MedMaster by NURSING.com

Free NCLEX Prep Podcast - Just check out www.FlashNotesPodcast.com to start listening for FREE today.  

The NCSBN - the company that administers the NCLEX - released the NextGen NCLEX in April and it was hailed as the new standard in measuring nursing students' ability to be a successful new nurse

Welp, they just published the results for the first batch of test takers

These results mean we  KNOW the pass rate for all nextgen NCLEX test takers

I’m not even kidding when I say . . . . I was shocked - I was floored by what I saw when I read the results the first time

And let's just say one of these things is not like the other.  The results show a 41% change in pass rate when compared to all NCLEX test takers BEFORE nextgen.  And a 16% change compared to the 5-year average pass rate.  

I am so excited for you and what this will mean for nursing students and the field of nursing, go out and take the NCLEX today!  

And we just created the perfect FREE last-minute prep that you can do before you take the NCLEX 

We listened to you and pulled out the 77 biggest topics of struggle.  We created a beautiful PDF download that outlines each of these 77 Must-Know topics.  

We also created a new Podcast Show where we cover each of the topics for you.  And you can do this entire review for free, while on the go, listening in your car.  Whatever works best for you!

Just check out www.FlashNotesPodcast.com to start listening for FREE today.  

You have got this, go take your NCLEX today, and as always Happy Nursing 

Just check out www.FlashNotesPodcast.com to start listening for FREE today.  

Visit: https://nursing.com/140meds to request your free copy of "140 Must Know Meds"

Insulin Regular

Humulin R/Novolin R

hyperglycemia with diabetes type 1 and 2, diabetic ketoacidosis

stimulates uptake of glucose into muscle and fat cells, inhibits production of glucose in the liver, prevents breakdown of fat and protein

antidiabetics, hormones

pancreatics

• assess for symptoms of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia • monitor body weight over time • may cause decreased inorganic phosphates, potassium, and magnesium • monitor blood sugars every 6 hours, monitor A1C every 3-6 months

Visit: https://nursing.com/140meds to request your free copy of "140 Must Know Meds"

Aspart, Lispro, Glulisine

Novolog, Humalog, Apidra

hyperglycemia with diabetes type 1 and 2, diabetic ketoacidosis

stimulates uptake of glucose into muscle and fat cells, inhibits production of glucose in the liver, prevents breakdown of fat and protein

antidiabetics, hormones

pancreatics

• assess for symptoms of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia • monitor body weight over time • may cause decreased inorganic phosphates, potassium, and magnesium • monitor blood sugars every 6 hours, monitor A1C every 3-6 months

Visit: https://nursing.com/140meds to request your free copy of "140 Must Know Meds"

Insulin detemir, Insulin glargine

Levemir, Lantus

hyperglycemia with diabetes type 1 and 2, diabetic ketoacidosis

stimulates uptake of glucose into muscle and fat cells, inhibits production of glucose in the liver, prevents breakdown of fat and protein

antidiabetics, hormones

pancreatics

• assess for symptoms of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia • monitor body weight over time • may cause decreased inorganic phosphates, potassium, and magnesium • monitor blood sugars every 6 hours, monitor A1C every 3-6 months

Get NCLEX Flash Notes here: https://nclexbook.com 

I know just as well as any other nursing student - nursing school is freaking EXPENSIVE! 

I attended an Accelerated BSN program or ABSN designed for working professionals interested in a career change.

That means that it was about 4 years of nursing school compressed into 18 months of grueling torture - about at the cost of all 4 years combined! 

My wife and I were pregnant with our son Taz at the time, and…

… We were buried in student debt…

…We were living on food stamps and WIC…

.. We were sleeping on a mattress I pulled from the dumpster…

…I was giving my all (what was left) to becoming a nurse…

Once Taz was born, we found out that he had a fairly rare congenital birth defect that required multiple surgeries and weeks of hospital stays, just in his first year of life. 

I will never forget staying up late into the night studying for exams in his hospital room by the light of the Emergency Room signage below then waking up in the early hours with him or going across the street to school and rushing back to baby Taz.

There were times I would bring him up to the school library during his nap time so I could attend a study group while he slept in his stroller.

I was completely dedicated to being an amazing nurse. 

1st Semester GPA - 4.0. 

2nd Semester GPA - 4.0 

I was rocking it, but Taz’s surgeries were really starting to weigh on my wife and I. 

That’s when the 3rd semester started, and I got the nursing professor from hell…  

She had an utter lack of understanding of education, clinical nursing, and general people skills.

Over the course of the semester she only became more and more obtuse with her thinking and was clearly not in the game of educating nursing students but reaping vengeance on some past experience.  

Not quite who I was paying tens of thousands of dollars to study under...

I wanted nothing to do with this woman, and therefore this class, and even nursing school in general! 

I had lost all motivation to keep going in becoming a nurse. 

