In this video, we’re going to talk about why med-surg is so hard in nursing school.
I recently asked this question on my Instagram stories (@nursingsos), and we got a ton of responses.
It’s really no secret that there’s something about nursing school, and especially med-surg, that makes it super tough.
So if you’re feeling like you just can’t do it anymore, and wondering what the heck you got yourself into, don’t worry, you’re not alone.
We’ll talk about what makes med-surg so hard, and how to overcome it!
HERE’S A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE’LL TALK ABOUT:
- Reason #1: The idea that you need to know everything on day one. (0:37)
- Reason #2: You’re making it harder than it needs to be. (1:53)
- Reason #3: Everyone expects you to be able to critically think, but no one actually tells you what that means. (4:44)
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
In this video, we’re going to talk about why med-surg is so hard in nursing school. I recently asked THIS question on Instagram, and we got a ton of responses. It’s really no secret that there’s something about nursing school, and especially med-surg, that makes it super tough. So if you’re feeling like you just can’t do it anymore, and wondering what the heck you got yourself into, don’t worry, you’re not alone. We’re going to talk about all of it right now. So hit that subscribe button and click the notification bell and let’s dive in.
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The first thing that makes med-surg hard is the idea that you need to know everything on day one. And if you don’t, you’re already behind.
So my first tip for you is to get rid of the idea that you’re supposed to know everything right now. I talked about this on my Instagram stories recently because it just keeps coming up. Students keep telling me that they feel like they should be further ahead than they are.
But friend, here’s the thing: You’re in nursing school to learn. And not only do you need to learn everything for your actual med-surg class, but you also need to learn HOW to learn med-surg in the first place. It’s a totally different world than anything you’ve ever done before. So give yourself grace, and don’t expect yourself to know everything right now. That’s just not how the world works.
It takes a ton of practice and a ton of falling on your face to get good at it. So take it one day at a time, and please don’t put that pressure on yourself to be perfect and know it all from the start.
If you want some fantastic tips to help you study med-surg better, be sure to check THIS video out.
Now the second tip I have for you, well, it’s more of a statement actually, and that is you’re making it harder than it needs to be.
Yes, med-surg is difficult, for SURE! There’s a lot you need to know and study, and it requires a lot of dedication and time. But often times I see students making it 10 times harder than it needs to be just because they’re so stressed, worried, and anxious about it.
I don’t know about you, but anxiety and stress never got me anywhere in life.
If you’ve been around for a while, you might remember THIS photo that I posted on Instagram a while back on my lifelong struggle with anxiety. It ran my life for a LONG time. Literally to the point where I could not function.
So I can tell you from first hand experience, anxiety and stress will just hold you back and actually PREVENT you from getting what you want.
Instead of focusing your time on studying, your mind will just be spinning with negativity and anxious thoughts. I know because I’ve been there. And it’s not a fun thing to experience when you literally think the world is ending.
But friend, I PROMISE you, nursing school is not an emergency. And there is nothing you aren’t capable of achieving.
So even though med-surg is hard, I want you to spend your study time FOCUSED on actually studying, and not on the anxiety and stress that often accompanies it.
You will study way faster and way more effectively when you aren’t constantly spinning in anxiety and worry.
The next one is one of the BIGGEST reasons med-surg is super hard, and I’m going to tell you how to overcome it, but before we get there, I want to give a shout out to our YouTube comment of the week, which says,
“When is open enrollment happening? Love your videos!”
I’m so glad you love all of our videos, I rally love showing up for you every week here on YouTube and giving you my best tips to help you rock nursing school.
And to answer your question, our NursingSOS Membership Community is our paid program, where I walk you through, step-by-step how to pass nursing school. It’s full of courses, study guides, care plans, med-surg videos, and just a bunch of resources to help you pass nursing school.
But it’s not open all the time. Enrollment only opens a few times per year, so make sure to get on the wait list so you’ll be the first to know when it opens again. I’ll put the link in the description below this video. I can’t wait to see you inside, it’s going to change everything for you!
Now the next thing that makes med-surg hard is that everyone expects you to be able to critically think, but no one actually tells you what that means.
Seriously, I find this super annoying.
You’re told from day one in nursing school that you need to “think like a nurse” and “use your critical thinking skills,” but for real, does ANYONE tell you what that even means?
If they did, you’re super blessed. Because no one told me in nursing school and I wish they had.
Which is why I’ve made several videos about it, walking you through exactly what critical thinking is, like THIS video here. So seriously, if you’re struggling with how to “think like a nurse,” watch that video. It will help you a ton.
I also have a free critical thinking cheat sheet for you to download. I’ll put the link in the comments for you to get it, it’s going to help you learn how to critically think faster.
So really, from the day you start nursing school, you’re told that you need to apply your critical thinking skills. But here’s the problem with that. You don’t know anything yet!
Students message me all the time telling me they’re in their first, second, or third term in nursing school, and they’re freaking out because they don’t know how to critically think.
And I’m like, YEAH! Of course you don’t! You just started nursing school.
So friend, seriously, give yourself a BREAK! The more exams you take, the more classes you go to, and the more clinicals you have, the better and better you will get at critical thinking.
But it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s not like you get accepted into nursing school and all of a sudden, you’re just handed critical thinking skills. NO! That’s not how it works. You need to work for it and earn it. And that only comes with practice and time.
So do not beat yourself up about this. You’re doing better than you think you are.
And seriously, check that video out if you want to develop your critical thinking skills faster. I can totally help you with that!
Now in the next video I’m going to walk through my top hacks for how to answer nursing exam questions. Most students don’t know that there are certain strategies you can use to pick the right answer, even if you have no idea what the right answer is! It’s seriously game changing. So make sure to click the notification bell so you don’t miss out when that video goes up.
Now make sure to like, comment, subscribe and share this video with a friend.
And click on one of these videos here so you can keep rocking nursing school, and go become the nurse that God created only YOU to be. And I’ll catch you in the next video.
