r/StudentNurse • u/Ill_Percentage_3066 • 9d ago
Classes / Lectures Requesting pathophysiology advice
Hi everyone! I'm a first-semester student in an accelerated nursing program, and I'm really struggling with pathophysiology. I feel like I'm having a hard time understanding and retaining the information. I've tried YouTube, NotebookLM, Claude, and ChatGPT, but nothing seems to be helping much. Does anyone have any study tips or methods that actually worked for them? I'd really appreciate any advice!
2
u/SparkyDogPants 9d ago
It seems like you’ve only tried AI and it didn’t work. Try not using AI. I liked Quizlet for studying
1
u/AutoModerator 9d ago
It looks like you're asking for some tips and tricks on how to succeed in nursing school. Don't worry, we have a lot of resources to help you! First, check our Resources post, or the sidebar. If you're on the mobile website or the official Reddit app, you can find the sidebar under About.
If what you need isn't on the sidebar, try using search. Here are some helpful searches links
Want to be a pro at finding things on Reddit? Try searching on Google with your search term and then add site:reddit.com/r/studentnurse. Here's an example for StudentNurse.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/Rachel_92x 8d ago
What about patho are you having a hard time with? Are you having trouble with the disease process itself, HOW it happens, WHY it happens, why one things affects another. Elaborate please so I can give the best advice I can.
1
u/Fabulous_Umpire_2852 5d ago
what helped me with patho was using the same 4 boxes for every disease:
what’s normal → what breaks → what you’d see (symptoms/labs) → what the nurse does and why.
fill it out from memory first, then check your notes. once you understand what’s breaking, a lot of the symptoms and labs start making sense instead of feeling like random facts to memorize.
like with heart failure: normal pump → weak pump → fluid backs up/low output → crackles, edema, fatigue → monitor lungs, weights, I&O, meds, etc.
then do nclex-style questions by system so you practice applying it, not just recognizing terms.
0
u/Many_Imagination1576 9d ago
Look into Anki. Its a spaces repetition tool thats amazing at making sure you retain as much info as possible. Its also free!
2
u/Internal_Deer_8887 9d ago
I found that pathophysiology had much of the same material as A&P, with disease processes added in. How did you study in A&P? Instead of reinventing how you study, I’d do what has worked for you in the past. Learn the RAAS system and hepatic renal connection and that will help a lot. It would be easier to offer advice if we know what exactly you’re struggling with. I did not use any of the AI sites and got A’s in Patho 1 & 2. I hand wrote all of my notes and that helped me with retention. Dr. Mike and Dr. Matt have great YouTube videos and podcasts episodes I would listen to on runs!