Straight A Nursing: Study for nursing school exams & NCLEX

#516: MMM - Applying to Nursing School? Don't Underestimate The Entrance Exam

Straight A Nursing: Study for nursing school exams & NCLEX

Show Notes

If you're applying to nursing school, your GPA probably feels like the whole application. And yes, your GPA is important, but it's only one piece of your application. Most competitive nursing programs are weighing several other factors right alongside your GPA, and the entrance exam is the one that trips up more applicants than you'd expect.

If your school requires you to take the TEAS, I highly recommend investing in test prep materials from ATI. They write the exam so you know your time will be spent studying what's actually on the test.

ATI has a variety of TEAS Prep packages and they offer 15% off to Straight A Nursing fans. Full disclosure that I earn a small commission when you buy TEAS Prep packages from my link and use the coupon code SAN15 at checkout (no extra cost to you, just savings 🙌).

Save 15% on your TEAS Prep package when you use coupon code SAN15 at check out here.*

I dive deeper into the TEAS exam in episode #482: What the TEAS is Really Testing.

💕Did you love this episode? Please take a moment to follow or subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode!

___________________

*Promotion cannot be combined with any other offer. Promotion only available on digital ATI TEAS prep products (excluding eBooks), cannot be applied to TEAS testing fees or transcripts. Promotion cannot be applied to past purchases.

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

More from Straight A Nursing: Study for nursing school exams & NCLEX

Oct 22, 2026

Prone positioning can be so intimidating when you're a nursing student or a brand-new ICU nurse. In this episode, I'm covering the basics and potential complications of prone positioning so you actually understand why we do it, rather than just feeling like you’re trying to keep up.

Oct 19, 2026

By the time pulses disappear in compartment syndrome, real damage has already happened. In the episode, I'm talking about the window before that, because that's where you actually have a chance to catch it before the patient suffers serious consequences. Hit play to review who is most at risk, the two most reliable early cues, and the practical takeaway to help you catch compartment syndrome early.

Oct 15, 2026

The Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP) is one of the most common lab tests ordered for your patients. This episode breaks down the 8 components of the BMP, which are sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride, carbon dioxide, glucose, BUN and creatinine.

Oct 12, 2026

Your patient has low sodium, what should you assess before you react to that sodium value and why? The answer to this trips up a lot of students and new nurses.

Oct 8, 2026

Picture this: You're a nurse in the PACU and are receiving a patient who is a 34 year old male with a past medical history of obesity and loud snoring reported by his spouse. Although he does not have diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea, you suspect it. He was given general anesthesia with some ketamine mixed in during an elective septoplasty.

See all episodes →