Study Methods for Each Nursing Class!

Big news, everyone! I am officially: Jenna Speight, BSN! I am still awaiting the dreaded NCLEX at this point to gain the title of "RN", but it is exciting to say that nursing school is behind me at last! Now that I have the title of BSN by my name, I am practically an expert in nursing school classes. ;) So I wanted to share with you today the methods that I used to study throughout nursing school!

If you have never been in nursing school before, you will soon learn that any one way of studying will not cut it. Throughout all of my pre-requisites, I would get study guides (What are those?!) from my teacher, go through them, and then draw diagrams to help me. That was that! When I took my first nursing school exams, I fell flat on my face. I tried to study the same exact way for Health Assessment, Pharmacology, and Foundations! If you are a veteran nursing student, you probably laughed just now! What was I thinking?!

The fact of the matter is that everyone is different. What will work for me, may not work for you. Regardless, you have to learn to adapt to the class that you are given, just as you will have to adapt to any patient that walks through the hospital doors. Using the same study methods for all of your classes will not fly, because each class focuses on a different concept or type of information. For example, Pharmacology focuses on facts and names of medications, while Med-Surg focuses more on the how-it-works for diseases. One requires memorization, while the latter requires an understanding of the whole picture.

Below I outline the primary ways that I studied in each of the classes that I listed. However, these are not the only methods I used in each class. Often times, you have to change the way that you study depending on how you do on the exams. As I explained, what works for me may not work for you, but below I have provided information on what study methods worked best for me and my courses.

I broke the following courses down by what percentage I felt was memorization and understanding. Here is what I mean by each:

• Memorization: The amount of the coursework that I simply memorized. (For example: definitions, lab values, side effects, etc.)
• Understanding: The amount of coursework that I had to make connections and grasp a full knowledge with. In other words, I had to see the bigger picture of how it works in order to learn the material (i.e. disease processes, nursing interventions, etc.)

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Foundations of Nursing/Geriatrics: Textbook Review Questions & Powerpoints!

• Memorization: 30%
• Understanding: 70%

This is not wrong.
Image retrieved from https://i.imgur.com/eKkFH9h.png

At GCU, Foundations and Geriatric nursing were one in the same class. This posed an extra challenge, because they are two different subjects. The major thing with classes that are combined like this is to compartmentalize it separately. When you are writing down notes, try to use different colors or put them on separate pages when transitioning between the two concepts. Otherwise, you might end up thinking an exam question is asking about a geriatric patient, when it really is asking about a general adult patient (the answer is usually different!). Hopefully, your instructor structures the class to help you separate the two concepts without blurring the lines too much.

This was the only core nursing course in which I did not read the book, because it just did not seem to help me at all. However, the book cost me a good $350, so I felt bad not using it! Instead, I would make sure to do all of the review questions out of the book for every chapter that was talked about in class. Review questions are a HUGE help for almost every class in nursing school, but the questions found online for this class were just too vague for what I needed to know for my exams. If you do not have the stamina to read 350-500 pages a week (who does, honestly?), just go ahead and use the review questions in the book and read the chapter overviews at the beginning and/or end. Often times, nursing schools will pull questions directly from your assigned text. So getting those questions and the summary will give you a basic overview.

Using this method still does NOT substitute for learning the information. Since I did not read the text for this class, I had to get my information somewhere else. My professor provided awesome PowerPoints that were derived from the textbook. Since they were not as detailed as a textbook, I read through them three or four times each to make sure that I got the concepts down, and took notes in pen on the major topics.

Health Assessment: Homemade Study Guides!

• Memorization: 60%
• Understanding: 40%

One of my homemade study guides on OneNote.
Note: the nursing process changed while I was in school from ADPIE to ADOPIE.

This class was kind of a middle ground of understanding and memorizing. In some cases, you do need to understand the general reason why an abnormal finding is occuring, but you don't necessarily need the full picture at this point. It will be a little bit more memorizing of what is normal and what is abnormal for different age groups.

For this course, I would read the book and make my own study guide as I went along (only writing down questions and where to find it in the book, not writing any answers). Once I finished all of the reading, I would go back through the book and complete my study guide. Leading up to the exam, I would go over the study guide multiple times. This method allowed me to not only get an understanding of the topics by asking questions, but also made me re-read the information multiple times so that I would memorize the necessary assessment findings.

Pharmacology: Flashcards! Flashcards! Flashcards!

• Memorization: 85%
• Understanding: 15%

Image retrieved from http://www.chegg.com/play/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/01/flashcards.png

You may have already known this one, but pharmacology is primarily memorization. Students generally take pharmacology in their first block of the nursing program, so having a firm understanding of disease process that the medication is treating isn't necessarily the point of the class. However, you will have to have a general understanding of the mechanism of action for the drugs that you learn.

Luckily, my instructor gave my class a list of drugs and drug classes that could "possibly" be on the exam. So what I would do for this course is make flashcards for each of those drugs and drug classes. I would include on the card the: pharmacological name, brand name(s), class, action, uses, side effects, complications, and nursing considerations. Then, I would go through the cards over and over again leading up to the exam.



Medical-Surgical: Diagrams & Brain Maps!

• Memorization: 10%
• Understanding: 90%

Diagrams of heart diseases drawn on the windows of my dorm's study room.

Med-surg nursing was one hell of a class. If you have not already read my article about my "breaking point", this course brought me to the point of thinking I would not make it any further. The reason for this is because it was SO heavily based on understanding the concepts and how everything connected, and I was not at all prepared to do that. After trial and error, I came to understand just how to make my brain connect everything: through diagrams and brain mapping.

