Straight A Nursing: Study for nursing school exams & NCLEX

Maureen Osuna, MSN, RN - Nursing school educator, author, and nursing student enthusiast.
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In this show, Maureen Osuna, MSN, RN (Nurse Mo) breaks down a wide range of nursing school concepts so they’re easy to understand. Each episode aims to help nursing students improve their study techniques, pass nursing school exams, and feel more confident in clinical. If you’re nervous about nursing school, not “getting it” in lecture, or feeling overwhelmed with all the information you have to learn, this podcast will help you optimize your study time so you can learn more with less stress. While nursing school is challenging, it doesn’t have to be impossible. When concepts are explained in a way that “just makes sense”, nursing students have better recall on exams, feel more confident working with patients in clinical, and are better prepared for NCLEX. Nurse Mo understands the struggles nursing students face and draws on more than 11 years of clinical experience to make nursing school less intimidating. Each episode removes the “fluff” and focuses on the key things a nursing student (and nurse) needs to know about a variety of disease conditions. The show also provides tips for succeeding in nursing school, guidance for students and new nurses, and insider information to help you excel at the bedside.

  1. 1d ago

    #508: MMM - Your First Code Blue

    New nurses, this one's for you! We're talking about what that first code actually feels like, why the calm you see in other nurses doesn’t mean you’re not cut out for this, and why your contribution matters even when you're not the one leading. If you're a new nurse and this moment is still ahead of you, or if you've already been through it and it's still on your mind, hit play on this episode! 👋 Want to walk into your first code feeling more prepared instead of just hoping for the best? Confident Nurse Academy is our on-demand clinical readiness program, built to help new nurses get clinically ready for high-stakes situations like this one, faster. Get a sneak peak into this program by grabbing the Confident Code Blue Response lesson absolutely free! 👉https://confident-nurse-academy.kit.com/7078f83bd5 💕Did you love this episode? Please take a moment to follow or subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode…and share with friends so you can help other nurses thrive!  ___________________ 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

  2. 5d ago

    What is the Beers List of Medications? - ENCORE! #169

    The Beers Criteria, or Beers list, is a list of medications which are considered to be potentially harmful medications for individuals over 65 years old due to risks or side effects that outweigh the benefits.  In this episode, you'll learn: Beers criteria  Why this list matters Key medications you’ll see in the clinical setting Implications for your nursing practice. The Beers list is updated by the American Geriatrics Society every 3 years with the most recent version as of 8/2026 being from 2023. View the 2023 Beers list here. Pharmacology Success Pack - Want to get a head start on pharmacology? Download the FREE Pharmacology Success Pack and you'll have drug naming conventions, safe medication administration, unit conversions and reversal agents at your finger tips. Print them and put them in your clinical binder or keep them in your files at your phone so you can reference them any time.Fast Pharmacology - Learn pharmacology concepts in 5 minutes or less in this audio based program. Perfect for on-the-go review! Read the article "The Beers List Explained" and view references here. This is a throwback to episode 169 of the Straight A Nursing School Podcast, where nursing school help is at your fingertips with hundreds of episodes covering your journey from taking the TEAS through passing NCLEX and having success as a new-grad nurse.  💕Did you love this episode? Please take a moment to follow or subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode…and share with friends so you can help other nurses thrive!  ___________________ 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

  3. Aug 17

    #507: MMM - This vs. That: 7 Nursing Concepts Students Always Mix Up

    Nursing is full of terms that sound similar, look similar, and sometimes even seem interchangeable. But understanding the differences between these concepts can make a huge difference in your clinical judgment. Hit play for a rapid-fire round of "This vs. That" and we'll clear up seven commonly confused nursing concepts. ___________________ ⁠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. Straight A Nursing Study 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

  4. Aug 13

    #506: Clinical Is Not a Test (Most of the Time)

