Straight A Nursing

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. ___________________ FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand session where I dispel all those nursing school myths and show you that YES...you can thrive in nursing school without it taking over your life! Pharmacology Success Pack - Want to get a head start on pharmacology? Download the FREE Pharmacology Success Pack Fast Pharmacology - Learn pharmacology concepts in 5 minutes or less in this audio based program. Perfect for on-the-go review! Confident Calculations - Learn a foolproof method for performing dosage calculations so you can pass your nursing

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! ___________________ FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand session where I dispel all those nursing school myths and show you that YES...you can thrive in nursing school without it taking over your life! Crucial Concepts Bootcamp - Start nursing school ahead of the game, or reset after a difficult first semester with my nursing school prep course, Crucial Concepts Bootcamp. Learn key foundation concepts, organization and time management, dosage calculations, and so much more. LATTE Method Template - Download the free LATTE Method Template so you can strea

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 ___________________ FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand session where I dispel all those nursing school myths and show you that YES...you can thrive in nursing school without it taking over your life! Confident Calculations - Learn a foolproof method for performing dosage calculations so you can pass your nursing school math exams on the first try! Crucial Concepts Bootcamp - S

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! ___________________ FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand session where I dispel all those nursing school myths and show you that YES...you can thrive in nursing school without it taking over your life! New Nursing Student Checklist - Get prepped and ready for your nursing school program! 20 Secrets of Successful Nursing Students – Learn key strategies that will help you be a successful nursing student with this FREE guide! Study Sesh - Change the way you study with this priva

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. ___________________ Full Transcript - Read the article and view references FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand session where I dispel all those nursing school myths and show you that YES...you can thrive in nursing school without it taking over your life! Study Sesh - Change the way you study with this private podcast that includes dynamic audio formats that help you review and test your recall of important nursing concepts on-the-go. Free yourself from your desk with Study Sesh! Pharmacology Success Pack - Want to get a head start

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. Enjoy! ___________________ FREE CLASS – If all you’ve heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand session where I dispel all those nursing school myths and show you that YES…you can thrive in nursing school without it taking over your l

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 ___________________ Full Transcript - Read the article and view references FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand session where I dispel all those nursing school myths and show you that YES...you can thrive in nursing school without it taking over your life! Study Sesh - Change the way you study with this private podcast that includes dynamic audio formats that help you review and test your recall of important nursing concepts on-the-go. Free yourself from your desk with Study Sesh! Pharmacology Success Pack - Want to get a head start on ph

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. You can get back to studying in the new year with many great resources INCLUDING: Clinical Success Pack - One of the best ways to fast-track your clinical learning is having the right tools. This pack includes report sheets, sheets to help you plan your day, a clinical debrief form, and a patient safety cheat sheet.  Crucial Concepts Bootcamp - Start nursing school ahead of the game, or reset after a difficult first semester with my nursing school prep course, Crucial Concepts Bootcamp. Learn key foundation concepts, organization and time management, dosage calculations, and so much more. Study Sesh - Change the way you study with this private podcast that includes dynamic audio formats including podquizzes, case studies and drills that help you review and test your reca

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 Full Transcript – Read the article and view references FREE CLASS – If all you’ve heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand session where I dispel all those nursing school myths and show you that YES…you can thrive in nursing school without it taking over your life! Study Sesh – Change the way you study with this private podcast that includes dynamic audio formats that help you review and test your recall of important nursing concepts on-the-go. Free your

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 ___________________ FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nur

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. *DISCLAIMER: This is a fictitious patient and is not based in any way on actual events. ___________________ Full Transcript - Read the article and view references FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand session where I dispel all those nursing s

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. ___________________ Full Transcript - Read the article and view references FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand session where I dispel all those nursing school myths and show you that YES...you can thrive in nursing school without it taking over your life! Crucial Concepts Bootcamp - Start nursing school ahead of the game, or reset after a difficult first semester with my nursing school prep course, Crucial Concepts Bootcamp. Learn key foundation conc

When it comes to learning electrolytes in nursing school, sodium is one you'll probably talk about a lot and phosphorus is one you might not talk about much at all. But once you start working, especially if you're in critical care, you'll be talking sodium AND phos all the live-long day. Well maybe not ALL day, but probably MOST days :-) In this podcast we cover all the basics about these two very important electrolytes: * Na and Phos key roles in the body * Misc "fun facts" about Na and Phos...things you never knew you needed to know! * Hyponatremia, hypernatremia, hypophosphatemia and hyperphosphatemia signs and symptoms * Causes of Na and Phos imbalances * Nursing interventions for Na and Phos imbalances ___________________ FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand session where I dispel all those nursing school myths and show you that YES...you can thrive in nursing school without it taking over your life! Crucial Concepts Boo

