Straight A Nursing

Compartment syndrome occurs when pressure inside a limb or other compartment of the body rises to the point that it impedes blood flow. Left untreated, compartment syndrome can result in tissue death and loss of the affected limb.  In this podcast episode, we’ll talk through the six Ps of compartment syndrome, how we assess patients and what the emergency treatment is for this serious condition. Looking for a great Facebook group full of positive, supportive and encouraging nursing students? Join the Thriving Nursing Students Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thrivingnursingstudents Read the show notes here: https://www.straightanursingstudent.com/compartment-syndrome/

One of the most critical times in a surgical patient’s hospital stay is the period right after surgery and the day or two that follow. Taking care of patients at this stage requires diligence, quick thinking, and an eye for spotting and preventing complications. Today we’ll be chatting about taking care of patients in the post-anesthesia recovery period when they are potentially the most unstable, and then transitioning to talk about nursing care once the patient leaves PACU.  Want to learn more about PACU nursing? Check out this blog post where I discuss my transition from ICU to recovery room: https://www.straightanursingstudent.com/pacu-nursing/ Read the show notes here: https://www.straightanursingstudent.com/after-surgery/

In episode 114 we talked a lot about time management and prioritizing in clinical, but what about in your nursing school classes? Today I’ll be talking about one of my favorite subjects...being organized and efficient in nursing school. Looking for a way to stay on top of your busy schedule? Check out our planners here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/straightanursing

As cute and adorable as they are, kids are not just tiny adults. Especially when it comes to pharmacology. The way kids absorb, distribute, metabolize and excrete drugs varies greatly, making pediatric pharmacology a truly unique subject.  If you’re heading into your pediatric rotation or starting out as a new pediatric RN, then pop in those earbuds. I’ll talk you through the key things you need to know to utilize medications safely in this very special and vulnerable population.  Want to “bulletproof” your medication administration? Download my freebie here: https://straightanursing.ck.page/41fbe4fe50 Read the show notes here: https://www.straightanursingstudent.com/pediatricpharm/

When you think of diabetes, chances are you immediately think of insulin. But did you know there are quite a few pharmacological treatments that go way beyond insulin? In this episode, we’ll talk about insulin and non-insulin treatments for diabetes mellitus.  Are you looking for a foolproof way to perform dosage calculations...even the tricky ones? Check out Dosage Calculations Bootcamp here: https://straightanursing.mykajabi.com/dosage-bootcamp Read the show notes here: https://www.straightanursingstudent.com/insulin/

Hopefully your final semester clinical experience hasn’t been impacted negatively from Covid-19 and you’re embarking on your preceptorship with joy and anticipation! These clinical hours are absolutely precious. You definitely want to get as much out of each and every minute so you can make that transition from student to new-grad RN with relative ease. In this week’s podcast, I’ll talk you through my best tips for thriving in this cumulative clinical experience. Good luck! You’re going to do great! Looking for the brain sheets and run sheets mentioned in this episode? They’re right here: https://www.straightanursingstudent.com/resources/brain-sheets/

Today we’ll be diving into third spacing and fluid shifts. This is a process you’ll see quite often in critical care, but also in Medical-Surgical patients as well.  So, pop in those earbuds and get outside for a walk...it’s beautiful out! Enjoy! Starting nursing school soon? Enroll in Crucial Concepts Bootcamp, the only nursing school prep course that teaches you HOW to thrive in nursing school. Grab your spot right here: https://straightanursing.mykajabi.com/crucial-concepts View the show notes here: https://www.straightanursingstudent.com/third-spacing/

While pulse oximetry tells you about your patient’s oxygenation status, capnography tells you about their ventilatory status. In fact, capnography can alert you to declines in respiratory function much faster than pulse oximetry, which makes it a wonderful tool in sedated patients or those recovering from surgery. In this podcast episode, learn the basics of capnography monitoring and how it helps keep patients safe. Check out Episode 89 for more information about oxygenation, which is actually a complex concept for many students to master (but not you!). https://www.straightanursingstudent.com/podcast89/ Snag your spot in Crucial Concepts Bootcamp and prepare to achieve total nursing school mastery.  https://straightanursing.mykajabi.com/crucial-concepts Read the show notes here: https://www.straightanursingstudent.com/capnography-etco2/

If you’re a new nursing student who is starting your program, CONGRATULATIONS! Before classes begin, it’s important to set yourself up for success. In this podcast episode, I’ll talk about five easy things you can do before classes begin that will help you start your program with your best foot forward. Click here to grab the blood flow cheatsheet! Bloodflow Through Heart Download: https://www.straightanursingstudent.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Bloodflow-Through-Heart.jpg   Bloodflow Mnemonic Download: https://www.straightanursingstudent.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Bloodflow-Mnemonic.jpg   Crucial Concepts Bootcamp is open for enrollment! This course arms you with the core concepts you need to achieve total nursing school mastery.  https://learn.straightanursingstudent.com/crucial-concepts Grab my Nursing School Thrive Guide on Amazon and see why it has an average 5-star review: https://www.amazon.com/Nursing-School-Thrive-Guide-Maureen-ebook/dp/B00M389ZX0 (#ad) Wondering what supplies you need for nursing school? https://www.straightanursingstudent.com/what-does-a-nursing-student-need/  

