Straight A Nursing: Study for nursing school exams & NCLEX

It’s PodQuiz Monday! Test your knowledge from last week’s episode with a quick set of audio flashcards designed to reinforce what you learned. These mini-reviews are a great way to study on the go, and they give you a taste of what it’s like inside Study Sesh, my audio study tool for busy nursing students. If you need a brush-up on perfusion before you do this podquiz, I've got you covered in episode 488.

🧠 Ready to quiz yourself? Let’s dive in!

👉Want more practice like this? ⁠Check out Study Sesh!

💕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.

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

You know that moment when you walk into a patient’s room and something just feels… off?

Not wrong in a pull-the-crash-cart way. Just… different. Their blood pressure is trending down a little. They’re not quite as sharp as they were two hours ago. Urine output isn’t great.

And your brain starts doing that scrambling thing — flipping through every diagnosis you’ve ever learned, trying to figure out what category this falls into.

Here’s the thing: that scrambling feeling? It’s not a sign that you don’t know enough. It’s a sign that you’re trying to find the diagnosis before you’ve found the pattern.

This episode is about the pattern.

Perfusion is one of those foundational concepts that shows up everywhere — cardiac, renal, neuro, sepsis, shock — and yet it rarely gets taught the way it needs to be. Not just “perfusion means blood flow” but what actually happens when it fails, how your patient’s body responds, and what that looks like when you’re standing at the bedside at 10am wondering if you need to make a phone call.

In this episode, we go deep. Like, actually deep — the cellular level, the four components of the delivery system, why blood pressure is often the last thing to drop, all four shock types through one unified framework, and three clinical cases that will change how you think about patient assessment.

By the end, you’ll have a question you can ask about any patient that will immediately anchor your thinking and help you catch deterioration earlier than you thought possible.

Ready to think like a nurse? Hit play.

👉 If this episode helps you see patient assessment differently, the Nursing School Survival Blueprint is a great next step. It’s the free guide that shows you exactly how to build the kind of structured, clinical thinking that makes episodes like this click — and stick.

Get the Blueprint

___________________

Full Transcript - Read the article and view references

Related Episodes:

Non-Sepsis Reasons for an Elevated Lactate - Episode #167

Distributive Shock Simplified - Episode 346

💕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

It’s PodQuiz Monday! Test your knowledge from a recent episode with a quick set of audio flashcards designed to reinforce what you learned.

These mini-reviews are a great way to study on the go, and they give you a taste of what it’s like inside Study Sesh, my audio study tool for busy nursing students.

If you need a brush-up on vascular assessments before you do this podquiz, I've got you covered in episode ENCORE! #274: Introduction to Vascular Assessment.

🧠 Ready to quiz yourself? Hit play and let's dive in!

👉Want more practice like this? ⁠Check out Study Sesh!

💕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 republish one of my most popular or impactful episodes from my backlog of over 450 episodes. This week I'm highlighting Episode 274, which walks you through how to perform a vascular assessment.

___________________

⁠Full Transcript⁠- Read the article "Performing a Vascular Assessment" and view references

⁠Nursing School Survival Blueprint⁠ - Nursing school gets easier when you have a system. This free Blueprint walks you through the key shifts that separate struggling students from thriving ones — download it and start applying them this week.

💕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

It’s PodQuiz Monday! Test your knowledge from a recent episode with a quick set of audio flashcards designed to reinforce what you learned.

These mini-reviews are a great way to study on the go, and they give you a taste of what it’s like inside Study Sesh, my audio study tool for busy nursing students.

If you need a brush-up on burn fundamentals before you do this podquiz, I've got you covered in episode ENCORE! #149: The Basics of Burns.

🧠 Ready to quiz yourself? Hit play and let's dive in!

👉Want more practice like this? ⁠Check out Study Sesh!

💕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

You studied all weekend. You put in the hours. And you still walked out of that exam feeling like something just didn’t click. If that’s ever been you (or if you’re about to start nursing school and you’re already worried it will be) this episode is going to change how you think about studying.

Because the problem isn’t how much you’re studying. It’s what’s happening in your brain while you do it.

In this episode, Nurse Mo breaks down cognitive load theory — the neuroscience behind why nursing students get overwhelmed — and walks you through a practical, step-by-step approach for studying in a way that your brain can actually process and retain.

In this episode you’ll learn:

•  Why effort alone doesn’t produce learning — and what does

•  The three types of cognitive load (and which one is actually your friend)

•  The four most common habits that silently overload your brain

•  A five-step study approach designed to work with your brain, not against it

This isn’t about studying harder. It’s about finally understanding why the way you’ve been studying isn’t working, and what to do differently.

👉 Grab the free Nursing School Survival Blueprint: straightanursingstudent.com/blueprint

___________________

Full Transcript - Read the article and view references

💕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 breaking down early warning signs of clinical deterioration that, if noticed, could mean the difference between life and death. See you there!

___________________

⁠⁠⁠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!

⁠Nursing School Survival Blueprint⁠ - Feeling overwhelmed or unsure how to approach nursing school? Download this free Blueprint to understand exactly what's working against you — and what to do instead.

⁠⁠⁠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 republish one of my most popular or impactful episodes from my backlog of over 450 episodes. This week I'm highlighting Episode 149, which takes you through the four main factors to keep in mind when you are looking at burns.

___________________

⁠Full Transcript⁠- Read the article "The Basics of Burns" and view references

⁠Nursing School Survival Blueprint⁠ - Nursing school gets easier when you have a system. This free Blueprint walks you through the key shifts that separate struggling students from thriving ones — download it and start applying them this week.

💕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

It’s PodQuiz Monday! Test your knowledge from last week’s episode with a quick set of audio flashcards designed to reinforce what you learned. These mini-reviews are a great way to study on the go, and they give you a taste of what it’s like inside Study Sesh, my audio study tool for busy nursing students. If you need a brush-up on rhabdomyolysis before you do this podquiz, I've got you covered in episode ENCORE: 251 - Rhabdomyolysis.

🧠 Ready to quiz yourself? Let’s dive in!

👉Want more practice like this? Check out Study Sesh!

💕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

Thinking about taking the ATI TEAS exam? In this episode, I break down what the TEAS is actually testing and why so many students prepare the wrong way.

Learn how the ATI TEAS measures foundational reasoning, reading comprehension, scientific literacy, and applied math skills, plus the four biggest mistakes students make when studying. If you want a strategic plan for TEAS prep that sets you up for success in nursing school, this episode is your roadmap.

As an ATI affiliate, I may earn a small commission when you buy from the links below and use the coupon code (at no extra cost to you).

_______________

Get 15% off TEAS prep materials - Use code SAN15 to get 15% off ATI TEAS prep material or packages using this link at ATI Testing.

Nursing School Survival Blueprint⁠ - Nursing school gets easier when you have a system. This free Blueprint walks you through the key shifts that separate struggling students from thriving ones — download it and start applying them this week.

💕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