Straight A Nursing: Study for nursing school exams & NCLEX
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.
Episodes
January 29, 2026 • 27 mins
Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T&A) is one of the most common pediatric surgical procedures, but don’t let the word routine fool you. Because this surgery directly involves the airway and carries a real risk of post-op hemorrhage, nurses must remain vigilant throughout recovery and discharge education.
In this episode, I’m breaking down pediatric tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy using the Straight A Nursing LATTE framework. You’l...
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January 26, 2026 • 8 mins
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 what a "shift to the left" means, including why it happens, your nursing priorities and more. See you there!
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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...
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January 22, 2026 • 36 mins
Every other week I'm republishing one of my most popular or impactful episodes from my backlog of over 450 episodes. This week I'm highlighting Episode 100, which dives in to thyroidectomy post-op nursing care using the Straight A Nursing LATTE method.
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Episode 61 - Review hyperthyroidism
Episode 58 - Review hypothyroidism
FREE CLASS - If al...
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January 19, 2026 • 7 mins
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 the le fort procedure before you do this PodQuiz, I've got you covered in episode 461.
🧠 Ready to...
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January 15, 2026 • 36 mins
In this episode, we are taking a close look at Le Fort osteotomies and walking through the nursing care using the LATTE method so you always know the key nursing priorities. Le Fort surgeries can be complex and the airway risks are real, so having a solid framework helps you stay focused and confident at the bedside.
Here is what you will learn in this episode:
What Le Fort osteotomies are and why they are performed
The...
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January 12, 2026 • 5 mins
Let's start your week strong with a quick tip you can incorporate right away. In this Mo's Monday Minute shortie episode, I break down why you might see an elevated BUN when caring for a patient with a GI bleed and no history of renal disease.
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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 scho...
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January 8, 2026 • 25 mins
Every other week I'm republishing one of my most popular or impactful episodes. This week I'm highlighting Episode 336, which is all about local anesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST). You'll definitely want to give this one a listen.
Local anesthetics are medications that block nerve impulses so that pain signals aren’t transmitted to the brain. The result is that the anesthetized area is numb and pain is controlled.
Just because ...
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January 5, 2026 • 7 mins
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 neuraxial analgesia before you do this podquiz, I've got you covered in episode 458.
🧠 Ready to qu...
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January 1, 2026 • 34 mins
Neuraxial analgesia is used every day in med–surg, orthopedics, OB, and PACU settings. Understanding how these blocks work, what medications are used, and how to assess patients as the block takes effect (and wears off) is essential for safe, confident nursing care.
In this episode, we’ll walk through:
What neuraxial anesthesia actually is (and why we use it)
Key differences between epidurals and spinal blocks
Wha...
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December 25, 2025 • 39 mins
Every other week I'm republishing one of my most popular or impactful episodes and adding an update, new insight, or context that will help you benefit from it even more. This week I'm highlighting Episode 83, which is all about ventilators. Review ventilator anatomy, settings, modes, alarms to be aware of and other key concepts when you hit play!
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Epi...
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December 22, 2025 • 6 mins
Let's start your week strong with a quick tip you can incorporate right away. In this Mo's Monday Minute shortie episode, low-sorb tubing takes the stage. I'll review what it is, why it matters, and which medications require it.
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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 y...
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December 18, 2025 • 23 mins
Cardiac stress tests are utilized to show how the heart performs under pressure, whether that’s from a walking on a treadmill or from a stress-inducing medication. In this episode, I share the key things a nurse needs to know about exercise and pharmacologic stress tests. Hit play on this episode and you’ll learn:
Why stress tests are ordered and what they are used to detect
Key differences between exercise and cardiac ...
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December 15, 2025 • 5 mins
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 talking about something every nurse needs to be able to recognize quickly: the early signs of hypovolemic shock. You don't want to miss this episode, intervening when you recognize these early signs can save your patient's life.
For more talk about shock, check out episode #346: Distributive Shock Simplifi...
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December 11, 2025 • 38 mins
Every other week I'm republishing one of my most popular or impactful episodes and adding an update, new insight, or context that will help you benefit from it even more. This week I'm highlighting Episode 59, the nurse's guide to DVTs...how they're spotted, treated and prevented. Everything you need for your care plans!
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FREE CLASS - If all you've heard a...
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December 8, 2025 • 5 mins
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 talking about the the difference between central and peripheral cyanosis. Not all cyanosis is the same, and identifying if it's central or peripheral will help you pinpoint the underlying cause.
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FREE CLASS - If all you've heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this clas...
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December 4, 2025 • 16 mins
NSAIDs are everywhere, and for good reason. They’re incredibly effective at reducing inflammation and pain, managing fever, and even reducing cardiovascular risk. But while NSAIDs definitely have some great uses, they’re also not without risks.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How NSAIDs work in the body
Common examples you’ll see at the bedside and what they are used to treat
What conditions NSAIDs are used to tre...
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December 1, 2025 • 7 mins
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 talking about the 50-50 Club in COPD patients and how to know when you need to quickly intervene.
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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 th...
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November 27, 2025 • 25 mins
Every other week I'm republishing one of my most popular or impactful episodes and adding an update, new insight, or context that will help you benefit from it even more. This week I'm highlighting Episode 64: Atelectasis Nursing Interventions. By the end of the episode you'll have reviewed the "must know" information you need to take care of your patients, write care plans and do well on your nursing school exams. Hit play and let...
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November 24, 2025 • 7 mins
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 clearing up something that confuses a lot of nursing students: the difference between IV infiltration and extravasation.
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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 scho...
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November 20, 2025 • 22 mins
Oxygen is one of those therapies that nurses use every single day with almost every single patient. But did you know too much oxygen can actually cause harm?
In this episode, you’ll learn:
What oxygen toxicity is and how it develops
The risk factors and causes you should watch for
Key signs and symptoms
Oxygen toxicity prevention
And more!
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