Ask any nurse and they would tell you how challenging nursing actually is. While people who just manage their education find it extremely hard to manage their studies, imagine how difficult it is for those who manage work and home chores along with nursing education. Honestly, it is insurmountable, the amount of studying that is required from a nurse.
Often nurses ponder how is it humanly possible to read all those chapters, review the notes, prepare for nursing exams and retain the important chunks of information that are pivotal to be a good nurses. The first step thereby is to know the essentials for a successful nursing career:
The first step is to take a deep breath. Keep telling your mind that you can do this. Nursing as a profession requires planning and effective time management. By following a few study tips and strategies, you will be able to distinguish between things that you need to know and those that are nice to know to help improve your overall retention.
1. Make The Nursing Exam Study Guide Your Baseline
One of the best ways to focus on improving your grip on the nursing curriculum is by acing the nursing study guide books. By reviewing the nursing guide, you will not only have clarity regarding what aspects you need to focus on, but also how the questions are presented in the test. While it is certain that not everything you need to know as a nurse is part of the licensing exam, but if you follow the pattern, you will be more confident when appearing for the test.
2. Study In Chunks
You need to understand that you cannot cram everything you had to study throughout the week in a mere few hours over the weekend. Allocate some time everyday dedicated to studying for your nursing school. You can take frequent breaks to help you stay focused. The idea is to make you feel less overwhelmed and give you the ability to retain more information.
3. Don't Neglect the Subjects You Cover In Class
Your instructors will assign you different chapters to go through every week along with additional resources to review. Instead of going through every piece of note in details, focus on taking a cue from your class time. Be smart and observe what topics get more attention from your instructor, the key points discussed during class and polish those skills.
4. Don't Judge On The Basis of Facts
As a nurse, it is important for you to understand about how certain conditions occurs along with the physiological changes in a patient. However, your patients may not be interested in the facts, rather they would want to feel better only.
When you are studying for the nursing exam, ask yourself, "How will I help my patients with this information?" You'll be a better nurse as well as a better student.
5. Be A Part Of A Study Group
As per research, the students who study with their colleagues are likely to retain 90% of the information they learn. In contrast to the 60% they hear during lessons and 10% they learn via reading. Alongside, studying as a group gives you encouragement and moral support. Get alongside with your fellow colleagues, ideally make a study group of three, and work together to come up with study tips that help you retain information.
6. Skim Through The Syllabus
Nursing coursework requires a lot of reading, but if you think that you will be able to recall everything at the first attempt, you are likely to be frustrated. Before you read any chapter, just skim through the coursework first. Take a look at the headings, subheadings, and focused terminologies. Also, go through the terminologies and summaries in the end to understand what aspects require more attention.
7. Refer to Additional Sources
If you are of the opinion that you can only learn from your mentor, then you are wrong. Try to augment your class resources with others. For instance, you want to learn about diabetes, you could refer to WebMD, American Diabetes Association websites and similar credible sources. You can do this before you read a chapter to develop knowledge of the subject. However, please note that your teacher is the ultimate authority and their knowledge should be given priority.
8. Focus On Understanding Your Learning Style
Everyone has different learning skills. While some need to see information, others are listeners or use kinetic techniques. Thereby, it is important that you focus on the technique that suits you best. Know your own style and use it to the best of your ability. For instances, kinetic learners prefer writing down their notes, as they can recall the information better.
9. Use Your Recreational Time As Study Time
Nursing curriculum requires memorization to some extent. Create flashcards and notes that you can refer to while reviewing the syllabus. For instance, you can tape cards with the vital sign listing on your vanity mirror, so that you see them whenever you are getting ready. You would soon realize that you will subconsciously learn things without having to put extra effort.
10. Take breaks
If you spend most of your time studying, you are likely to get overwhelmed and not retain as much information as needed. Make sure to take breaks frequent breaks so that you don't lose your motivation and enthusiasm. At times, all you need is a change of scene to recharge yourself and start from a new perspective.
To successfully complete your tenure as a nursing student, you will requires a lot of commitment. However, by planning beforehand and following these tips, you will ace as a student.