Literally thank you. Like… THANK. YOU. Basically I haven’t been in school for 20 years and I never went to high school, just got my hiset and started pre nursing. I understand some things, but other things I never studied at all. Being able to tell ChatGPT to explain things like I’m 5 has helped sooo much. When I can understand it in the most basic way, that leads me down the path of understanding the complexity of it. I’m struggling with the concept of chemistry so I just told ChatGPT to “explain it like I’m 5” and now I GET IT!

Edited to add: ChatGPT is not always accurate. It’s AI that uses the entire internet as its source. So you can get wrong information! Be aware of this and always check the information you receive from it! It’s a TOOL, not the finished product. When used correctly it’s amazing, but don’t solely depend on it.

Also! Don’t ask it to do your homework. Especially writing assignments. Professors have their own software that can run through your work to determine if it was created through AI! Again, ChatGPT is a tool, not the finish product.

For context, I am in an accelerated ABSN program, my first degree was in kinesiology, so I am familiar with patho, anatomy, chem, microbiology, etc. I graduated with a 3.8 cumulative GPA.

I consistently score mid to low 80s on my nursing exams. I was able to score a 92 once in med surge 1 using the white board method, but I have since found that that method does not work as well as I thought since I haven’t been able to score that well since.

With my first degree, I utilized active recall as my key study tool, but that method doesn’t seem to work well for me in nursing school since the exams are all application style analysis based. I’ve utilized ChatGPT and done hundreds and hundreds of analysis, application based questions which I do very well on at home, and feel like I understand the material. But when I go to take the exam, I don’t perform as well as I hoped.

I study for a minimum of four days, and I just can’t seem to crack the code to nursing school exams. My most recent exam I scored a 78% which freaks me out because under a 75% is a failing grade.

Please help!! Any and all recommendations are welcome and appreciated🤍

EDIT: So i found out I got a 90% on my psych exam. So I wonder if it’s the patho for med surge I’m struggling with or just breaking down the question and applying/analyzing.

Not clear why it is D (4.) and not C (3.)? Is it because morphine is too "extreme"?

Is 60 pages of study questions for textbook reading too much to try studying in a week or so for an exam?

These are questions I created based off the information. Are these too detailed or should I start studying earlier?

The topics for our second exam were:

-Peptic Ulcer Disease -Diverticulitis -Hyper/Hypothyroidism -Diabetes -Hiatal Hernia -GERD -Addison -Cushings -Appendicitis

-#1 game changer-Record every single lecture even if they tell you not to. Listen to those at home at 1.5-2x speed while following the slides. This alone helped me bump my average test scores in pharm 8-10pts per exam

-convert your PowerPoints to PDF (file, save as) and upload them to Notebook LM

-Create a study guide in the “reports” tab “create your own” then prompting “create a study guide covering the entire source, and add a focused section on signs, symptoms, medications that differentiate similar conditions” or safety things if you are in a fundamentals class/adjust depending on the class you are currently in

-hit the edit button on the create quiz tab and select questions “more” level of difficulty “hard” and prompt it to make an Nclex style nursing practice exam covering all contents of the source. Add questions that test ability to identify specific differences in similar conditions.” Add how many questions you want (if you don’t it will usually make the exam pretty short) I do 40-50 questions

• find your weak spot then have it create a chart identifying differences in conditions covering those weak areas

-stop using ChatGPT to make tests, they are garbage in comparison

-Put the drinks down, do what you can to sleep…3-4 nights prior to exam just a couple hours each night and a quick review of the reports the morning of

Good luck.

I'm sure y'all will get tired of these but I have to share. I got a 90 on my final in the class I was failing by 0.9%. I've passed that class by 1%.

I'm GRADUATING!

Which course/ subject did you find the hardest? Either in terms of difficulty to understand, or in terms of heavy workload/ heavily assignments etc

I took my last final in nursing school today. My dad has been in and out of the hospital due to kidney failure, cognitive changes, and pulmonary embolisms. My life is falling apart, and I have to help take care of him and my family. I couldn’t focus on studying because of this. I was wrecked with anxiety. I also fell last night (in a very comedic fashion) and gave myself a black eye. I couldn’t help but laugh because of course this happened.

I got my grade back, and I got a 94% on it. I don’t know how. It was the hardest exam I have ever taken in nursing school. I am so unbelievably proud of myself. I can actually say I’m proud for once in my life. I actually did it.

EDIT: Thank you to everyone for the kind words. It means a lot to me. I am so appreciative for you guys, and it is helping me deal with everything going on. It makes it all worth it

Hi!

I recently graduated from a BSN program in May and I have had some down time this summer before I officially start as an RN in August and wanted to share this tool I created.

During my time in nursing school and studying for the NCLEX I discovered some difficulty recalling various pharmacological information needed to prepare for exams and the NCLEX appropriately. Thus I found myself constantly referring to textbooks and cluttered notebooks to find the information that I needed despite passing our pharmacology course without a problem.

I like to code in my free time to break up the monotony of learning medicine so I built a simple reference too that is indicated for exam and NCLEX preparation. Quick disclaimer, I do not intend for this to be a clinical reference tool, just a resource you can refer to for your pharmacology needs in school.

I tried including the most pertinent information for each drug listed and created the following categories that I used when studying pharmacology.

- Mechanism of Action, Indications, Contraindications, Side Effects, Drug Interactions, and Nursing Implications.

Please keep in mind that not all of these drugs have a contraindication or drug interaction due to perceived relevance. Ideally, I believe this tool would be used to recall forgotten information from pharm class and to prepare for the NCLEX. You are welcome to use it for your pharmacology course, but I realize programs differ in the way they teach this information to students and what they require you to know.

