEX

In this podcast episode, Nurse Mo describes all the types of nursing school clinical rotations you could encounter on your journey to become a nurse. And here's a hint...it's so much more than taking care of sick people in the hospital! ___________________ Full Transcript - Read the article and view references FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this c...

You've most likely heard of TPA because of its widespread usage in ischemic stroke, but did you know there are several other uses for this clot-busting drug as well? In this podcast episode, Nurse Mo talks about the five common uses for TPA and what you are going to monitor as you give this very potent (and potentially risky) medication. ___________________ FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nur...

If there's one thing I get emails and questions about it's how on earth to manage everything efficiently in nursing school. The best advice I can give is to plan your time well and stick with your plan. What's that saying...if you fail to plan then you plan to fail? In this podcast episode, Nurse Mo talks about time management and how to plan your schedule for maximum efficiency whether you're in...

I always laugh and laugh and laugh when I hear stories of nursing students who think they'll never have to deal with poop and that toileting and bowel care is a job for the nurses aids or techs. Pause here while I insert a lot of really loud laughter...because to even think that for one tiny little second is hilarious. Like really? Do you know what nurses do? Nurses help people and one of the thin...

Knowing your cranial nerves is essential to conducting a thorough neurological exam. You learn what they are and what they do in A&P, and in nursing school you learn how to assess them. In this podcast episode, Nurse Mo covers all the cranial nerves, whether each is motor or sensory (or both), what the nerves do and how you assess their function. Piece of cake! ___________________ FREE CLASS - If...

Many of you have emailed or reached out on social media asking about help with nursing school pharmacology. One of the most common types of drugs you'll be seeing in the clinical setting are antihypertensives. So if you're struggling to remember beta blockers vs diuretics vs ace inhibitors. No worries! In this podcast episode we cover: * The drug classes: calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors,...

One of the newest drugs to hit the critical care environment is angiotensin II, which goes by the brand name Giapreza. It is a continuous IV infusion used for patients in septic shock or other forms of distributive shock. In this podcast episode Nurse Mo talks about the basics of this medication, how it's administered (it's in nanograms!!!!) and what to watch out for (so many things!) ____________...

One of the harshest realities for new nurses is when that first big dose of compassion fatigue hits. It can be shocking, disheartening and confusing to realize you aren't "feeling all your feelings" with every single tragedy you encounter. The first step to getting a handle on compassion fatigue is knowing that partitioning off parts of your heart is vital to your emotional survival as a nurse. Th...

In this podcast episode, learn the basics of the V/Q mismatch, what the V and Q stand for (and it's not as straightforward as you'd think!), the two main types of V/Q mismatch and, of course, what you are going to do about it. Be sure to subscribe to never miss an episode! ___________________ Full Transcript - Read the article and view references FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school...

Nursing school teaches you a lot of things, but probably not some of the things you REALLY need to know. In this podcast episode we answer some burning questions posed by a nurse on Twitter who realized she didn't receive quite enough education to prepare her for the challenges of being a bedside nurse. ___________________ FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then yo...

Being a pre-nursing student and an actual, bona-fide nursing student are two VERY different things. In this podcast episode, I share with you my best advice for transitioning from your pre-reqs to your nursing school program. * The importance of being flexible * Why you NEED a consistent sleep schedule * The benefits of saying "so long" to a competitive mindset * Why being humble is better than be...

In short terms, shock is a syndrome of hypoperfusion and hypotension that leads to inadequate oxygen delivery to the tissues and impaired cellular metabolism that ultimately results in organ dysfunction/failure. In this episode we'll talk about: *what is shock *4 classifications of shock (hypovolemic, distributive, cardiogenic and obstructive) *Assessments and things to watch for *Stages of shock...

Being an awesome nurse often boils down to the ability to seemingly get 20 things done all at once while making it look like a walk in the park. Of course, this is an exaggeration...but if you've ever seen an experienced nurse manage his/her patients with apparent ease, you may have thought, "how on earth does s/he do it?" In this podcast episode, we talk about how nurses get sh#% done through the...