In this podcast episode, we go over the MOST important things you need to focus on in order to be successful in nursing school. If you're a first semester student or a struggling student, you might just be able to turn things around with the right focus. ___________________ FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand session where I dispel all those nursing school myths and show you that YES...you can thrive in nursing school without it taking over your life! Crucial Concepts Bootcamp - Start nursing school ahead of the game, or reset after a difficult first semester with my nursing school prep course, Crucial Concepts Bootcamp. Learn key foundation concepts, organization and time management, dosage calculations, and so much more. Clinical Success Pack - One of the best ways to fast-track your clinical learning is having the right tools. This pack includes report sheets, sheets to help you plan your day, a clinical debrief form, and a

We continue our electrolytes bonanza this week with magnesium and chloride. In this podcast episode we cover hypomagnesemia, hypermagnesemia, hypochloremia and hyperchloremia. And beyond just going over the normal lab ranges, we talk about all kinds of fun stuff: * the main roles of magnesium and chloride in the body * how to recognize magnesium and chloride imbalances * common causes of imbalances of these key electrolytes * nursing interventions, assessment parameters and treatments for magnesium and chloride imbalances Enjoy! ___________________ FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand session where I dispel all those nursing school myths and show you that YES...you can thrive in nursing school without it taking over your life! Study Sesh - Change the way you study with this private podcast that includes dynamic audio formats that help you review and test your recall of important nursing concepts on-the-go. Free yourself from

Understanding the important role that electrolytes play will separate you from the ho-hum nurse and catapult you into Awesome Nurse Status. If you're a student, you might think that it's simply a matter of knowing what the normal and abnormal values are...but that's just a teeny tiny part of it! In this podcast, we talk about potassium and calcium: * important roles of potassium and calcium * potassium and calcium "fun facts" (and yes...they ARE fun!) * signs and symptoms of hypokalemia, hyperkalemia, hypocalcemia and hypercalcemia * common causes of potassium and calcium imbalances * assessment parameters, nursing interventions and how to treat ___________________ FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand session where I dispel all those nursing school myths and show you that YES...you can thrive in nursing school without it taking over your life! Study Sesh - Change the way you study with this private podcast that includes dynami

In Med/Surg 1, you learn the basics of stroke nursing and how rewarding and challenging it can be to care for these patients. And, because the human brain is an extraordinary thing, the manifestations of stroke and the nursing interventions are enough to make your head spin! In this podcast we cover the basics of stroke, including: * Causes and pathophysiology * Difference between ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke * Stages of stroke * Clinical manifestations of stroke * Prevention * Treatment of an evolving stroke * Long-term treatment of a stroke patient ___________________ Episode 148 - Tune in to this episode to find out what happens when you call a stroke alert on your patient. FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand session where I dispel all those nursing school myths and show you that YES...you can thrive in nursing school without it taking over your life! Med Surg Solution - Are you looking for a more effective way to learn

I get so many readers of the blog asking about nursing shift routines. How do you start your day? How do you stay organized? The key to getting and staying organized is having some consistent routines such as the ones outlined in this podcast: * Start of shift routine * First assessment routine * "Spot-check" routine * End of shift routine Armed with a few nursing shift routines, you will immediately reap the benefits of having a more organized approach to time management and your ever-changing priorities as an RN or student nurse. ___________________ FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand session where I dispel all those nursing school myths and show you that YES...you can thrive in nursing school without it taking over your life! Study Sesh - Change the way you study with this private podcast that includes dynamic audio formats that help you review and test your recall of important nursing concepts on-the-go. Free yourself fr

Hey hey guys and gals! It's time for another PodQuiz and this one is a doozy! Maybe you've noticed that studying depression in nursing school is really tough...it's a complex topic that requires all your critical thinking skills. This PodQuiz covers some of the basics you'll need to know to rock that mental health exam and take really good care of patients with depression during your mental health clinical rotation (and anywhere else you might encounter them). * Major depressive disorder vs. dysthymia disorder * Communication strategies * Suicide NEED TO KNOW facts and interventions * Drug therapies for depression * SSRIs, MAOIs and more * Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) If you've never done a PodQuiz, here's how it works. You'll hear a question...then a pause. This pause is so you can actually ANSWER the question! Then, you'll hear the answer. It is basically like doing flashcards for your ears. So cool, right? So...grab your walking shoes, get the leash on Fido, and GET OUTSIDE while you study! No sitting

Respiratory nursing interventions come into play all the time. After all, difficulties can present in many forms, but the end-game is all the same...your patient can't breathe as well as they should. And it can be scary for both the patient AND the nurse. In this podcast we cover the most common ailments you need to know for Med/Surg I, including: * Asthma: clinical manifestations, diagnostics, treatment, medications, nursing interventions * COPD: emphysema, bronchitis, complications, nursing interventions * Pneumonia: pathophysiology, signs & symptoms, treatment, nursing interventions * Atelectasis: manifestations, treatment ___________________ FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand session where I dispel all those nursing school myths and show you that YES...you can thrive in nursing school without it taking over your life! Study Sesh - Change the way you study with this private podcast that includes dynamic audio formats that