Brain maps were a study trick I learned in a high school history class. At that time, I did not believe in the magic that was brain mapping, and never used it again until the dreaded class that was Med-Surg. Brain mapping is simple. You write down the disorder in the middle of a piece of paper, then, you draw lines branching out from that word to different categories. For example, categories could include risk factors, complications, and nursing interventions. After you have your categories, you make many different branches to each of the items you need to know for that category. Once you do this, you should have something that looks like a web of information. When I do this, I imagine my brain developing neurons the neurons to connect all of the information just as I drew it out. It sounds ridiculous, but it works!

Diagrams are extremely helpful in this course, because it helps you understand how the disease works in the body. When doing diagrams, I try to draw out as much as I can and use minimal words, because it is easier for me to understand through visuals.

Note: Extra points if you draw diagrams and brain maps on a window in a public place. You feel like a mad genius as people walk by. ;)



Mental/Behavioral Health: Definition Lists & Outlines!

• Memorization: 60%
• Understanding: 40%

Mental health definitions written out on OneNote

Mental or behavioral health requires some understanding of disorders, but for the most part it was just definitions. This may be in part to a limited medical understanding of many mental disorders compared to physiological ones. Don't get me wrong, there are still many behavioral disorders, like alcoholism and withdrawal, that you will have to understand in detail. But the majority of the disorders in this course just require a basic overview and memorization.

Because of this, I simply wrote out definitions. If there was a disorder that I needed to know in detail, then I would write out everything that I would list out everything that I felt was necessary to understand it.



Maternal & Pediatrics: Rewriting Information!

• Memorization: 40%
• Understanding: 60%

Rewriting your notes on your computer and then in pen is a good way to make the information concrete.
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I took maternal and pediatric nursing in the third block, so at this point I had a firm understanding of some disease processes. Although these courses were still heavier on understanding than memorizing information, I felt that it was easier just to review the information by writing and/or drawing it out multiple times.

I reviewed the information multiple times by using different methods of doing so. This kept my attention and made it more fun than just re-reading a textbook. My first step was writing out my notes on paper. Then, I would organize and write out all of my notes on Microsoft Office's OneNote. Lastly, I would write out the information again on an available whiteboard or window.



Complex/Critical Care: Case Studies & Practice Questions!

• Memorization: 5%
• Understanding: 95%

Example of a case study diagram.
Image retrieved from https://i.pinimg.com/736x/6d/27/fe/6d27fe2f75a7e43f1c8c046188182286--rn-school-gerd-nursing-school.jpg

Although this course was the heaviest in understanding the bigger picture, it was not nearly as difficult as med-surg for me. This was because complex care was my final class of nursing school, and it was easier to connect the pieces at this point in the game. Complex care is not only about saving lives, but about understanding how all of the disease processes connect and how to care for real life patients that have more than just one problem.

The best ways that I figured out how to conquer this difficult course was through case studies and practice questions. Case studies are helpful in that you "draw out" your patient. This could be mentally or you could literally draw him or her out like in the photo above. You visualize what the patient looks like with this particular disease, then carry out care on this patient. You decide what labs and studies you should get started for him or her, then the interventions.

Complex care was the last course of nursing school for me, so the exams were designed to give us a better idea of NCLEX-style question. Because these questions were worded differently than what I was used to, I worked a lot of practice questions related to the subjects we learned about so that I could better my test-taking skills.

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Mess around with new methods of studying and try to figure out what is best for you! Those first few weeks of a class are your chance to experiment. Hell, I even called the first exam my test-run exam, because I wanted to see how my study method impacted my grade. After your grades come back, make sure to reflect on your study methods and create a plan of action for the future.

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Are you a veteran student nurse? If so, what study methods worked best for you in your courses? Leave a comment below about what worked for you! Make sure to like and share this article if you want more like it.

Follow me on Instagram @Jenna_Speight!

The Dreaded HESI Entrance Exam

If you are a Freshman or Sophomore in pre-nursing, you may have already heard about the HESI entrance exam to get into the nursing program for Junior and Senior year. You may have heard about how nerve-wracking it is, and sadly it is true. All of your hard work leads up to this test. If you pass, you get a chance at nursing! If you fail, you may have to reevaluate your major. It's scary! So without further ado, here are some tips for new nursing students taking the HESI A2 Entrance exam.

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How the HESI A2 Entrance Exam Works

The HESI A2 Entrance Exam is a computerized exam that is meant to test your knowledge based on pre-requisite classes you should have taken. Did you learn everything you needed to know for the exam in class? Probably not. But that is why you must take it upon yourself to study apart from your classes specifically for this exam.

The exam is split up into sections by subject, and every school has different subject requirements. For GCU, you will take 5 tests: reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, math, and anatomy and physiology. Some colleges require physics and chemistry, but it is important to check with the school. You can take as long as you need on each section, and can take a break at any time, but the test as a whole is timed at 5 hours. So if you take too long on one section, you could risk not finishing another section. However, I took my sweet time and still finished with 2-3 hours to spare. 

Most colleges do not require an overall score, but certain scores for each subject. GCU's minimum requirements for entrance scores per section are 80% in reading, grammar, vocabulary, and math; anatomy and physiology is a 75% (GCU, 2018).

