Straight A Nursing

Amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) is a life threatening condition in which there is a severe reaction to the amniotic fluid and fetal debris that enter maternal circulation during the birthing process, resulting in cardiovascular collapse. In this episode, you’ll learn about the pathophysiology and how to care for patients with amniotic fluid embolism. 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! Episode 173: Dive deeper and review the principles of DIC, which occurs in patients with amniotic fluid embolism. AFE Foundation: Discover helpful support resources for AFE. 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 y

Rhabdomyolysis is a condition in which skeletal muscle cells break down and leak their contents into the extracellular space and bloodstream. I usually saw this complex condition in the MICU due to patients who were “found down” and had been lying in one position, completely immobile, for extended periods of time. In this episode you’ll learn: * The causes of rhabdomyolysis (there are a lot!) * Pathophysiology * Rhabdomyolysis complications * Signs and symptoms of rhabdomyolysis * Key assessments * Lab tests used to diagnose and monitor the condition * Treatments * Important education components Want to maximize your learning by reading this information, too? Check out the article and references here. RATE, REVIEW AND FOLLOW! If this episode helped you, please take a moment to rate and review the show! This helps others find the podcast, which helps me help even more people :-) Click here, scroll to the bottom, then simply tap to rate with 5 stars and select, "write a review." I'd love to hear how t

How confident are you in cardiac assessment? Learn the key components in this episode, including: * Knowing when it’s appropriate to go beyond the head-to-toe assessment and do a full-blown cardiac assessment * Relevant vital signs and their significance * Questions to ask the patient * General observations to make * How to conduct a chest pain assessment * How to auscultate the heart, including which side of the stethoscope to actually use * Normal and abnormal heart sounds * How to assess for a pulse deficit HELPFUL LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Did you love the PodQuiz at the end? Then you’ll love Study Sesh, the podcast that helps you study on-the-go! Read about cardiac assessment here, see images of digital clubbing and find additional links to various heart sounds. Listen to S3 and S4 here. RATE, REVIEW AND FOLLOW! If this episode helped you, please take a moment to rate and review the show! This helps others find the podcast, which helps me help even more people :-) Click here, scroll to th

In this episode I am interviewing Susan Jarvis, a nursing student in Florida who is going through nursing school with ZERO debt, thanks to the power of scholarships! Hit the play button to hear how she did it and get inspired to secure some nursing school scholarships for yourself! __________  The information, including but not limited to, audio, video, text, and graphics contained on this podcast are for educational purposes only. No content on this podcast is intended to guide nursing practice and does not supersede any individual healthcare provider's scope of practice or any nursing school curriculum. Additionally, no content on this podcast is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Straight a Nursing is a proud member of the Airwave Media Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lithium is a very common medication that you’ll see regularly in the clinical setting (and on exams if you’re a student!). In this episode you’ll learn: * The basics of lithium including drug class, routes of administration and regular dose * Conditions lithium is used to treat * Factors that contribute to lithium toxicity * Signs and symptoms of lithium toxicity * Key assessments and labs for a patient taking lithium * Safe administration, including the key drug-drug interactions * Patient education for lithium * Common and severe side effects Want to maximize your learning by reading this information, too? Check out the article and references. Get a head start on pharmacology with the Pharmacology Success Pack Review key pharmacology concepts and over 80 drug classes, each in 5 minutes or less, in my audio-based program Fast Pharmacology. This program is perfect for use while you're in nursing school, studying for NCLEX, or wanting to gain confidence administering medications as a working nurse. Learn m