In this podcast episode Nurse Mo talks you through the basics of TORCH infections, which occur when pathogens are transmitted from mom to baby during pregnancy or delivery. These infections are toxoplasmosis, other (syphilis, listeria, varicella zoster, parvovirus), rubella, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus. We’ll touch on the key details you need to know to prep for your NCLEX and your nursing school exams!   Show notes available here: https://www.straightanursingstudent.com/torch-infections/   Ready to be the most organized student in your class? Get the planner made just for nursing students here: www.etsy.com/shop/straightanursing   Do you LOVE the PodQuizzes at the end of some of our episodes? Then you’ll LOVE Study Sesh! It's our private members-only podcast, packed with PodQuizzes, drills, case studies and more. Check out Study Sesh here: https://www.straightanursingstudent.com/study-sesh/   Not an auditory learner? It's great that you know your learning style! Our flashcard app is coming out soon and we are soooo excited!  Get on the waitlist here and be the first to know when we launch: https://straightanursing.ck.page/25d7252015

Sometimes an asthma attack can be so severe that oxygen and bronchodilators simply aren’t enough. Heliox to the rescue! Heliox is a mixture of helium plus oxygen that creates a gas that is lower in density, thereby decreasing work of breathing and helping inhaled medications get into the more distal areas of the bronchial tree. . View the show notes here: https://www.straightanursingstudent.com/asthma-heliox/ . Crucial Concepts Bootcamp is open for enrollment! This course arms you with the core concepts you need to achieve total nursing school mastery.  https://straightanursing.mykajabi.com/crucial-concepts

In episode 7 I talked about how to give an excellent end-of-shift report. In this episode, we’re taking a deep dive into how nurses use “brain sheets” to ensure that report is thorough and efficient. For this episode, you’re going to want to print out the downloadable PDF and follow along with me as we go through all the components of an effective brain sheet so you can feel confident in the clinical setting. Download the report sheet for one patient here: https://www.straightanursingstudent.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Brain-Yellow.pdf Download the report sheet for multiple patients here: https://www.straightanursingstudent.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Tele-Brain.pdf Looking for a way to boost your nursing school success? Crucial Concepts Bootcamp teaches you the core, underlying concepts you need and is especially helpful for incoming students. All the juicy details are here: https://straightanursing.mykajabi.com/crucial-concepts Ready to master dosage calculations in a step-by-step manner that will give you total confidence? Dosage Calculations Bootcamp is your new BFF! https://straightanursing.mykajabi.com/dosage-bootcamp Listen to Episode 7: Giving End-of-Shift Report: (https://www.straightanursingstudent.com/shift-report/)

Patients with active GI bleeding are definitely high on my list of things that make me nervous. In many cases these patients can decompensate quickly, so careful monitoring and decisive action are key to keeping them safe. In this podcast episode, we’ll talk about the nursing care of patients with GI bleeds so that you can feel ready for anything.   Want to be the most organized student in your class? Get the planner made just for nursing students here: www.etsy.com/shop/straightanursing   Do you LOVE the PodQuizzes at the end of some of our episodes? Then you’ll LOVE Study Sesh! It's our private members-only podcast, packed with PodQuizzes, drills, case studies and more. Check out Study Sesh here: https://www.straightanursingstudent.com/study-sesh/   Not an auditory learner? It's great that you know your learning style! Our flashcard app is coming out soon and we are soooo excited!  Get on the waitlist here and be the first to know when we launch: https://straightanursing.ck.page/25d7252015  

In this week’s podcast episode we’re diving into Kawasaki disease, a condition that mainly affects children under the age of 8 who are Japanese or of Pacific Islander descent (though it’s certainly not limited to this group). We’ll go through Kawasaki disease in peds patients using the Straight A Nursing LATTE method, which is the perfect way to learn the info most likely to be on your exams.  Show notes available here: (https://straightanursingstudent.com/kawasaki-disease/) **** Looking for a way to get and stay organized in nursing school? Our planners were designed with your busy schedule in mind. Check them out here (www.etsy.com/shop/straightanursing) and see why they’ve got a 5-star rating!

In this podcast episode, we’ll talk about some interesting disease conditions that can often be recognized by the very distinct odors they produce. In addition, we’ll also talk through some tried-and-true strategies for dealing with foul odors in the clinical setting so you keep your patients (and yourself) comfortable. Show notes available here: (https://straightanursingstudent.com/bad-smells-hospital/) Our nursing student planners are available as printable PDF or digitally for your iPad/tablet. Grab yours here: www.etsy.com/shop/straightanursing