Sunday, October 30, 2011
National Guideline Clearinghouse
http://www.guideline.gov
The NGC mission is to provide physicians and other health professionals, health care providers, health plans, integrated delivery systems, purchasers, and others an accessible mechanism for obtaining objective, detailed information on clinical practice guidelines and to further their dissemination, implementation, and use.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Medi-Smart - Study Tips from Former Nursing Students
GET THE MOST OUT OF CLASSES
- During even the most boring lecture, look interested. The secret of a good image is striving to be that which you wish to appear.
- Remember, some teachers are just jerks. Deal with it. Learning how to deal with jerks is a good skill to cultivate in any discipline.
- Introduce yourself to your instructors. You don't want to just be a "face in the crowd.
- Take your materials out of your house to study. Get away from distractions, undone dishes, radio and TV. The doughnut shop or all night cafe will offer quiet and ample amounts of coffee.
- Read nursing journals and magazines. Often current articles will compliment your text and make the information more easily understood.
- Use individual sheets of paper or large index cards to make a file of disease/conditions and their treatments. List etiology, signs and symptoms, diagnostic tests, interventions, etc. and keep them in a binder for future reference as well as present study.
- Take notes from your notes! After taking notes in class or from the book, put away the book and tape player and outline the notes.
- Turn course objectives (as found in the beginning of each chapter or from the course syllabus) into questions - instant study guide!
- Whether you don't know how to make a bed or have been an EMT for years, remember everyone begins clinicals as different levels of experience. Focus on where you are going, what you will learn - not on how much (or little) you know now.
- If you have trouble remembering protocols, lab values or even your patient's name :) write them down on index cards and keep them in your pocket. The more you use them the more you study them.
- In Psych rotation, take a moment to center yourself before working with patients. Most respond best to a calm focused approach.
- Study your instructors. The more you know them the more likely you are to understand them and what they are expecting from you.
- If you don't know how to do a procedure, look it up, check the protocols, ask for help. Instructors would rather be "bothered" walking you through the procedure than fixing the mess or hearing the complaints if you do something wrong.
- Be helpful to the nurse you are assigned to for clinical. Take all the vitals, never contradict publicly, don't ask constant questions (that's what you have instructors for) In general, kiss-up! The nurse will be glad of the help and be more likely to help you.
- Don't make your supervising nurse hold your hand. Even if you're scared and have never done something before, jump in and do anything suggested.
- Volunteer information! Instructors like to be informed about your patients. If they can trust you to keep them informed, you are likely to be trusted to work independently.
- Explore volunteer opportunities in your area. It ain't just for candy stripers any more. Many clinics and outreach organizations are completely run by volunteers. The experience can help you shine on the floor.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Kaplan NCLEX Sample Exams
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Med-Surg Textbook Companion Sites
Check out these free and openly available med-surg textbook companion websites.
Medical-Surgical Nursing: Critical Thinking in Client Care 3rd ed. by Priscilla LeMone & Karen Burke
Medical-Surgical Nursing: Critical Thinking in Client Care 3rd ed. by Priscilla LeMone & Karen Burke
http://wps.prenhall.com/chet_lemone_medicalsurg_3/11/2950/755395.cw/index.htmlIncludes NCLEX reviews, case studies, media links and media link application questions, and audio glossary.
Medical-Surgical Nursing Care 2nd ed. by Karen M. Burke, Priscilla LeMone, & Elaine Mohn-Brown
http://wps.prenhall.com/chet_burke_medicalsur_2/
Note: This is an earlier edition of the previous text, but much of the study material differs, so you can find extra review exercises here. Includes NCLEX reviews, case studies, short answer (Challenge Your Knowledge) questions, matching questions, study aides (Tool Box), audio glossary, and web links.
Medical-Surgical Nursing: Reviews & Rationales by Mary Ann Hogan & Tomas Madayag
http://web.squ.edu.om/med-Lib/MED_CD/E_CDs/Medical%20Surgical%20Nursing%20Reviews%20&%20Rationales/chet_hogan_medsurg_1/index.html
Includes pre-tests, practice NCLEX questions, and post tests.
