Home Podcasts Straight A Nursing: Study for nursing school exams & NCLEX
Straight A Nursing: Study for nursing school exams & NCLEX

Straight A Nursing: Study for nursing school exams & NCLEX

Maureen Osuna, MSN, RN - Nursing school educator, author, and nursing student enthusiast. 543 Episodes Jul 2, 2026

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. Nurse Mo draws on more than 11 years of clinical experience to make nursing school less intimidating, focusing on key things a nursing student needs to know about disease conditions and providing tips for success.

Episodes

#497: How to Start Nursing School the Right Way Jul 2, 2026 1820 Most nursing students spend months anxiously waiting for school to start. Then day one arrives and they're completely reactive, overwhelmed, behind, and wondering why nobody told them what to expect. This, my friend, is a quick path to nursing school burnout and I definitely don’t want that for you! If you're starting nursing school soon (or you've just started and you're already feeling the pres
#496: MMM - What ETCO₂ Is Really Measuring Jun 29, 2026 619 A common misconception is that ETCO₂ measures oxygen. It doesn't. Hit play to find out what ETCO₂ does measure, how it works, and why it's so valuable. ___________________ ⁠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 Nursin
Pain Essentials for Nursing - ENCORE! #309 Jun 25, 2026 2462 Understanding the key foundational concepts of pain is crucial as a nurse and I've got you covered in this episode. Press play to gain a deeper understanding of pain and pain management for nursing, including: types of pain pain scales pain interventions nonpharmacologic pain therapies patient-controlled analgesia Feeling overwhelmed or unsure how to approach nursing school? Lis
#495: MMM - Care Plan Pharmacology Jun 22, 2026 1110 As a clinical instructor, I noticed that many new nursing students struggle with care plan pharmacology. In this episode, I'm addressing the key things your clinical instructor wants to see as your fill out your med worksheets. ___________________ ⁠⁠Nursing School Survival Blueprint⁠⁠ - Feeling overwhelmed or unsure how to approach nursing school? Download this free Blueprint to understand exa
#494: 6 First Semester Nursing School Mistakes Jun 18, 2026 2229 Over the years I've seen students struggle and students thrive, and what becomes clear pretty quickly is the students who struggle tend to repeat the same handful of mistakes. And the sneaky part? Most of them won’t feel like mistakes when you’re making them. It’s not that you're not smart enough, or not working hard enough, or not meant for this. Nursing school rewards a specific kind of engag
#493: MMM - Why we Avoid Blood Pressures & IVs on the Mastectomy Side Jun 15, 2026 552 You've picked up the blood pressure cuff and your patient says "Wait! Not that arm! I had a mastectomy." You swiftly go for the other arm, but let's talk about WHY we avoid taking blood pressures, starting IVs, and doing veni-punctures on the side of a mastectomy. ___________________ ⁠Nursing School Survival Blueprint⁠ - Feeling overwhelmed or unsure how to approach nursing school? Download t
Know These 8 Labs Before Your First Day of Clinical - ENCORE! #329 Jun 11, 2026 3167 Want to start clinicals with more confidence? Walking in, already knowing these 8 common labs inside and out will definitely give you an edge when it comes to interpreting your patients lab results and understanding important components of their care plan. Still nervous about starting clinicals? One of the best ways to fast-track your clinical learning is having the right tools. And you're in luc
#492: MMM - Why Low Albumin Causes Edema Jun 8, 2026 486 If you've ever wondered why your patients with low albumin also have edema, hit play and I'll explain. You'll see that the "why" behind this connection makes total sense and it will stick with you forever. This is a quick episode that covers what albumin is and does in the body, what happens when it's low (hello edema!), where you'll most likely see this clinically and your nursing priorities
#491: The Overstudying Trap Jun 4, 2026 1757 If you can relate to feeling like your mind has blanked while you're taking your nursing school exams despite studying all weekend going through your notes, rewatching lectures, and rewriting your study guides, I'd bet that you've fallen in to something I call the overstudying trap. It's one of the most common, most exhausting cycles nursing students get stuck in. More hours + More highlighting
#490: MMM - BUN:Cr ratio Jun 1, 2026 651 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 the BUN-to-creatinine ratio and why nurses look at them together. See you there! ___________________ Nursing School Survival Blueprint - Feeling overwhelmed or unsure how to approach nursing school? Download this free Blueprint to understand exactly what's
ENCORE! #267: 7 Things to Know Before Starting Clinicals May 28, 2026 2866 Every other week I republish one of my most popular or impactful episodes from my backlog of over 450 episodes. This week I'm throwing it back to episode 267 and talking about what to know before you start clinicals. These tips are exactly the things I’d make sure you understood before your first clinical day if I was your clinical instructor. ___________________ ⁠Nursing School Survival Bluepr
#489: PodQuiz - Perfusion May 25, 2026 569 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 epis

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