Straight A Nursing: Study for nursing school exams & NCLEX

When it comes to learning electrolytes in nursing school, sodium is one you'll probably talk about a lot and phosphorus is one you might not talk about much at all. But once you start working, especially if you're in critical care, you'll be talking sodium AND phos all the live-long day. Well maybe not ALL day, but probably MOST days :-) In this podcast we cover all the basics about these two very...

In this podcast episode, we go over the MOST important things you need to focus on in order to be successful in nursing school. If you're a first semester student or a struggling student, you might just be able to turn things around with the right focus. ___________________ FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand sessi...

We continue our electrolytes bonanza this week with magnesium and chloride. In this podcast episode we cover hypomagnesemia, hypermagnesemia, hypochloremia and hyperchloremia. And beyond just going over the normal lab ranges, we talk about all kinds of fun stuff: * the main roles of magnesium and chloride in the body * how to recognize magnesium and chloride imbalances * common causes of imbalance...

Understanding the important role that electrolytes play will separate you from the ho-hum nurse and catapult you into Awesome Nurse Status. If you're a student, you might think that it's simply a matter of knowing what the normal and abnormal values are...but that's just a teeny tiny part of it! In this podcast, we talk about potassium and calcium: * important roles of potassium and calcium * pota...

In Med/Surg 1, you learn the basics of stroke nursing and how rewarding and challenging it can be to care for these patients. And, because the human brain is an extraordinary thing, the manifestations of stroke and the nursing interventions are enough to make your head spin! In this podcast we cover the basics of stroke, including: * Causes and pathophysiology * Difference between ischemic and hem...

I get so many readers of the blog asking about nursing shift routines. How do you start your day? How do you stay organized? The key to getting and staying organized is having some consistent routines such as the ones outlined in this podcast: * Start of shift routine * First assessment routine * "Spot-check" routine * End of shift routine Armed with a few nursing shift routines, you will immediat...

Hey hey guys and gals! It's time for another PodQuiz and this one is a doozy! Maybe you've noticed that studying depression in nursing school is really tough...it's a complex topic that requires all your critical thinking skills. This PodQuiz covers some of the basics you'll need to know to rock that mental health exam and take really good care of patients with depression during your mental health...

Respiratory nursing interventions come into play all the time. After all, difficulties can present in many forms, but the end-game is all the same...your patient can't breathe as well as they should. And it can be scary for both the patient AND the nurse. In this podcast we cover the most common ailments you need to know for Med/Surg I, including: * Asthma: clinical manifestations, diagnostics, tr...

Looking for tips on how to study in nursing school? In this podcast I share with you the study method that changed my life, made me a more efficient student, focused my studying, and helped me understand the nurse's role in caring for patients with both acute and chronic conditions. If you are over-studying, spending hours of precious time developing concept maps and writing up case studies, then...

This podcast covers my best advice for being a rockstar in your nursing school clinicals. If you're like me, you are VERY nervous about starting clinicals...whether it's your first semester or your last. Making sure you are prepped to do and BE your absolute best ensures you get the most out of this very valuable time. Listen to this podcast to get my most USEFUL tips for rocking those nursing sch...

It's time for another PodQuiz! If you aren't familiar with this form of podcast, you are in for a treat! This is THE BEST WAY to study while also getting your life back on track. It's basically like doing flashcards, but instead of sitting and staring at your phone (or stack of index cards if you're "old-school") it's an auditory quiz! I ask a question and then pause, giving you time to answer...t...

In this podcast episode we talk about the basics of hyponatremia: * What is hyponatremia? * Common causes * The signs/symptoms of hyponatremia * How it's treated ___________________ Full Transcript - Read the article and view references 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 dispel all those nursing sc...

Developing your nursing intuition and clinical judgment takes time, experience and exposure to LOTS of patients and many different situations. Learning which five assessments you'll need to get you there is key! Over time (and after you've assessed a lot of patients and dealt with multiple scenarios) you'll start to develop an intuition and be able to "sense" when your patients are in trouble. And...