Depending on your college's requirements, there is a maximum number of attempts for the exam. For GCU, you may only take it twice per application period and a total of four times in two application periods. Meaning, you can only test and apply for the program twice before being forced to choose a different major or school. I am not sure if all colleges do this, but GCU takes your best overall attempt for the application if you were to take the exam twice. So if you failed a section, or you just feel like you can get a better score, taking the test a second time is an option!

The most current HESI Admission exam review guide. I used the edition 3 when studying.
Image retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Admission-Assessment-Exam-Review-4e/dp/0323353789/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1529100817&sr=8-1&keywords=elsevier+hesi+entrance

Invest in a Study Guide & Textbook!

Think of it this way: by the time you get to the HESI Entrance exam, you would have spent thousands of dollars on your education thus far. What is a couple extra bucks to make sure you pass? I know it's not fun to buy books that are not required, but SERIOUSLY. Investing in a good study guide is a must for this exam, especially if you are like me and have not taken a math or english class since high school!

Above is a photo of the most recent HESI Admissions Assessment Review Guide. I used this brand in the edition 3 when I took my exam and it worked WONDERS. Elsevier is the company that creates the HESI exams, so obviously they are probably the best bet in terms of review guides. The math, english, vocabulary, and grammar portions of the edition 3 study guide were phenomenal! So much so, that everything that was on the test was in this guide. The only downside is that the anatomy and physiology section, although a good overview, was not nearly detailed enough to help me pass (more on that later).

For the anatomy and physiology section, I strongly suggest going through a textbook cover-to-cover to make notes and illustrations, if time permits. If you don't have enough time to read through the entire textbook, just read the chapter summaries and answer the review questions. I know, I know! You are probably like, "But Jenna, I just took anatomy and physiology. Why do I need to read through an entire boring textbook of what I already learned?" Just trust me. It doesn't hurt to read the textbook again if your future is depending on it. If you still have your anatomy and physiology textbook from your pre-requisite class, then use that. Otherwise, just head over to Goodwill and buy the most recent edition possible for a couple of bucks. Don't worry if it is a bit outdated! The information taught in A&P has hardly changed over the years. An outdated textbook may have some newer findings missing, but the information it does contain should all still be correct. The textbook I got from Goodwill was from 1996 (that is older than me), and it still worked like a charm.

For Anatomy and Physiology, I went through major topics, such as the cranial nerves, and drew illustrations (see below). You do not have to be an artist to draw yourself diagrams! Drawing things out, at least for me, helps solidify the concept that I am learning. When I take an exam, I visualize my drawing in my head and it helps to narrow things down.

Regardless, you do you! What works for me may not work for you, because everyone has a different learning style. Let me know in the comments what worked best for you!

This was my family's dining room table the day before my second attempt at the HESI exam.

"Failure" Does Not Equal Failure!

Okay, if you haven't noticed a pattern in my articles yet, nursing school is chock FULL of "failure"!!! I have "failed" SO many times, but you know what? I am still a damn good nurse! I used to not be able to say that, but one must look at "failure" more as a need for improvement than as a reason to quit. "Failing" an exam does not mean that you are a failure. It just shows you where your weak spots are. If you evaluate yourself and your study methods after receiving a bad grade, you can improve and come back stronger than before!

Anyway, my point is that you may "fail" your HESI Entrance exam, and that is perfectly okay. Believe it or not, I "failed" it my first time as well, and I was destroyed. I got 90s and up on all of the sections... except A&P. The study guide I used seemed so easy for that section, that I thought for sure the questions would be simple. I can't discuss what the questions consisted of, but I can say that they were WAY more detailed than I thought they would be! I got a 62%!

The reason that I am writing this for you now, as a Level 4 nursing student, is because I did end up passing. Once I walked out of that exam, I was really upset. But like I said before, GCU gives you a second chance per application period. I knew that I had to kick it into gear, so I signed up for the next exam and forced myself to spend the next week solely devoted to studying for A&P. My family's dining room table was FULL of illustrations, textbooks, and study guides for the whole week.

One thing that I strongly suggest you do after the exam, is log on to your Elsevier account and look at your results. It will actually show you exactly what sections you got wrong and, get this, provide you a detailed study guide for those sections. The study guide is extremely helpful, because you will most likely get similar questions the second time around to test your improvement.

What to do Before the Exam

This may have been drilled through your head time and time again, but there is no hurt in saying it again. The day before the exam, make sure to do something relaxing for a few hours and get a good night's rest (at least nine hours). I call bullcrap on the whole "don't study the day before the exam" thing. I like to study the day before, but I do not study for as long as the days before that.

It is, however, very important that you don't overload your brain the day of. I still to this day struggle with fighting the urge to pull out my notes and study up until the test starts. If you absolutely have to out of nervousness, pull out something simple to memorize, like vocabulary or metric conversions. Do not try to learn a physiology concept before the exam, because it will not stick in your short-term memory.

If you have not taken nutrition or you do not quite understand it, eating is very important to your exam performance! The day before the exam, it is especially important to eat a balanced diet. The day of, make sure to eat a healthy breakfast full of foods good for your brain. My go-to exam food is overnight oats or a yogurt parfait. Never ever drink coffee or anything else caffeinated before an exam, no matter how tired you may be. It may help you get that boost of alertness at first, but you will be extra nervous during the exam and may even crash during it. Instead, go for an apple or orange with cold water to get you alert.

