Straight A Nursing

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 being right * How to accept criticism with grace Are you looking for even more ways to make the transition a smooth one? Through my conversations with hundreds of nursing students, it is clear that dosage calculations are a HUGE challenge for many of you. So, I've created a Dosage Calculations Bootcamp just for you! Check it out here https://straightanursing.mykajabi.com/dosage-bootcamp

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 *General treatment of shock *Signs/symptoms and specific treatments for various types of shock **** For more resources, visit www.straightanursingstudent.com Follow us on Twitter @straightanurse, Instagram straightanurse, and FB at www.facebook.com/straightanursingstudent

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 effective use of smart time management, delegation and prioritizing. Awesome things we talk about include: * How do you know what your patient needs right now? * How do you know what to do first when your patient needs several things all at once? * You've got ten meds to give and only one IV line...which ones go in first? * What can you delegate and to who should you delegate it? * How do you start your shift to set yourself up for success? This podcast episode was not brought to you by any fancy sponsors because who wants to listen to a bunch of commercials? We would, however, like to take this moment to let you know about our Crucial Concepts Bootcamp! To learn more about this online course geared toward pre-nursing students and students who have just been accepted into nursing school, check it out here (https://straightanursing.mykajabi.com/crucial-concepts). Now, isn't that better than a commercial for a meal delivery service or mail order bra? Just sayin' :-) SaveSave

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. Enjoy! Holland, L. N. (2003). Core concepts in pharmacology. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

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! This podcast episode is brought to you by the Straight A Nursing Planner. Are you a busy nursing student or pre-nursing student? If you've been feeling overwhelmed, stressed and unorganized, then check out our latest and greatest planner designed just for nursing students! (https://straightanursingstudent.com/nursingschoolplanner/)

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 catheters * PICC lines * Central lines * Tunneled lines * Port-a-cath * How to care for these lines, how to use them and what meds/fluids can go into each one Get the accompanying study guide here: https://straightanursingstudent.com/downloads/intro-iv-therapy/

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 some fresh air while you listen to our stress-busting episode! And, if you are interested in MORE advice and tips on staying healthy, happy and less-stressed in nursing school, be sure to check out the Facebook group 'Happy Healthy Nursing Students." It's a great place to share tips, advice, motivation and ideas for combating stress, staying the course with healthy eating and making time for YOU during these very busy years. Need to buy yourself some extra time so you can devote more attention to self-care? Then be sure to check out our premium study guides and resource materials. We recently heard from a student who stated, "My practice test results using Straight A Nursing have routinely been ‘leaps and bounds’ better than ANY & ALL scores I have recently received using Kaplan’s Test Prep, UWorld, or the multiple other popular NCLEX prep programs." WOW! To access the FB group page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HappyHealthyNursingStudents/ To check out our premium study guides: https://straightanursingstudent.com/nursing-notes/premium-study-guides/ SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave

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. For more study aids, resources and awesome nursing school tips, check out the website at www.straightanursingstudent.com SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave

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 pursuit of whatever is in the best interests of your patients AND your profession. As new nurses (and nursing students), speaking up for your patients can be intimidating. With this podcast we hope to share some valuable insights into making advocacy less daunting so that you can confidently speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. If you'd like to hear more from Eve, check out her twitter feed @browofjustice or visit her website at www.essentiallycalcium.com. Enjoy! NOTE: If you heard this podcast when you downloaded Episode 35, the fix is easy! Just delete episode 35 from your device, and re-download it. You should then receive the correct episode, which was about hemodynamic medications.

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 Looking for even more ways to rock nursing school? Check out the Nursing School Thrive Guide:  https://straightanursingstudent.com/nursing-school-thrive-guide/ or our handy and delightful study guides for Med/Surg 1: https://straightanursingstudent.com/nursing-notes/premium-study-guides/ PLEASE NOTE: We are having technical issues, some of you may have received an interview podcast here instead of Hemodynamic Medications. We are working with our podcasting platform to correct this. If this occurs, delete the episode from your podcast feed and then re-load it...that should fix it! SaveSave

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. We'll be back to studying again in 2018 with many, many exciting things in store INCLUDING: * A Nursing School Bootcamp for all you new students * Premium lecture-style podcasts * A pre-printed planner that is going to knock your socks off and... * Maybe even an app to help take your studying to the next level May 2018 be your best year yet...I know it will be for all of us at Straight A Nursing! Thanks to all of you who keep this website going and sharing your successes via email, FB and Twitter...it really warms my heart to know I am helping nursing students around the world :-)

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 ratio and what the heck it means * What the numbers tell us and how it applies to the overall clinical picture For more information on ARDS, check out this post, this awesome podcast episode or this SUPER awesome reference sheet. (if your podcast platform does not support links, please visit the website for total linkage at www.straightanursingstudent.com) Are you ready to plan for a stellar year? Then get the ONLY planner for nursing students by clicking this link right here!

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 to take into account when weaning your patient from the ventilator * Goals for FiO2, PEEP and ventilator mode * How the patient's neuro status comes into play * How mechanical ventilation causes deconditioning in your patient * How you and the interdisciplinary team can work together to optimize your patient for possible extubation * General guidelines for conducting a spontaneous awakening trial and spontaneous breathing trial (SAT/SBT) * Example of what a typical extubation is like and your role in the process * Some things to watch for after extubation Are you looking for even MORE resources to help you succeed in nursing school (or maybe even on the job?). Our premium study guides might just help!

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 reevaluate is the MOST ESSENTIAL thing you can do. In this podcast, we go through a trauma case study that highlights this in detail. Follow along through four shifts as you take care of a young trauma victim with multiple problems, multiple changes in condition and multiple priorities to manage. It's a lot to juggle, so if you'd like to read about it instead, look for the blog post titled Trauma Nursing Case Study at www.straightanursingstudent.com. *DISCLAIMER: This is a fictitious patient and is not based in any way on actual events.

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 overwhelming at first, so that's why we're going to break it down Straight A Nursing style. In this podcast, we cover the basics of a head-to-toe assessment so that you can get in there and practice with confidence. Want to read about it too? Check out this amazing guest post! Looking for even more ways to study? Check out our premium study guides...now bundled for your convenience! Just go to www.straightanursingstudent.com and click on STUDY GUIDES in the header. Enjoy!