Here are some little tidbits to provide some insight to hopefully help you succeed on your path. I think the more helpful, uplifting, information out there the better! So here are my opinions, from someone currently in the thick of it, I hope they can help in someway.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means, if you click on the link and purchase an item, I will receive a small affiliate commission, at no additional cost to you! I only provide links to items I have tried. The reviews and opinions are my own. Cheers
1. Be Organized
This may sound basic, but it makes all the difference.
Organize everything, write it down in your planner, and stick to it.
(Here is the planner I use to stay on track. It’s from Amazon.)
Schedule when you’ll study, your class times, when you’ll do your homework, when you’ll be reading, when you’ll have your quizzes, projects, group work, when you’ll cook your meals… As much as you can schedule, do it, this helps stay on track and get stuff done! And not to mention helps you to not forget those important dead lines!
2. Take Breaks
You can even schedule your breaks. Set an alarm on your phone to go off every hour or two. When the alarm goes off, take a 10-15 minute break.
*Go outside
*Walk the dog
*Run around the block
*Eat a snack
*Stretch
*Drink extra water
Then when the break is over, sit down and re-focus.
There are some studies out there that suggest taking more frequent breaks helps with retention of information!
3. Stress Relievers
Nursing school can be so stressful, it’s not like anything else in life.
It’s demanding, a lot of work, highly reputable, and seriously intense.
So, stress relief is so important. How do you relieve stress? Test some different ways to release stress and do it… often. It will help keep life in perspective and also help you stay healthy while getting through nursing school.
Meditate. Take a bath. Work out. Yoga. Walk the dog. Listen to calming music in the closet. Sit in the yard. Focus on breathing for three minutes. Color in a coloring book. Stretch. Punch a punching bag.
All during nursing school, I always scheduled my workouts to fit in right after lecture. I would know that once lecture was over, straight to the gym I went. Only 45-60 minutes of movement, and then bam, right back to the books with a clear and refreshed mind.
Whatever helps you release stress! Do that.
4. Find a Way to Study
That Works for You!
Figuring out how to study can be difficult, especially when the material is much more in depth.
When I first went to college (the first time around), I used to joke that I never studied and got by just fine…
Sooo not going to happen in nursing school. And, it can be a rude awakening, it’s best to find out ways to study early on.
Cuz… YOU HAVE TO STUDY!
I always get asked,
“How do you study to get an A on this exam or that exam?”
Time is the answer.
Take your time, start studying waaaay before the exam, and really make it a point to fully comprehend the information.
Read before the lecture, GO to the lecture. (Yes – do go to class if you want that B+ … Lets be serious A’s in nursing school are few and far between!). Then a few days after that lecture, review all the things you learned. Review the instructor’s PowerPoint, review your notes, and review your readings. And then try and do this for every lecture, and see how much better the material really sticks. Long-term memory!
Then a few weeks before the exam create your own study guide. What did you spend the most time on in lecture, these are probably important concepts…
Did your instructor take three class periods to go over kidney disease… That’s a substantial amount of time = important to know!
I personally like to write down all of my notes, using plain white printer paper and colored pens. I review everything that could be on the exam, and rewrite (by hand) the important concepts and information from my readings and from the lecture material. Then use your newly created notes to review the information over and over. And when I’m still feeling like things aren’t clicking, or I can’t remember the specifics, I make note cards…. and ask for help!
Some people make note cards for everything, like I mentioned in another post, memorization isn’t the best for nursing school. Yes of course, somethings do HAVE to be memorized like vital sign parameters, but most concepts need to be understood on a deeper level. So note cards aren’t always the best study method (unless it’s Pharmacology we’re taking about!)
Others use study groups to review what has been taught, or teach each other the concepts. Some others get a study room and study alone. Making themselves do all of their reading at school, so they don’t get distracted at home.
All I’m trying to say is, find what works for you! Studying is necessary to fully understand the content which will then help with getting good grades!
The take-aways:
* Study a little bit everyday
*Do your reading
*Follow and study the lecture material
5. Ask for Help
Asking for help isn’t easy, especially if you’re like me, and are independent and used to doing everything on your own!
Well in nursing school, it’s all different, all of your time will now be spent on school. It is unfortunate, but all other life-things will have to go on hold for a bit. Just think, this is only temporary, and the end is near, and all your hard-work will pay off!
