If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to piece together how blood pressure, fluid balance, and heart failure meds all connect, this episode is for you. In this lesson, we’re diving into the RAAS pathway, also known as the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and how this one system plays a major role in so many things you’ll encounter in nursing school and beyond.

You’ll learn how RAAS helps regulate systemic vascular resistance and fluid volume, which ultimately impact cardiac output and blood pressure. I’ll walk you through the three main components—renin, angiotensin, and aldosterone—and show you exactly how they interact to keep the body in balance.

We’ll also cover the medications that disrupt this pathway, including ACE inhibitors, ARBs, and aldosterone receptor blockers. These are foundational drugs used to treat hypertension and heart failure, and understanding the pathway gives you a deeper understanding of why and how they work. Plus, we touch on the role of pharmacologic angiotensin II in hypotension and septic shock.

This episode highlights how mastering one system—just one!—can give you a big-picture view of multiple conditions and treatments. It’s a perfect example of what I teach in my free class, How to Thrive in Nursing School Without It Taking Over Your Life. And if you’re ready to keep building that strong foundation, I’ll also tell you how to join me inside Crucial Concepts Bootcamp.

Ready to make the RAAS system finally click? Let’s do it!

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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 concepts, organization and time management, dosage calculations, and so much more.

Straight A Nursing App - Study on-the-go with the Straight A Nursing app! Review more than 5,000 flashcards covering a wide range of subjects including Fundamentals, Pediatrics, Med Surg, Mental Health, Maternal Newborn, and more! Available for free in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Pharmacology Success Pack - Want to get a head start on pharmacology? Download the FREE Pharmacology Success Pack. 

Nursing School Thrive Guide - Get the book that many nursing students consider the ultimate survival guide for nursing school! Available in paperback, Kindle and audio formats.

💕Did you love this episode? Please take a moment to follow or subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode!

___________________

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

Let's start your week strong with a quick tip you can incorporate right away. In this Mo's Monday Minute shortie episode, I'm talking about how to use comparison tables to streamline your studying. You don't want to this miss this episode!

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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!

20 Secrets of Successful Nursing Students – Learn key strategies that will help you be a successful nursing student with this FREE guide!

All Straight A Nursing Resources - Check out everything Straight A Nursing has to offer, including free resources and online courses to help you succeed!

💕Did you love this episode? Please take a moment to follow or subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode!

___________________

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

Every other week I'm republishing one of my most popular or impactful episodes and adding an update, new insight, or context that will help you benefit from it even more. This week I'm highlighting Episode 147, which is all about SBAR communication. One thing I cannot stress enough with SBAR is that practice really does make perfect. So, give this one a listen and perfect your SBAR game!

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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 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 success pack includes SBAR report sheets, run sheets, a clinical debrief form, and patient safety checklist.

Episode 7 – How to give end-of-shift report using SBAR

SBAR End of Shift Report – Read the article breaking down how to use SBAR for your end of shift report.

💕Did you love this episode? Please take a moment to follow or subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode!

___________________

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

Let's start your week strong with a quick tip you can incorporate right away. In this Mo's Monday Minute shortie episode, I'm talking about some common mistakes that can cause a falsely elevated blood pressure - some of these may surprise you!

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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!

20 Secrets of Successful Nursing Students – Learn key strategies that will help you be a successful nursing student with this FREE guide!

All Straight A Nursing Resources - Check out everything Straight A Nursing has to offer, including free resources and online courses to help you succeed!

💕Did you love this episode? Please take a moment to follow or subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode!

___________________

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

Have I got a treat for you this week! In this episode I’m releasing the first chapter of my new book, The Ultimate Nursing School Thrive Guide! This book is the updated and expanded version of the original Thrive Guide with a lot more information and even more helpful tips to help you thrive in nursing school. 

This book is for you if you’re starting nursing school soon and want to jump in without all the stress, uncertainty and fear that you see so many other students dealing with. If you’re looking for a nursing school BFF who’s been where you are and who also has the insight only an experienced nursing school instructor can have, this book should be next on your reading list!