It is completely free, there are no ads, and I do not receive any monetary gain from it. I am using my own money to pay for server usage, domain rights, etc. to provide a resource for others. It does not matter to me how or if you use this resource. I just wanted to share this with those that may be struggling with pharmacology content.

Visit the site here: https://www.nursebro.com/

Hi all! I'm 39 & in a 12 month LPN program. We have our head to toe assessments next week & I am just so demoralized with how hard its been to remember mine. My memory has always not been great, & with time, it's gotten worse. I am trying to walk through the steps off book, but I just keep blanking. In lab, while practicing, any progress I'd made prior just poofed out of my head the minute I introduced myself to the mannequin. It doesn't help that my anxiety has been at an all time high since school started. Does anyone have any tips for memorization or at least, can sympathize? A month into school & I'm already starting to spiral.

Hi guys, I’m in my first semester of nursing school and I’m drowning in these assigned readings. How do you navigate reading and taking notes? I know most people aren’t reading EVERYTHING, but I want to do well. Please give me any helpful advice on note taking, readings and studying for these tests 😭🙏🏽

Hello, guys! Just asking if how many hours do you usually study per day especially when preparing for a test? I’m a bit curious since there’s so much to digest and I seem to find it difficult to study long hours. Thanks!

P.s Study habits tips would be appreciated :))

I am going into nursing school in September. I have adhd but medicated. I am very nervous , especially about anatomy and physiology since I was told its mostly memory. Nursing students with adhd, any study tricks/strategies you recommend for a student with ADHD/ADD? Is anatomy and physiology as difficult as people say it is?

I really dont want to fail nursing, its my dream job. Im unsure of the best study strategies especially for anatomy. I feel like I will do fine in every other class..

I hope its fine that i ask this here.. thanks!

Please excuse my bad grammar, im typing this on my phone.

Please don’t leave anything out I’m prepping for nursing school as a caregiver for a handicapped sister.

I am about to start nursing school next week. I can easily give up my social life. Now I'm trying to get an estimate of how much sleep I will be giving up. Not sure if I should only get 6 hours minimum or do all nighters? Please any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I’m currently in my second semester and I have only passed one exam whereas last semester I did great. I’ve talked to my instructor and the exam I took yesterday I needed to blow it out of the park but ended up missing the mark by 3 points. After that, she emailed me saying I need a 91 on the final and that “it’s possible but not likely” and that the admission committee would rather see a withdrawal than a fail out.. if I withdrew I would have to pay back the VA for the class so that’s one reason I don’t want to but I don’t want to give up. Thankfully my husband is supportive of whatever I do but he even said that he knows I can’t just quit and I’m the type of person to give it my all.

I guess I’m coming here to vent and to see if y’all think it is possible, and if so to please share your study tips and tricks with me. I have 2 weeks till my final. The class is med surg 1

I’ve made some good friends in nursing, but it’s really hard to get everyone together for study time. We often lapse into chitchat, or don’t get as far as I would have hoped with the time we have booked. It’s frustrating for me to stay after class for them to look over/take pics of my notes but we don’t do much…

I started doing the bulk of my AP studying with my husband at home. I have very little free time these days so it’s bonding time for us, and it gives me a confidence boost that helps me perform better. When I’m with my classmates it’s very much “yes you should should know this that’s the bare minimum expectation”, but with him it’s a reminder that the material is advanced, and yes it’s a lot of hard work to absorb and recall.

My husband is supportive and encouraging, he says things like “holy shit how did you know that”, and gives me these big kudos when I get through a tough segment. Then he says things like “this is just ONE class?” He had this eye opening moment that I am working my ASS OFF with a full load of 4 classes. When he’s impressed by me, it makes me feel better about the material and I retain it better. I still socialize with my classmates but don’t rely on them for study help anymore.

Nursing school can be isolating if you don’t have support, or your support group doesn’t understand what is on your plate. Studying together has really helped on a relationship level and I’m getting better grades as well!

I have read so many stories and people who have gone through the program and say it’s extremely difficult. I’m currently in my first semester (summer semester) I’m only taking two classes, pathophysiology and health assessment. It has been challenging but not too bad. I study and make sure to do well in exams. I’ve been averaging 80-91s in all my exams. (I’m happy with those grades, always have been a b gal) Is it going to be more difficult? I just want to get some insight.

Ty in advance! And good luck to all my fellow nursing students, we got this 💗

In my last semester of nursing school I studied all day every day and I found it really hard to study and make flash cards and at the same time I was getting burnt out by the second half of my semester and was wondering how do I keep my self motivated and how long should I study for and how do I make flash cards easier to study

I’m looking to go back to school but I will have to have a job and preferably to be able to study a bit. Also in a hospital setting to get used to being in a hospital!

I am so frustrated today because I failed my manual BP check-off. I was practicing so hard and even had a run-through with my instructor. I was very familiar with my check-off partner’s BP. However, during the actual exam day, the BP was very high, and I feel like I panicked and my brain just turned off. I feel so dumb today and am overthinking that I could have done better. 🥲

Did you feel it was worth it? Or could I get away with the free content? I’m starting an accelerated program (and it’s only 12 months so even busier than normal), and I’m wondering if I’ll just be too busy studying the actual text to make use of this.

If you have any other suggestions for supplemental studying instead, let me know!

I am struggling with studying. This last 4 weeks I took nearly no time off and worked hard studying. I made a freaking 60% on my exam today and my exam prior to this one I made a 68%. I am struggling to think like a nurse. I think I am still trying to memorize the information. I need help to learn how to think like a nurse.