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I hope that this information was helpful to you in preparing for the HESI Entrance exam. Let me know in the comments what worked for you when you took the HESI Entrance exam! I would love to hear from you. Hit the like button if this was helpful and subscribe to my blog for notifications on future posts. 💜

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References

Grand Canyon University. (2018). College of nursing and health care professions. Retrieved from https://students.gcu.edu/academics/college-of-nursing-and-health-care-professions.php

Things They Don't Tell You About Nursing School

I started working on this article in Level I. The funny thing is, my professor this semester brought up that there should be a book that says "things they don't tell you about nursing school". I figured maybe it was time to finish this article.

Yes. It is true. Colleges, like any other business, try to keep their good side in the light and cover up the not-so-pretty parts. The big problem with that is college is nothing like going to the dealership to buy a car. This is your education, not a product, and is (more often than not) more expensive than a car. Education should be treated more transparent and, sadly, it is not.

Below is a list of things that I, personally, would have wanted to know about Grand Canyon University's Nursing Program before I signed up to devote my life to this. This list is not meant to scare you away from nursing or GCU. Nursing is an incredibly rewarding experience, and I would not change my decisions or choice in school, despite the problems I face. However, I really wish recruiters would be more honest and open about the financial, mental, and emotional requirements nursing school brings. Some of these things only apply to GCU. However, GCU is not the only one that leaves out the bad to rope in students. From what I hear from nursing friends at other colleges, the majority of these things happen everywhere. 

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A Freshman, I mean, Baby Nursing Student...
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If You Are A Freshman, You Are Not In The Nursing Program

I remember how stupid I felt when I was a Freshman and told a Senior nursing student I was in the nursing program. I feel even stupider now that I am here! My roommate and I had gone to a club fair and walked up to the Student Nurses Association table. A Level 4 nursing student asked us if we were in the nursing program. I smiled from ear to ear like a dang nitwit and said, "yes, we are!" She then asked us what level we were in. To which I replied in confusion, "uuuuuh... We are Freshmen level!" The girl looked a mix of annoyed and amused as she explained that we are not actually in the nursing program. Save yourself the embarrassment!

A Bachelor of Science in Nursing is set up like a medical doctor program, except with half of the time. You have two years of prerequisites and two years of clinical/nursing curriculum. While you take prerequisites during your Freshman and Sophomore years, you are actually doing pre-nursing. During your Sophomore year, you will apply for the actual nursing program (which includes doing your HESI Entrance exam, Fingerprint clearance card, and any other requirements your school may have). The nursing program is your Junior and Senior year, split up into 4 levels or semesters.

You May Not Get In

This may not make too much sense, given that there is an ever-increasing shortage of nurses, but it is true: You may not get into the nursing program. Nursing school is highly competitive! According to the National League of Nursing, 64% of nursing programs turn away qualifying applicants from their program! On average, 36% of qualified applications are rejected by nursing schools around the country (NLN, 2014). That means that, after two years of hard work and money spent in pre-requisites, 36% of people who met all of the requirements, were still turned away from the program!

GCU puts students into three tiers: those who have both a high GPA and HESI scores, those who have either a high GPA or high HESI scores, and those who are transfer students or who have a low (but qualifying) GPA and HESI scores. When I applied, only a handful of tier two students made the ranks. Out of nearly a thousand applicants, only about a hundred made it into that semester's program.

Kiss Your Social Life Goodbye

Okay, so if you have/had nursing friends or family while in high school, you may have known that nursing school is mentally and emotionally draining. I, for one, was not that lucky. I knew that nursing school required a high GPA, but I had no idea that it would consume my life like it has. If you are looking for the traditional "college experience", then nursing is probably not right for you. I have gone to all of two basketball games, two dances, and a few free-food events in my entire college career. I set aside an average of 60-80 hours studying for each exam, not including class time. You will have labs, didactics, and clinicals dispersed in the most inconvenient manner. If you have to have a job, like me, then that takes up the rest of your "free time". Look at it this way: med school is 4 years of prerequisites and 4 years of the medical program. Nursing is basically med school, except shoved into 2 years of prerequisites and 2 years of the program. Every nursing student that is asked "what do you do in your freetime?" will likely not know what to say other than "study". I wish I could say that I joked about my life being "wake up, study, sleep, repeat", but that would be a hard lie.

Photo retrieved from https://i.pinimg.com/736x/8e/4b/d3/8e4bd352cc5159db5be396208ec898e8--medical-humor-nurse-humor.jpg

You Will Marry Nursing School

Running along the same lines of not having a social life, you will have to form relationships with people that truly understand how busy you are. My Psych professor said last year, "if your boyfriend or girlfriend sticks with you through nursing school, marry them." Other professors have even urged us not to get into a romantic relationship in nursing school, because of how difficult it is. Nursing school will and must always be number one in your life. It is hard for a significant other to feel like they are not your sun, but nursing school has to be if you are going to get through it. Personally, Chayton and I hang out quite a bit, but about 90% of the time that we spend together during the school year consists of me simply sitting next to him and staring at a textbook rather than at him. It helps when you can be study buddies together, because you can still spend time with each other while focusing on your futures. The biggest reward of being in a relationship in nursing school is that the memories you make when you get a vacation break (without homework) are cherished so much more.

The same amount of understanding is needed for relationships with friends and family. It is really hard to make friends that are not nursing students, because most people do not understand how different nursing is from other majors. Whether you are just starting college or the program, you should really sit down with those good friends in your life and talk about how different life is going to be. As long as they understand that you will have to be a friend from afar, then that is perfect. The same goes with family. They might have been used to seeing you every single day, weekend, or holiday (depending on your college living situation), but their time socializing with you will be chopped in half if not more.