With only 10 weeks to go until graduation, I dropped out of nursing school…

Visit: https://nursing.com/140meds to request your free copy of "140 Must Know Meds"

Insulin NPH

Humulin N, Novolin N

hyperglycemia with diabetes type 1 and 2, diabetic ketoacidosis

stimulates uptake of glucose into muscle and fat cells, inhibits production of glucose in the liver, prevents breakdown of fat and protein

antidiabetics, hormones

pancreatics

• assess for symptoms of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia • monitor body weight over time • may cause decreased inorganic phosphates, potassium, and magnesium • monitor blood sugars every 6 hours, monitor A1C every 3-6 months

Get the free NCLEX Flash Notes ebook at: https://nclexbook.com

When we become a part of a group, especially a group that is so underfunded and understaffed (like Nurse Educators) it becomes very easy to defend every action and every individual.

(In the past, I have mentioned several things that I feel need to change in nursing education.  You can read about that here  and here.)

This is flawed however, because doing so denies the issues and neglects the need for change.  Rather than keeping an open mind about how to improve, the moment we try to protect or defend an entire industry, we enter into confirmation bias and inhibit our ability to objectively see the need for change.

I know, without a doubt, that whenever I mention the need for change in nursing education we will get an email or two from a professor or administrator ranting up and down saying . . . (my answers below each one).

• “How dare you say there are flaws in nursing education!”
  • It is completely asinine to assume that there are NO flaws in ANY industry, company, or individual.  Hell yes there are flaws in nursing education . . . you know what?  There are flaws with NRSNG and with Jon Haws too.  None of us are perfect.  It’s time to be a bit more humble about what needs to change.
• “You are everything that is wrong with nursing!”
  • Ummm . . . if pointing out areas of improvement and then creating those lifelines for nursing students after the educators they have relied on have failed them is “what’s wrong” with nursing . . .then we have much bigger problems.
• “If students weren’t so lazy.”
  • No doubt, there are some lazy students out there.  However, all 300,000+ nursing students are not lazy just like all nursing educators are not “bad”.   Lazy students do not preclude the educator from educating.   Just as poor educators do not preclude the student from graduating.
• “We don’t know the professors side of your story.  I’m sure you were in the wrong.”
  • I state exactly what I did wrong on this post.  Being will to openly share my failure shouldn’t grant you the right to attack my vulnerability and excuse poor education.
• “Nursing school was hard for me, so it needs to be hard for other students . . . it’s the school of hard knocks.” (p.s. this one pisses me off more than any other)
  • Is this a joke?  Like seriously, is this a joke?  It’s your freaking job to educate.  I would NEVER wish on anyone to work on a floor where this mentality was adopted.  Imagine working with nurses who think it’s okay for other nurses  to struggle just because they’ve had some hard shifts.  Like . . . is this a joke.  If you see a co-worker struggling you just turn your head and let them sink rather than throw them a lifeline.  Get over yourself.
• “We will NEVER share your material with our students.”
  • Thanks.  You just proved my point that nursing education needs to change!  How juvenile it is to deny your students of helpful materials just because your feelings got hurt.  The funniest thing about this email is that they are emailing us AFTER finding AND using our materials.  Then, they get their feelings hurt and refuse to distribute anything NRSNG to their students.  Dude!  You just proved the point. Some administrators have gone as far as to BAN myself (Jon) from physically coming on their campus.  Come on!  It’s time to grow up, recognize the flaws, and provide your students with anything that will help them.
• “You are a bad example of negativity in nursing.”
  • I take offense to this.  Our podcast has 800+ episodes covering an enormous amount of material on positivity.  Our blog has 800+ posts, our YouTube channel has 400+ videos, our Instagram account has 700+ posts . . . 99% of this material is positive to nursing and nursing education.  If I point out one flaw or state that “nursing education needs to change” and you see that a “negativity in nursing”, I fear we are so deep into confirmation bias  . . .

Visit: https://nursing.com/140meds to request your free copy of "140 Must Know Meds"

indomethacin

Indocin

Inflammatory disorders when patients do not respond to other medications

Decreases pain and inflammation by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis

antirheumatics, ductus arteriosus patency adjuncts (IV only), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents

none

• monitor for hepatitis and GI bleeding • monitor for dizziness, drowsiness, and headache • assess for anaphylactic reaction • aspirin may decrease effectiveness • monitor renal labs • shake suspension before administration • patient should wear sunscreen and protective clothing to protect against photosensitivity

Hi NURSING.com family.

You can now prep for the NCLEX Anywhere!

We just released a new Podcast show, "NCLEX Flash Notes." This is the perfect NCLEX review, and as ALWAYS, we have pulled out the MOST important info that you need to become an Amazing nurse!

Listen in each week while we review the critical topics you need to pass the NCLEX Exam. Each episode will cover different MUST-know nursing topics, with a perfect overview of all you need to know.

Our new show is NCLEX Flash Notes.

Just click the link below for a direct link to the show on either iTunes OR Spotify!

https://nursing.com/flashnotes

Visit: https://nursing.com/140meds to request your free copy of "140 Must Know Meds"

ibuprofen

Advil / Motrin

Mild to moderate pain, inflammatory states

Decreases pain and inflammation by inhibiting prostaglandins

antipyretics, antirheumatics, nonopioid analgesics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents

nonopioid analgesics

• may cause GI bleeding, hepatitis, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome • may cause anaphylaxis • monitor for headache, nausea, vomiting, constipation • therapy should be discontinued after first sign of rash • monitor renal and liver labs • patient should avoid using alcohol