Diuretics are used quite frequently in the clinical setting. In this podcast episode, we discuss the ins and outs of: * Loop diuretics * Potassium-sparing diuretics * Thiazide diuretics * Specialty diuretics In this brief overview, you'll learn the most common diuretics used in each of these classes, how they work, what you need to watch for and how you'll educate the patient. ___________________...

In this podcast episode we talk about the basics of COPD nursing interventions and assessments. You will see a LOT of COPD patients in the clinical setting, and many times they are in acute distress requiring immediate and decisive intervention. Knowing what to watch for, how to intervene and how to safely care for these patients will help make you a more confident nurse. Enjoy! __________________...

IV therapy is so much more than simply giving your patient's fluids. It's knowing what kind of IV access is most appropriate for your patient, how to care for it, what you can and can't infuse through it....AND it's knowing which fluids are best for your patient's current condition. In this podcast episode we cover the basics of IV therapy including the following: * Peripheral IV lines * Midline c...

Nursing school stress comes in many forms and from many different directions. The key to managing it effectively is knowing what to expect and having a solid game-plan to meet it head-on! In this podcast episode we talk about the main sources of nursing school stress and some key strategies to help you mitigate them. So, get on your walking shoes, pop in your ear buds and let's get outside for som...

In this podcast episode we talk about the main medications used to prevent and treat blood clots. * Lovenox * Heparin * Coumadin * Eliquis and other new-generation anticoagulants * Brilinta and other platelet inhibitors * TPA In the clinical setting, you'll see anticoagulants used for a wide variety of patients, including those with acute myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, stroke and DVT....

In this podcast, we feature our very first guest interview! Please pardon the sound quality as we are still getting the technical details figured out....the message our guest shares is worth it, I promise! In nursing school you learn about being an advocate for your patient, and our guest (Eve) shares with you her views on what she calls "Warrior Advocacy" which is represented by a relentless purs...

In this podcast episode we talk about hemodynamic medications that you're likely to encounter in Advanced Med/Surg and/or your ICU clinical rotations. With this basic introduction to these powerful medications, you'll have a general understanding of why they are used and how they are administered. * Norepinephrine * Vasopressin * Neosynephrine * Epinephrine * Dobutamine * Dopamine * Milrinone ____...

Since it's the holidays, let's all take a break from studying, shall we? Enjoy a sweet little Christmas tale, relax with your family and friends, eat too many cookies, wear too many pajamas and feel joy in whatever way makes your heart sing. You can get back to studying in the new year with many great resources INCLUDING: Clinical Success Pack - One of the best ways to fast-track your clinical lea...

In this podcast we talk about one of the MOST useful and EASIEST, QUICKEST calculations you can do to determine just how sick your respiratory-compromised patient is...the PF ratio! Check out some of the amazing things you'll learn: * What the P and F stand for; what is PaO2 and what is FiO2? * Difference between PaO2 and SaO2 * Optimal PaO2 ranges and levels of hypoxemia * How to calculate the PF...

In this episode of the Straight A Nursing podcast, we talk about ventilator weaning, which is actually a process that starts the moment the patient is intubated. If you are entering your advanced Med/Surg clinical rotation or are new to the ICU, this podcast will provide you with the basic knowledge you need to advocate for your patient and help guide them toward extubation. * The five main things...

As I've said many times before, nursing is all about solving problems. You SEE something, you DO something...it's so simple. But, at the same time, putting it into practice can be quite complex. The patient problems you start out with at the beginning of your shift, are not always going to be the same problems you're dealing with a few hours in. As a nurse, your ability to adapt, reprioritize and...

Nursing is all about SEEING something and then DOING something. We see problems, we fix them. We see potential problems and we try to avoid them. That's it in a nutshell, folks! And that's where your head to toe assessment comes into play. As one of the most important skills you will learn EVER, it's also one of the fist really big things you'll tackle in your fundamentals course. It can be overwh...