Let's review arrhythmia basics for nursing students. In this podcast episode, we'll talk through what causes them, how to identify them AND what you are going to do about them. * PACs * Atrial Flutter * Atrial Fibrillation * SVT * V-Tach * V-Fib * Idioventricular rhythms * Pulseless rhythms This episode is a great review if you're in Advanced Med/Surg, heading into your final semester preceptorshi...

In this PodQuiz we cover three very common pediatric nursing topics! * Peds nutrition (how many calories in an ounce of breast milk?) * Peds assessment (at what age can you assess a radial pulse?) * Peds psychosocial (how do you help a school-age child adapt to hospitalization?) What's a PodQuiz? It's essentially flashcards for your ears! Nurse Mo asks a question, pauses while you answer, then sta...

Is psychopharmacology causing you mental distress? So many drugs, so many side effects...it's a LOT to keep track of! Lucky for you I came up with a goofy way to remember key facts about these complex medications...and now I'm sharing it with you in this week's podcast of psychopharmacology study tips. In this episode we cover: * the atypical antidepressants * traditional antidepressants * atypica...

In this PodQuiz, we have a LOAD of fun! You'll listen to a list of signs/symptoms and then try to name which diagnosis/disease they refer to. How fun is that? It's a great way to study for your comprehensive exit exam and NCLEX! Ready to see how smart you are? Then give this PodQuiz a go! ___________________ FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this cla...

In this episode, we go through the basics of liver failure using my ingenious, wonderful, amazing LATTE method, which breaks down any patient condition into the "need to know" info. * L = How will the patient LOOK? * A = How will you ASSESS the patient? * T = What TESTS will be ordered? * T = What TREATMENTS will be provided? * E = How do you EDUCATE the patient/family? ___________________ FREE CL...

Think you know your nursing fundamentals? Listen to this Nursing Fundamentals Quiz and find out! In this episode, we cover: * Bowel elimination * Ostomies * Enemas * Occult blood and pH testing * Urinalysis * Latex allergies * Sterile field What's a PodQuiz? It's essentially flashcards for your ears! Nurse Mo asks a question, pauses while you answer, then states the answer...it's a fantastic way t...

Renal function is one of the most important AND most common things you'll keep an eye on as an RN...that's because so many things can cause it to take a dive: the meds we give, hypotension, contrast dye, decreased volume states, hemorrhage, dehydration, infection, crush injuries and on and on and on. In this podcast, we go over some of the renal failure basics you'll need for Med/Surg I and your f...

Hey there first semester students...are you stressing about your Fundamentals class or your skills check-offs? In this Fundamentals Quiz we go over some basics, including: * restraints and fall risk * skin integrity * oxygen administration and O2 sat monitoring * respiratory assessment * digestion and elimination Our PodQuiz episodes are essentially flashcards for your ears...I read a question, th...

In this podcast we talk about giving a succinct, flawless and informative end-of-shift report. Sounds simple enough, right? It should be, but you'd be surprised how often a bad shift report can leave you with more questions than answers. But, if you follow these guidelines, you'll be someone that all the other nurses LOVE getting report from...and yes, you will be giving report as students, too! A...

The first "PodQuiz" was so well-received that we're continuing it this week with a neuro assessment quiz. In this PodQuiz, you'll get a chance to review neuro assessment (including all the cranial nerves), Alzheimers, Parkinsons, MS and Stroke. Not sure what a PodQuiz is? In a nutshell, it's a way to review and quiz yourself on material using audio...I ask a question, there's a pause while you ans...

Managing ICP (intracranial pressure) is a complex balancing act. In this podcast you'll learn the basics of ICP monitoring and management, what to watch for, when to intervene and HOW to intervene. ___________________ Full Transcript - Read the article and view references FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand session...

This episode debuts something I'm really excited about....if you've ready my book, Nursing School Thrive Guide, you know that I am a big fan of learning in a variety of ways. So...one of the things I did when I was a student was to record audio quizzes so I could basically quiz myself on topics while I went for a walk, did the laundry, cleaned house....whatever. It freed me from the prison of my d...