Dialysis disequilibrium syndrome (DDS) is a serious and rare complication of dialysis that involves a range of neurological symptoms that are primarily considered to be a consequence of cerebral edema and increased intracranial pressure. Learn about the pathophysiology of DDS and how we prevent (and treat it) in this episode! Review the very important concept of third spacing here. Struggling with Med Surg? It’s not you! It’s the way your instructors are teaching it. Get focused, clear, effective lessons in Med Surg Solution. Learn more here. Be the first to get notified when the Straight A Nursing app goes live! Want to maximize your learning by reading this information, too? Check out the article and references here. RATE, REVIEW AND FOLLOW! If this episode helped you, please take a moment to rate and review the show! This helps others find the podcast, which helps me help even more people :-) Click here, scroll to the bottom, then simply tap to rate with 5 stars and select, "write a review." I'd lo

Trauma informed care is an approach to practice that strives to understand how past traumas affect why our patients do (or don’t do) what is needed in order to manage their health optimally. This concept of trauma informed care is gaining traction and being extensively studied in healthcare, education and public health. By providing trauma informed care, we bring the whole patient fully into their treatment plan and we cannot have patient-centered care without it. Want to change the way you study? Learn more about Study Sesh! Interested in learning more about trauma informed care? Start with these helpful links! https://www.traumainformedcare.chcs.org/ https://www.acesaware.org/ https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/sma14-4816.pdf https://www.nature.com/articles/pr2015197#Sec12 https://www.nursefamilypartnership.org/about/ Read the article and view references here. Be the first to get notified when the Straight A Nursing app goes live! RATE, REVIEW AND FOLLOW! If this episode helped you,

There are so many different types of anemia that it can sometimes feel overwhelming. That’s why I’m breaking down the key types in this episode! Want to maximize your learning by reading this information, too? Check out the article and references here. RATE, REVIEW AND FOLLOW! If this episode helped you, please take a moment to rate and review the show! This helps others find the podcast, which helps me help even more people :-) Click here, scroll to the bottom, then simply tap to rate with 5 stars and select, "write a review." I'd love to hear how the podcast has helped you! If you're not following yet, what are you waiting for? It takes just a quick moment and the episodes show up like magic every Thursday. And, when I release a bonus episode, those show up, too! You'll never miss a thing! In Apple Podcasts, just click on the three little dots in the upper right corner here. Know someone who would also love to study with me? Share the show or share specific episodes with your classmates...when we all

Polyhydramnios is a condition in which there is too much amniotic fluid produced during pregnancy. In this episode you’ll learn the causes of polyhydramnios as well as the serious consequences that can occur. Learn more about oligohydramnios here. Want to maximize your learning by reading this information, too? Check out the article and references here. RATE, REVIEW AND FOLLOW! If this episode helped you, please take a moment to rate and review the show! This helps others find the podcast, which helps me help even more people :-) Click here, scroll to the bottom, then simply tap to rate with 5 stars and select, "write a review." I'd love to hear how the podcast has helped you! If you're not following yet, what are you waiting for? It takes just a quick moment and the episodes show up like magic every Thursday. And, when I release a bonus episode, those show up, too! You'll never miss a thing! In Apple Podcasts, just click on the three little dots in the upper right corner here. Know someone who would al

Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency that is caused by a massively overblown response to infection. Sepsis affects more than 1.7 million adults in the U.S. each year and is a leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three patients who die in the hospital have sepsis. Early recognition and treatment are necessary to improve patient outcomes. Early goal directed therapy for sepsis was first introduced in 2001, and the Surviving Sepsis campaign was launched in 2002. Since then, guidelines for the management of sepsis have been developed and continually improved upon. These guidelines are often referred to as “the sepsis bundle.” Want to maximize your learning by reading this information, too? Check out the article and references here. RATE, REVIEW AND FOLLOW! If this episode helped you, please take a moment to rate and review the show! This helps others find the podcast, which helps me help even more people :-) Click he