"Additional Fees May Apply"

I am looking at you, GCU. They have long since deleted this off of their website and instead provided NO information on how much the nursing program will actually cost you. But, I do still have the budget sheet saved to me email, so please enjoy this wonderful comparison of what I was told nursing would cost and what it actually costs.

Anticipated Nursing Program Costs*

Drug Screen- $40.00-$45.00

Immunizations & Titers- Varies

Health Insurance-Varies

CPR Certification- $20-$40

Nursing Premium- $800 per semester

Textbooks- Varies

*additional fees may apply

Wow. Not bad, right? This is what the list should have looked like.

ACTUAL Anticipated Nursing Program Costs

Drug screen- $50

Fingerprint Clearance Card- $50

Immunizations & Titers- $100+

Health Insurance- We will accept your health insurance, but not tell you that until after we charge you $2000 for ours. (Better keep track of your invoices, haha!)

CPR Certification- $40-$80

Nursing Premium- $800 that increase by $100 every year. We won't disclose what this even pays for.

Textbook bundle- $1000... for one semester. We will drill it into your head that the bundle is the only way to get the necessary materials, but you could pay half this price by buying used or renting.

Access Cards/Books not in Bundle- $90-140 each, 1-3 times per semester

Clinical Placements- $50 per semester

Scrubs- $180 for two pairs

Supplies- $80+

Miscellaneous: $100-300 per semester for random stuff at random intervals, because we know you have that kind of money stashed with you ramen.

I sincerely wish I made these things up, but I am not that creative. Make sure when you are budgeting for the nursing program that you budget about $2000-$3000 over what you think you might need. You should not have to worry about making ends meet when you are trying to learn. Shame on GCU for not caring about those who financially need to know how much to save.

You are Held at Different Standards

Nursing students across the nation are held at a higher standard academically than any other major. Course are already more rigorous than most majors, but to add on top of that, nursing majors usually have their own grading scale and requirements. A lot of people have no idea about the grading requirements until they are sitting in their first class like deer in the headlights.

At GCU, specifically, you must maintain a 76% exam average. It does not matter if you got an A in the course, if you get a 75.99%, then you fail. On top of failing the didactic section, you also fail the clinical and lab sections as well, even if you passed them. I am not talking "oh, you failed, but your GPA won't change" kind of fail. I am talking straight up "F your GPA" kind of fail.

At GCU, if you fail a course, you must reapply for the program, and it is not guaranteed that you will be accepted. You may lose out on the money you spent to get to that point, may have to start over as a Sophomore in a different major, lose any student worker positions you may have had, lose honors, get put on academic probation, get denied on-campus housing, and end up having to pay on your student loans if you are out of school longer than 6 months. Another thing some do not often consider is that financial aid is capped off at a certain number of semesters. For example, you may only receive the Pell Grant for 12 semesters (FAFSA, 2018). If you choose to take a minor for one or two semesters while you wait to get re-accepted, you are using up federal aid that could be used towards your graduate degree. Meaning, the one or two semesters you get aid for a minor are one or two semesters that you have to pay cash for your Masters!

On top of this, you are held at a different grading scale standard than other students. At GCU, other students must have a 92% or higher to get an A in the class. For nursing students, you must get a 95% or higher. Getting between a 90-92% is a B+, and will award you a GPA of 3.3! Believe it or not, I was actually not aware of part of this until last semester (Level II of the program)! Even though nursing students are held at higher standards than other students, they are still required to hold the same GPA for clubs or organizations, like Honors societies. Personally, I have to maintain a 3.5 GPA to stay in the Honors College, which means I have to get at least a 93% in all of my courses to maintain it at that level.

Deadlines are Deceiving

If there is one thing that I have learned from nursing school, it is how to be organized. You will want to invest in a good planner and learn how to use it effectively, because deadlines are nothing like prerequisites in the program. You will have one class that has participation points due every other weekend, but then three major assignments on Sunday, and then an exam on Friday, but then you have lab on Friday too, and your worksheet is due the same day.... but only one assignment shows up as due on your online portal. Make sure you organize what you can in the beginning of the semester as soon as you get your syllabus, and then write down every single deadline your professors give you. Otherwise, you may never hear when that exam was and you may just walk in without ever opening the book!

How I will feel when I am done with this!
Photo Retrieved from https://i.pinimg.com/736x/9e/70/ce/9e70cea0329def6c5fbc495d744b606c--graduation-ideas-dental-hygiene-graduation-pictures.jpg

Your Life will be Spent Reading

Before I started Level I of the nursing program, I pretty much only opened my textbook so I could reference it in a paper. Now, I could not imagine being able to survive without reading every page of the assigned reading. Every waking moment that is not spent writing a paper or in class will, without a doubt, be spent reading. If you are thinking right now, "surely the exam won't cover all 483 pages of the assigned reading", then you are sadly mistaken. Exams are so intricately woven that you will need to have a full knowledge of the assessment, diagnosis, plan, interventions, and evaluation of every single disorder or technique mentioned. Besides, who wants to be the person who spends hundreds of dollars on textbooks that they never utilize?