Contemporary Medical-Surgical Nursing 2nd ed. by Rick Daniels & Leslie H. Nicoll
http://www.wadsworth.com/cgi-wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&product_isbn_issn=9781439058602&token=
Includes crosswords, flashcards, and glossary.
Medical-Surgical Nursing: An Integrated Approach 2nd ed. by Lois White & Gena Duncan
http://www.delmarlearning.com/companions/index.asp?isbn=0766825663
Includes Power Notes (PowerPoint presentations).
Medical-Surgical Nursing Care 2nd ed. by Karen M. Burke, Priscilla LeMone, & Elaine Mohn-Brown
http://wps.prenhall.com/chet_burke_medicalsur_2/
Note: This is an earlier edition of the previous text, but much of the study material differs, so you can find extra review exercises here. Includes NCLEX reviews, case studies, short answer (Challenge Your Knowledge) questions, matching questions, study aides (Tool Box), audio glossary, and web links.
Medical-Surgical Nursing: Reviews & Rationales by Mary Ann Hogan & Tomas Madayag
http://web.squ.edu.om/med-Lib/MED_CD/E_CDs/Medical%20Surgical%20Nursing%20Reviews%20&%20Rationales/chet_hogan_medsurg_1/index.html
Includes pre-tests, practice NCLEX questions, and post tests.
Contemporary Medical-Surgical Nursing 2nd ed. by Rick Daniels & Leslie H. Nicoll
http://www.wadsworth.com/cgi-wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&product_isbn_issn=9781439058602&token=
Includes crosswords, flashcards, and glossary.
Medical-Surgical Nursing: An Integrated Approach 2nd ed. by Lois White & Gena Duncan
http://www.delmarlearning.com/companions/index.asp?isbn=0766825663
Includes Power Notes (PowerPoint presentations).
Do you know of other companion sites? Leave a comment below to share with your classmates.
NSNA Study Tips
The National Student Nursing Association often asks members to contribute study tips for its September/October back-to-school issue of Imprint: The Professional Magazine for Student Nurses. Here are some from years past:
2005 - http://www.nsna.org/Portals/0/Skins/NSNA/pdf/Imprint_SeptOct05_backtoschool_studytips.pdf
2006 - http://www.nsna.org/Portals/0/Skins/NSNA/pdf/Imprint_sept06_backschool_studytips.pdf
2007 - http://www.nsna.org/Portals/0/Skins/NSNA/pdf/Imprint_SeptOct07_BTS_StudyTips.pdf
2008 - http://www.nsna.org/Portals/0/Skins/NSNA/pdf/Imprint_SeptOct08_BTS_StudyTips.pdf
2009 - http://www.nsna.org/Portals/0/Skins/NSNA/pdf/Imprint_SeptOct09.pdf
While you're visiting NSNA, also check out "Tips to Surviving Nursing School" by Joan C. Borgatti, MEd, RN - http://www.nsna.org/Portals/0/Skins/NSNA/pdf/Career_tipssurvive.pdf
2005 - http://www.nsna.org/Portals/0/Skins/NSNA/pdf/Imprint_SeptOct05_backtoschool_studytips.pdf
2006 - http://www.nsna.org/Portals/0/Skins/NSNA/pdf/Imprint_sept06_backschool_studytips.pdf
2007 - http://www.nsna.org/Portals/0/Skins/NSNA/pdf/Imprint_SeptOct07_BTS_StudyTips.pdf
2008 - http://www.nsna.org/Portals/0/Skins/NSNA/pdf/Imprint_SeptOct08_BTS_StudyTips.pdf
2009 - http://www.nsna.org/Portals/0/Skins/NSNA/pdf/Imprint_SeptOct09.pdf
While you're visiting NSNA, also check out "Tips to Surviving Nursing School" by Joan C. Borgatti, MEd, RN - http://www.nsna.org/Portals/0/Skins/NSNA/pdf/Career_tipssurvive.pdf
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