Have you ever thought about hospice nursing? I am so excited to share this interview with you where I talk with Nurse Allie, an absolutely incredible and inspiring hospice RN. Learn more about this beautiful specialty and check out Allie on her instagram at @nurse_allie (you won’t regret it!) RATE, REVIEW AND FOLLOW! If this episode helped you, please take a moment to rate and review the show! This helps others find the podcast, which helps me help even more people :-) Click here, scroll to the bottom, then simply tap to rate with 5 stars and select, "write a review." I'd love to hear how the podcast has helped you! If you're not following yet, what are you waiting for? It takes just a quick moment and the episodes show up like magic every Thursday. And, when I release a bonus episode, those show up, too! You'll never miss a thing! In Apple Podcasts, just click on the three little dots in the upper right corner here. Know someone who would also love to study with me? Share the show or share specific epi

An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is an abnormal cluster of blood vessels that lack a capillary network, which results in both disrupted blood flow and disrupted oxygen delivery. In this episode I’m talking you through AVMs step-by-step so you can (finally) understand them! Learn more about neurological assessment here. Want to maximize your learning by reading this information, too? Check out the article and references here. RATE, REVIEW AND FOLLOW! If this episode helped you, please take a moment to rate and review the show! This helps others find the podcast, which helps me help even more people :-) Click here, scroll to the bottom, then simply tap to rate with 5 stars and select, "write a review." I'd love to hear how the podcast has helped you! If you're not following yet, what are you waiting for? It takes just a quick moment and the episodes show up like magic every Thursday. And, when I release a bonus episode, those show up, too! You'll never miss a thing! In Apple Podcasts, just click on th

In this episode I talk with Savannah from Net Worth Nurse about financial literacy and investing for nurses. You can learn more about Savannah and her mission to teach nurses about real estate investing at www.networthnurse.co RATE, REVIEW AND FOLLOW! If this episode helped you, please take a moment to rate and review the show! This helps others find the podcast, which helps me help even more people :-) Click here, scroll to the bottom, then simply tap to rate with 5 stars and select, "write a review." I'd love to hear how the podcast has helped you! If you're not following yet, what are you waiting for? It takes just a quick moment and the episodes show up like magic every Thursday. And, when I release a bonus episode, those show up, too! You'll never miss a thing! In Apple Podcasts, just click on the three little dots in the upper right corner here. Know someone who would also love to study with me? Share the show or share specific episodes with your classmates...when we all work together, we all su

This week on the podcast, we’re tackling postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). It’s a disorder of the autonomic nervous system that has a wide range of symptoms. You’ll learn: * POTS pathophysiology * The physiological causes of POTS * Signs and symptoms of POTS * Key assessments * Tests utilized to diagnose the condition * Treatments for POTS, including pharmacology and lifestyle modifications * POTS education (there is a lot!) Want to maximize your learning by reading this information, too? Check out the article and references here. Study Sesh: Get the podcast that truly changes the way you study! RATE, REVIEW AND FOLLOW! If this episode helped you, please take a moment to rate and review the show! This helps others find the podcast, which helps me help even more people :-) Click here, scroll to the bottom, then simply tap to rate with 5 stars and select, "write a review." I'd love to hear how the podcast has helped you! If you're not following yet, what are you waiting for? It takes ju

A few years ago I made the big leap from ICU to PACU and I haven’t looked back since. Sure, I loved the ICU where I worked, but I made the decision to step away from that so I could step even more into this…podcasting and teaching online. And I have to say, though I first was drawn to PACU for the flexible schedule it allowed me, I’ve really loved working in this environment. In this week’s episode, I’m taking you to work with me and talking through a typical day in the post anesthesia care unit. I’m so excited!!! So if you’ve ever wondered… * What does Nurse Mo do when she’s not working on the podcast? * What’s PACU nursing like? * Can PACU be a career option for me? Then this episode is FOR YOU! I had a lot of fun making this episode and I hope it inspires you to consider post anesthesia nursing. It’s fast-paced, highly variable, and yes…the schedule is pretty great! Nursing School Thrive Guide: Get the book that’s like having your nursing school bestie by your side every step of the way. (#ad) Going