You May Have to Teach Yourself

Sadly, this has happened to me multiple times in the nursing program, as I am sure it happens in other majors as well. There will always be those professors who either do not have a firm grasp on the concepts or are just not skilled at educating. In times like these, you tend to have to go the extra mile outside of class to teach yourself the concepts. Switching professors or attending a different professor's class is pretty much impossible in the Nursing Program, because of how strict the rules are and how few nurse educators there are.

Photo retrieved from https://www.drandyroark.com/wp-content/uploads/bigstock-people-medicine-healthcare-a-150282380.jpg

You Will Cry, and That's OKAY.

This is a big one for me. I really hate crying, especially in front of people. But, to be completely honest, I cannot count how many times I have cried because of nursing school this academic year. There is no doubt that the nursing program is one of the most strenuous majors mentally, physically, and emotionally. One study at a public university found that 51% of nursing students in a BSN program reported signs of depression and 60% reported mild to severe anxiety (Rathnayake & Ekanayaka, 2016). The fact of the matter is that you are or will not be alone. Many people have or are going through the same program you are, and understand how you feel. 

Please reach out to someone or use a resource if you start to feel depressed or overly anxious. If your depression or anxiety becomes serious or debilitating, please go further and reach out to a professional or a solid support system. Two 24-hour hotlines to call are below for your reference.

National Alliance of Mental Illness Helpline: 1-800-950-6264

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

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I hope that this list does not cause you too much anxiety as you embark on this quest to begin an awesome career. Even though nursing school is draining in many ways, I would not change my major for the world.

Please like, comment, or share! I would love to hear your feedback. 💜

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References

FAFSA. (2018). Federal Pell Grants. Retrieved from https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/grants-scholarships/pell

National League of Nursing. (2014). Admission to Nursing Programs. Retrieved from http://www.nln.org/newsroom/nursing-education-statistics/admissions-to-nursing-programs

Rathnayake, S. & Ekanayaka, J. (2016). Depression, anxiety, and stress among undergraduate nursing students in a public university, International Journal of Caring Sciences, 9(3), pg. 1020-1032. Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=123018408&site=eds-live&scope=site

The "Breaking Point"

When you start your trek into nursing school, you begin to hear a LOT of horror stories. Whether it be on social media or from veteran nursing students at your college, you always hear about "The Breaking Point"; The moment where you cry, feel like quitting, question your decision to pursue nursing, and lack the motivation to do absolutely anything. Everyone has their breaking point in nursing school.

During my first clinical semester, I was lucky enough not to experience this point. Granted, level one was incredibly hard and I wanted to cry on multiple occasions. I was lucky enough never to cry over nursing school or feel like quitting. Although I was in hell, I was pretty content with my experiences.

Everyone has their breaking point in nursing school, and I can attest to this. Allow me to tell you my story from this semester...

Photo retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/570127634047950531/

If you have not yet heard, Medical-Surgical Nursing is quite possibly hell itself. At GCU, you go from learning the basics, like vital signs, one semester, and then the next you are learning about how to assess, diagnose, care plan, implement interventions, and evaluate different types of heart failure among a hundred other disorders at the same time. It is as if anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, pathophysiology and microbiology (four of the hardest core courses) got together and made a demon child.

I was so naive to think that all of the rumors about Med-Surg could be combated by studying exactly how I have the last 4 semesters. I spent 60-70 hours studying for the first exam and felt on top of the world. I thought I knew the material like the back of my hand. That morning, I did not fear walking into the room and grabbing my exam to sit down.

When the time started, I opened to the first page of the book and I felt my face turn as pale as the paper that I wanted to cry on. I had no idea what the question was even asking. I skipped to the second question to be greeted by the same unfamiliar material. I was so lost that I flipped to the cover of my exam to make sure this was even the right test! About halfway through, I pretty much gave up hope. I have always been one of the first ones done with exams, but this time, I was only halfway through with twenty out of seventy two minutes to go. I began to answer questions faster, only being able to narrow them down to three of four options before guessing. More than frustrated, I turned in my exam without even checking to make sure I bubbled everything in correctly.

As soon as I walked out of the room, tears welled up in my eyes. It took everything in my power not to bawl my eyes out until I got to the bathroom. As soon as I walked through the bathroom door, the tears began to flow faster, and I could not stop sobbing. I was sure that I had gotten around a 30% based on how much I guessed. I thought that it was going to be impossible to bring my test average above a 76%, which is the requirement. I spent a good ten minutes trying to control my crying before I walked back into that room and listened (more or less) to a two hour med-surg lecture.

For the next three days, I hit rock bottom. During work and class, I could hardly concentrate or think straight. If I was not working or in class, I was in bed asleep or staring at a wall. I felt like a failure, and honestly felt like giving up nursing. I did not want to keep doing this emotional wreck of a major, especially when I was met with failure after busting my ass studying.

The night that grades were supposed to be in, three days later, I went to the movies with my boyfriend and his roommates. I finally let loose and tried to enjoy this time, because I knew I would break down again when I got my grades. Once we got out of the movie, I received texts from my nursing friends saying that grades were in. I was absolutely terrified. I did not want to cry in front of everyone, so I waited patiently to get back to my dorm. The ten minute trip back to campus felt like twenty, and I could not wait any longer. I logged on to look at my grades as everyone got out of the car...

And cried tears of joy. Never in a million years would I have been excited for a 68% on an exam, but I was so happy that it was not what I expected. I knew that, although it would be hard, a 68% would be much easier to work with than a 30%. After I received the grade, I was filled with newfound motivation to study and kick these exams out of the park.