    If you're just heading in to clinical or are still feeling a bit overwhelmed at the end of every shift, this episode is for you. In this episode, I'm sharing how you can reframe your clinical experience to go from just trying to survive, to walking out of every shift sharper than when you walked in. You'll learn: How to approach the moments that genuinely are evaluative Why your brain goes blank in clinical and how to recover Patricia Benner's novice stage The skill of noticing and why it's the most important thing you can develop at the bedside How to handle your first clinical mistake without it derailing your whole shift The debrief habit that accelerates clinical learning faster than almost anything else Nursing school gets easier when you have a system to build your clinical thinking from the ground up. I'd love to get you started building that system by walking you through the key shifts that separate struggling students from thriving ones in my free ⁠Nursing School Survival Blueprint⁠. 👉 Download the Blueprint 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. 👉 ⁠Crucial Concepts Bootcamp⁠ 💕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

  5. Aug 10

    #505: MMM - Your Quick Clinical Prep Routine

    Next time you get your patient assignment, skip the panic-prep session and instead, try the five-minute clinical prep routine I'm breaking down in this episode. By the end of this episode, you'll know how to focus your clinical prep on what actually matters so you can walk into clinical feeling prepared and confident enough to learn. ___________________ ⁠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. Straight A Nursing Study 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

  6. Aug 6

    Tips for Thriving in Pediatric Clinical - ENCORE! #360

    It's really helpful to know a few specific things in advance of your pediatric clinicals so you can make the most of your experience from the start.  In this episode, I'm sharing my top 6 pediatric clinical tips, including: How to customize your plan of care based on the child’s developmental stage A quick way to estimate hypotension in children The importance of weight-based calculations Key differences between an adult and a pediatric airway What a child in distress looks like Tips for assessing a child in the clinical setting Having a system in place for your approach to nursing school is just as important as reviewing key things ahead of your peds clinicals. You don't want just any system though, you want one that sets you up to thrive. I get you started with building a system that allows you to study smarter and feel more prepared in my free Nursing School Survival Blueprint. 👉 Download the Blueprint Read the article "6 Peds Clinical Tips to Help You Thrive" and view references here.  This is a throwback to episode 360 of the Straight A Nursing School Podcast, where nursing school help is at your fingertips with hundreds of episodes covering your journey from taking the TEAS through passing NCLEX and having success as a new-grad nurse.  💕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

  7. Aug 3

    #504: PodQuiz - Respiratory Failure

    Test your knowledge of respiratory failure with this quick set of audio flashcards. Dive right in or brush up on your nursing knowledge of respiratory failure first, in episode #503: Respiratory Failure. 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. 🧠 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

  8. Jul 30

    #503: Respiratory Failure - A Quick Guide for Nursing Students

    Respiratory failure occurs when the respiratory system can no longer adequately meet the oxygen demands of the body, remove carbon dioxide effectively, or both. In this episode you'll learn: - Types and causes of respiratory failure - Signs & symptoms of respiratory failure - Tests used to evaluate respiratory failure - Treatments for hypoxemic respiratory failure and hypercapnic respiratory failure. Read the article "A Quick Guide to Respiratory Failure for Nursing Students" here. Review how to conduct a respiratory assessment in episode #237. 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. 💕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

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In this show, Maureen Osuna, MSN, RN (Nurse Mo) breaks down a wide range of nursing school concepts so they’re easy to understand. Each episode aims to help nursing students improve their study techniques, pass nursing school exams, and feel more confident in clinical. If you’re nervous about nursing school, not “getting it” in lecture, or feeling overwhelmed with all the information you have to learn, this podcast will help you optimize your study time so you can learn more with less stress. While nursing school is challenging, it doesn’t have to be impossible. When concepts are explained in a way that “just makes sense”, nursing students have better recall on exams, feel more confident working with patients in clinical, and are better prepared for NCLEX. Nurse Mo understands the struggles nursing students face and draws on more than 11 years of clinical experience to make nursing school less intimidating. Each episode removes the “fluff” and focuses on the key things a nursing student (and nurse) needs to know about a variety of disease conditions. The show also provides tips for succeeding in nursing school, guidance for students and new nurses, and insider information to help you excel at the bedside.

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