I worked in the MICU for about eight years and most of my patients had some kind of respiratory involvement. For some it was pneumonia, for others it was ARDS, and some were simply on a ventilator because of a neurological impairment. Needless to say, I got really good at respiratory assessments. In this episode I’m sharing my best tips for conducting a respiratory assessment step-by-step. Want to maximize your learning by reading this information, too? Check out the article and references. Study Sesh: Get the podcast that truly changes the way you study! RATE, REVIEW AND FOLLOW! If this episode helped you, please take a moment to rate and review the show! This helps others find the podcast, which helps me help even more people :-) Click here, scroll to the bottom, then simply tap to rate with 5 stars and select, "write a review." I'd love to hear how the podcast has helped you! If you're not following yet, what are you waiting for? It takes just a quick moment and the episodes show up like magic ev

When I was a student (and new nurse) I remember hearing medical terms all the time that would make me think, “I should probably know what that means, but I’m too embarrassed to ask.” And I hated how that made me feel… lost, incompetent, out of the loop, and unsure of myself. You can imagine what feeling this way did to my confidence level. Yep…pretty low sometimes. In this episode I’m diving into some common medical terms that students (and even experienced nurses) often feel a little unsure about…terms like: Sensitivity vs specificity Hypoxia vs hypoxemia Crystalloid vs colloid And let’s not forget medical slang like “the gap,” “rainbows,” and “Christmas trees” After listening to this episode, you’ll be absolutely fascinating at your next cocktail party and probably feel a lot more confident at the bedside, too! 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 sessi

Nurse practitioners are advanced practice nurses that fulfill a variety of roles in the healthcare setting. Having an NP license enables a nurse to write orders, prescribe medications, diagnose health conditions and, in some states, can even operate independently without physician oversight. I had the great pleasure of interviewing Latrina Walden, CEO and founder of Latrina Walden Exam Solutions. I hope this inspires you to pursue your dream of becoming an NP! You can learn more about Latrina and her programs at www.latrinawaldenexamsolutions.com Read the transcript from this interview here. RATE, REVIEW AND FOLLOW! If this episode helped you, please take a moment to rate and review the show! This helps others find the podcast, which helps me help even more people :-) Click here, scroll to the bottom, then simply tap to rate with 5 stars and select, "write a review." I'd love to hear how the podcast has helped you! If you're not following yet, what are you waiting for? It takes just a quick moment and

Of all the assessments you learn in nursing school, neuro assessment can easily be the most challenging (not to mention the most lengthy!). In this episode I’m taking you through the key types of neuro assessments and some basic tips for practicing them with confidence. You’ll learn: * How and when to use the Glasgow Coma Scale * The difference between somnolent and obtunded (and the other levels of consciousness, too!). * Tips for cranial nerve assessment (spoiler alert…I still use a cheat sheet at the bedside!) * The key components of a general neurological assessment for all of your patients * An overview of the NIH Stroke Scale (yet another type of neuro assessment!) * My pro tips for performing a neurological assessment * And, which patients might be at higher risk for a neuro status change So pop in those earbuds, lace up those walking shoes and let’s talk neuro! Want to maximize your learning by reading this information, too? Check out the article and references. Nursing School Thrive Guide: Get t

I mentioned isoniazid in episode 218 when we talked about tuberculosis, so if you’re interested in some exponential learning, make sure you go back and listen to that episode as well. In this episode you’ll learn: * How isoniazid works * Why it’s especially useful in tuberculosis meningitis * How isoniazid is administered and in what forms * The most important factor when it comes to taking isoniazid * Dietary considerations * Signs of serious adverse effects and what to watch for * And so much more! Want to maximize your learning by reading this information, too? Check out the article and references here. Learn dosage calculations basics and kick math anxiety to the curb! Download the FREE guide including 10 practice questions right here. Get Organized for Nursing School! Don’t get overwhelmed….get organized in this self-paced 5-day challenge. Get a head start on pharmacology with the Pharmacology Success Pack Does learning pharmacology just make you more confused? Review key pharmacology concepts and