The Ultimate Nursing School Thrive Guide is available on Amazon. Or visit the Straight A Nursing website for more information and bulk orders.

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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.

20 Secrets of Successful Nursing Students – Learn key strategies that will help you be a successful nursing student with this FREE guide!

💕Did you love this episode? Please take a moment to follow or subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode!

___________________

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

Let's start your week strong with a quick tip you can incorporate right away. In this Mo's Monday Minute shortie episode, I'm talking about some key things that can worsen orthostatic hypotension, which puts your patient at very high risk for falls and injury. So, let’s keep our patients safe and hit play on this episode! 

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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!

20 Secrets of Successful Nursing Students – Learn key strategies that will help you be a successful nursing student with this FREE guide!

All Straight A Nursing Resources - Check out everything Straight A Nursing has to offer, including free resources and online courses to help you succeed!

💕Did you love this episode? Please take a moment to follow or subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode!

___________________

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

Every other week I'm republishing one of my most popular or impactful episodes and adding an update, new insight, or context that will help you benefit from it even more. This week I'm highlighting Episode #69, which is all about imposter syndrome. I've talked about imposter syndrome time and time again to different groups of nursing students and that's because almost every single person can relate.

If you've ever said to yourself, "I don't belong here" or "They're going to find out I don't know what I'm talking about" then you may very well suffer from imposter syndrome.

In this podcast episode, Nurse Mo talks about imposter syndrome, why it's so common in nursing students and why it has absolutely nothing to do with how amazing you actually are.

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⁠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 concepts, organization and time management, dosage calculations, and so much more.

⁠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 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!

⁠Straight A Nursing App⁠ - Study on-the-go with the Straight A Nursing app! Review more than 5,000 flashcards covering a wide range of subjects including Fundamentals, Pediatrics, Med Surg, Mental Health, Maternal Newborn, and more! Available for free in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

💕Did you love this episode? Please take a moment to follow or subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode!

___________________

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

Let's start your week strong with a quick tip you can incorporate right away. In this Mo's Monday Minute shortie episode, I'm talking about five common causes of post-op fever. Hit play on this episode to take even better care of your surgical patients!

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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!

20 Secrets of Successful Nursing Students – Learn key strategies that will help you be a successful nursing student with this FREE guide!

All Straight A Nursing Resources - Check out everything Straight A Nursing has to offer, including free resources and online courses to help you succeed!

💕Did you love this episode? Please take a moment to follow or subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode!

___________________

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

Get ready for nursing school with Crucial Concepts Bootcamp. This nursing school prep course is on sale right now, plus you get a free Electrolytes Study Guide and a free 2-week trial for Med Surg Solution.

Check out Crucial Concepts Bootcamp here!

Sale runs July 6 - Aug 11, 2025.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If there’s one thing nursing students are familiar with, besides early mornings and endless exams, it’s a tight budget. Between juggling school, part-time jobs, and sky-high stress levels, managing your money can feel like one more thing on an already overflowing to-do list.

In this episode, I’m introducing you to a simple, hands-on budgeting method that’s been trending on social media for good reason: cash stuffing, also known as the envelope system. Whether you're trying to make your student loan stretch, pay the rent, or just want to avoid those “how did I spend that much?” moments, this method can help you take control of your finances in a way that’s visual, satisfying, and even kind of fun!

I’ll walk you through:

Whether you're a student looking for a smarter way to budget or a nurse wanting to be more intentional with your spending, this episode will help you ditch money anxiety and feel more in control of every dollar.

👉 Ready to make your money work for you? Grab your envelopes (or a cute binder if you’re fancy) and let’s get stuffing!

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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 - 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.

FREE Dosage Calculations Guide - Kick math anxiety to the curb and learn the basics of how to set up and perform dosage calculations using dimensional analysis with this FREE guide. Includes 10 free practice questions!

FREE 20 Secrets of Successful Nursing Students – Learn key strategies that will help you be a successful nursing student with this FREE guide!

FREE New Nursing Student Checklist - Get prepped and ready for your nursing school program with this free checklist!

💕Did you love this episode? Please take a moment to follow or subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode!

___________________

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