After changing my study style, going to every study session available, and reading 100% of the readings, I still did not bring my test average up to passing until after the third exam (and even then I was passing by 1%!). But, I finished strong and brought it up to a 79.5% in the end. My breaking point was horrible, but it led to so much motivation and passion to keep moving forward. Everyone will get their breaking point in nursing school, but do not let it get you down! Use it as a way to keep your fire going!

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Failure is a measure of success. Success is more valuable when you get knocked down, but keep on trying for your goal. If you are struggling with a goal in life right now, please do not give up. You can do this. Like, comment, or share. Tell me what you think of this story. Have a happy new year! 💜

My First Exam (And How I Almost Failed It!)

First of all, I want to give a little shout out to my wonderful Cohort. We may not have chosen each other, but I believe we were chosen for each other. Each and every one of these wonderful ladies and gentlemen have been a shoulder to lean on, cry on, and review on. I do not believe that I would have made it this first half of the semester without their kind, helpful, and compassionate hearts.

Thank you, guys!

Now, let me tell you about my *wonderful* (*cough*sarcasm*cough*) experience with my first ever nursing exam. I had studied for the Health Assessment exam for around a week. I was as prepared as prepared could be! I was going in confident that I would pass this with flying colors! The day before the exam, I packed up my bags, made lunch, and laid out my scrubs. For those who do not know, I am a commuter student this year. I live about 45 minutes away without traffic. It actually tends to take me about an hour to get to school on Wednesday mornings due to rush hour. I wanted to get to school at 7:30 AM, because my class started at 8 AM. That way I would have plenty of time to relax, orient myself, and study a bit. I left at 6:30 AM. A whole hour and a half before my class!!! I even checked Google Maps to see how traffic was. It said “Estimated time of arrival: 7:28 AM.” Yes! Perfect, right?

No.

I turned off my data and threw my phone on the passenger seat, and was on my way. I was so deep in thought, reciting the acronym "ADOPIE" in my head over and over again. I did not notice my surroundings until I was three exits away on the freeway and at a complete standstill. After ten minutes of sitting in the same spot, I grabbed my phone and looked at Google Maps. The robotic voice blurted out, "Traffic is worse than usual." No, duh! "Crash ahead. Estimated time of arrival: 8:30 AM."

WHAT?!?!

I left an hour and a half early, but I was still due to arrive thirty minutes after the exam started?! In a panic, I text my Cohort letting them know the situation. They were all very supportive, telling me to just focus on driving and that it would be okay no matter what. Suddenly, I became the Fast and Furious. I put the car in reverse to get as close to the car behind me as possible, and then squeezed in front of the car in the lane next to mine. Sorry. I cut probably five people off in my journey to get to the nearest exit. Once on the street, I drove what felt like 30 mph over the speed limit, diving in and out of each lane to get past those going to slow for me. I was finally four blocks away, ten minutes before the test began. That was when I heard the blaring of a horn that made my heart drop. In front of me, the railroad crossing lights were flashing and a long train began to come through. I was really tempted to just punch the gas and go through it. All I could think to myself was: This cannot be happening!

Luckily, the train stopped four cars in and then began to back up. The railroad crossing arms lifted and then we were allowed to cross. I had six minutes until the test started. Unfortunately, my designated parking lot was on the opposite side of campus from the building my classroom was located in. That was a fifteen minute walk in itself. So, I decided to risk it and ask if I could park in the guest parking lot, which was right next to the building I needed to be in. When I pulled up to the security guard, I was already bawling my eyes out. "Can I please park here?" I asked, "I promise it is a one time thing. I am late for my first exam!"

At GCU, it is hit and miss with the security guards. Some are very nice, but others are straight up rude. "No." I was taken aback. "I'm sorry, but I cannot give you a parking pass. You can risk parking there and getting a ticket, but I am not in charge of parking passes."

"Fine." I growled and sped in to the parking lot. I had to go to the third floor, because it was a huge tour day. I grabbed my pencil and paper, ditching my backpack, which turned out to be a huge mistake (I will get to that soon). Then, I bolted down the three flights of stairs. As I was passing the security guard station, I noticed the same security guard I talked to handing out parking passes like candy. I rolled my eyes, but was too busy getting in the zone to get upset. Three minutes until the test.

My heart was pounding. I noticed three girls staring me down as I ran past them with purples scrubs and a red-streaked face. I made it into the large, middle courtyard space of the horseshoe-shaped building. I ran straight through the grass, not caring about the yellow tape around it or the fact that I was staining my brand new, white shoes. Two minutes. I finally made it to the base of the stairs.... My classroom was on the fourth floor... One set of stairs, turn, second set. I made it to the first floor. Three set, turn, four. Second floor. My lungs were burning. Five set, turn, Six. I bumped in to somebody on the turn to the next set of stairs. "Sorry," I wheezed. My vision was going a bit blurry. Seven, turn, eight. I was finally there. I wanted to pull a Rocky and throw my arms up in celebration, but I soon remembered that I was on a mission. I checked my watch, one minute until the test. I busted through the doors to the hallway. Thank God my class was the first door on the left. I not-so-gracefully plunged through the door. All eyes turned to me and it took everything in me to not scream, "I made it!". I grabbed my pencil out of my scrub pocket and scribbled my name on the sign-in sheet. Then, collapsed into the first chair I saw. I was hyperventilating with my head between my legs. I peeked around at my worried classmates. I was seeing double, and they were glowing. I could see them asking if I was alright, but all I heard was a ringing in my ears. I have asthma, and, unfortunately, I left my inhaler in my backpack when I bolted over to the classroom.