Asking for help is important! It will help you to feel less stressed, it allows for more time to study, spend more time at school, and help you to feel like you can really focus on what’s at hand.
This means, asking your husband to pick up the slack. Have an open an honest conversation. You will need help with grocery shopping, dinners, and meal prep. Ask your family to help you stay on track by helping with the kids, or dog sitting, or doing those little errands. Ask your aunt to cook your favorite meal once a week and drop it off. Whatever it looks like for you, realize asking for help is only going to make the process better!
Also, when it comes to school, and you’re feeling totally overwhelmed, and behind, or maybe you feel like you’re not really understanding the material. Try to let the ego go for a minute, and ask for help. It will only benefit you in the end!
Go to tutoring, ask your favorite instructor for help, go to office hours, ask a peer mentor, an upper-classmate, anything that will help you succeed — do it!
It’s hard, it’s uncomfortable to feel like you aren’t understanding, but in the end it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you are learning, and asking for help is a positive attribute!
Not asking for help is when fatal mistakes can happen!
6. Prepare for Clinicals
Clinicals are where the real learning happens! Preparing for them can make the experience much better.
It’s true, at least in my experience, going to clinical can feel daunting. Sometimes it can feel like the students are unwanted, the nurses are already so busy it seems like they don’t want another thing slowing them down.
So do your prep-work, brush up on the most common diagnoses of your assigned floor, and in-turn feel more confident while at clinical.
If you do your prep-work adequately, study those concept maps you just spent 2000000 hours on, and review your skills the night before, you will feel so much better in the clinical setting.
I think part of preparing for clinical is also the boost in confidence, it helps you feel like you know what you are talking about, and it also prepares you to answer those difficult questions.
You have to feel and be confident in the clinical setting, this helps so much with doing your skills and getting checked off. Try to put yourself out there, ask your precepting nurse if you can do all the skills (that you’re allowed to do). The more active and confident you are, the better experience you’ll have. Andddd just try to remember, you’re learning – so don’t be too hard on yourself!
Also preparing your clinical materials the night before, 0600 comes early, and the last thing you want to do is to be rushing around the house frantically looking for your stethoscope at five in the morning.
(Here is a post I created with items I bought specifically for clinical!)
So, the night before, get your binder and all your required books ready to go, organize your clinical backpack, pack your lunch and snacks, don’t forget your name badge (I put mine in the car – so there’s no way to forget it!), and bring water. Then get a separate organizer for your stethoscope, scissors, pen light, goggles, and anything else you may need. This way everything is organized, in its spot, and easy to grab and run out the door in the early mornings.
Tip: Pack the car, lay out your uniform, undergarments, socks, and shoes the night before, for an even smoother morning!
7. Don’t Spend too Much Time Worrying About Grades
The grading scale in nursing school is different. We are held to a higher standard (but so is the profession) so this helps prepare us for the real world.
Getting all A’s in nursing school isn’t what it’s all about – and it is very difficult to do so (I didn’t say it was impossible, but it’s difficult.)
So, my personal advice is to try not to worry too much about grades. In my nursing program, you have to pass with a 75% or better, anything less is failing. So, focus on getting what you need to, to pass, while also understanding the material being thrown at you.
I think too, as time goes by, you start learning the exam and teaching styles, and what is expected of you, it gets easier to get better grades. It’s an adjustment, because nursing school isn’t like regular school.
Only focusing on getting good grades will create burnout. It’s already a lot of hard work, and holding yourself to super high standards (GPA wise) will add even more stress to the whole experience. Focus on comprehension, diseases, and drugs, and you will be able to succeed!
8. Accept That it is a Difficult Journey
and it is temporary
If you can accept that nursing school really is hard, it will make the journey a little better. I went into the program, thinking it would be no big deal, just two more years of school. Even after hearing everyone tell me how hard it was, and how much work it was, I didn’t want to listen.
Well that was a mistake. So it’s better to prepare and accept the difficult journey, and know that there is an end in sight. (It really does go by so fast.)
Try to realize, that yes, there will be burnout, there will be more reading assigned then physically possible, there are high expectations set, the work gets pilled on, there are many many many things that have to be learned and that you have to become very good at. Try to take this is stride, try to be easy on yourself, practice makes perfect.
There are people around to help you, who want to see you succeed, you just have to put in the effort.