Luckily, my professor wanted to do a review session before taking the test. I got myself to calm down after about twenty minutes of deep breathing. Somehow, I ended up getting a 92% on the exam, which was so worth the running (I hate running).

After I was done with the exam, I laughed about the whole thing. "The things I do for nursing school," I whispered to myself.

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So there you have it. That was my stressful morning: thinking I was going to get a 0% on my first ever nursing school exam. I thought I was going to probably fail school all because of the traffic. It was honestly a miracle from God that I made it exactly on time. Sorry for not posting for a while. It has been a crazy past couple of weeks. Comments, questions, or suggestions? Let me know in the comments! 💜

Fun and Interesting Ways to Study for Anatomy & Physiology

If you have not already taken an Anatomy & Physiology class, then allow me to enlighten you. This class is different from probably any class you will ever take. At first, it can be daunting, but it has become my all time favorite subject. The anatomy portion of this class is similar to a foreign language class. The majority of it is just learning the lingo and matching it up with the part of the body. Physiology, on the other hand, is more like a biology and chemistry love-child. You will learn everything from the major processes to the tiny molecules that make them happen. This part of the subject is the one that requires the most work to master. Due to the variation of the class, anatomy & physiology requires a few different study methods. Here are a few great resources and methods that I have used to study for this class! As with any study method, some will work better than others, depending on your learning style.

Notecards!

Some of my Anatomy notecards for the skeletal and endocrine systems!

Out of all of the study methods I have used, this is the biggest help. These are especially good for anatomy and some physiology terms too. Since I was blessed with decent art skills, I decided to hand-draw all of my notecards. I know some of my classmates who studied with this method by printing out the different parts and gluing them to the card. If you feel like you would get more out of a professional diagram, or you are just strapped for time, this is a good way to go! Otherwise, I strongly suggest hand-drawing them! Not only is it more fun, but it also helps you get more familiar with the structure of all of the parts you are drawing. It never has to be perfect! As long as you understand what it is and it is mostly anatomically correct, then you are fine! Never put the names of structures on the side of the card with the picture/keyword. I put all of the information about the part on the back of the card, that way I could test myself. To make my notecards more organized, I chose to write the system and a subcategory for each part.  Make it your own! Make the cards as simple or complex as you want. This could be a great study method for A&P, as well as other classes.

I use cards for every subject, not just A&P.

3D Diagram Programs!

Photo retrieved from anatomyzone.com

There are plenty of free 3D diagram apps and webpages out there to help you get a deeper understanding of anatomy. These programs are great at giving you hands-on experience that textbooks and notecards cannot. You can touch, spin, and zoom into the different parts of the body that you may not even be able to do with cadavers. I used AnatomyZone the most in my studies. They have great videos and other resources that go with their 3D atlas of the human body, absolutely free! 

YOUTUBE!

Photo Retrieved from Youtube channel: CrashCourse

The biggest textbook you will ever have is staring you right in the face: Youtube! While some of the videos on here can be questionable, Youtube serves as a great way to learn more about the subject you are learning. One of my favorite resources for a general overview of the different systems is CrashCourse. These helpful little videos are narrated by the popular author, John Green. If you want a good chuckle as you study, or just need a break from the intense information in your textbook, check out his videos! Another way YouTube has helped me with this class is pronunciation! One of my biggest fears with Anatomy lab was that I would pronounce a bone or projection completely wrong. Channels like EmmaSaying will help you with any words that you are not sure on. Khan Academy has plenty of detailed videos that are especially helpful with physiology. They have their own website, but they also post many of their medical-related videos, like the physiology of the heart, here! 

Acronyms and Mnemonics!

When learning both anatomy and physiology, acronyms and mnemonics are extremely helpful. For example, there are so many cranial nerves that it is extremely hard to remember them all without a mnemonic. On a side-note, in college, G-rated mnemonics created by students are rare. So I will probably not post many of them (I would love to share some if you ask, though!). One of the more PG-rated ones that I made up was to determine if the cranial nerve was sensory, motor, or both. It goes: Some Say Money Matters, But My Baby Says Big Butts Matter Most. This goes from cranial nerve 1 to 12, and obviously S is for sensory, M is for motor, and B is for both. I tweaked an existing mnemonic so that it would stick in my brain a bit better. Simply look up a mnemonic or acronym for the subject you are learning, and apply your own words to it. This will help you remember it a bit better.

Coloring Books!

Anatomy coloring book from Amazon.com

I did not necessarily use this in college, but I did use these in high school when I was first learning anatomy and physiology. If you have never taken an anatomy and physiology class, then I highly recommended using these resources! They make learning fun and less stressful, but also help you learn a lot along the way. The coloring books by Wynn Kapit are reportedly the best out of all, and these are the ones I used. There is an anatomy book and a physiology book. The publisher also makes other subjects, like microbiology! So if this resource helps you, definitely look into the other subjects. If you are looking for one or two pages to color, look up "(Your Subject) Coloring Pages" on google, and print some of the free ones offered. I will warn that some of the free ones have been found to be inaccurate and outdated.

I hope that some of these non-traditional and fun approaches to studying will help you better understand anatomy and physiology. I got A's and B's in all of my anatomy and physiology classes using mainly these study methods.

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Have any other great study methods? Any questions or requests for additional resources? Let me know in the comments! Have a wonderful day, and happy studying! 💜