Desperate - need help re:reading for NS

ICRN2008, BSN, RN · Sep 2, 2005

I thought we were the only ones! My class was also assigned 7-8 chapters of reading, plus an autobiographical sketch and a quiz on the first day of class. Yikes!

If you are a visual learner, I would suggest taking notes from the book. Then, you can go through the notes and pull out the main ideas for flashcards. This seems to help me the most, plus the act of re-writing will help the info stick.

Hope this helps and good luck!

hikernurse · Sep 2, 2005

I wish I knew--I am really snowed under with all the reading. What's helping me is doing the study guide as I read the chapter the first time, then going through and highlighting. They seem to pull the questions out of the tiniest passages, so I'm having a hard time narrowing down what I need to know. Then I'm going to review the highlighted stuff--at least once I get through reading each chapter, LOL.

We started with theory and it was ummm, a bit dry? Once they get into case studies and stuff it gets more interesting. One of my classmates loves the theory stuff, though, so I guess there's something for everyone :).

leopold · Sep 2, 2005

Is there an outline for the class? My instructor did that but didn't give us an outline so we didn't have a clue what to look at. I have finished NS, I got to the point where I would just go through and learn procedures and definitions. I think that's all you really need to know until class, then the teacher will give you a little more direction. Hopefully.

WSU_Ally_RN, BSN, RN · Sep 2, 2005

The best thing I have found to do is go to class, get the notes, then come home and add your own notes out of the book. That way, you re-read the notes, and sort of skim through the book at the same time. I basically just use my books for references for papers and if I don't understand something, they are there to help. I have never read for class before I went, and I am doing fine. Good luck!

Montessori Mommy · Sep 2, 2005

I'm in a similar situation. We had 10 chapters to read during orientation - before the first day of class. The first thing I did was determine that only a few of those chapters were doing to be on the first quiz. The rest were on the history of nursing, the structure of the healthcare system, etc. Our syllabus is very detailed. It includes the list of objectives for each chapter we are to read. I read the objectives, skim the chapter, and then go back and take notes on the objectives - not everything in the chapter.

We are suppose to read before our lecture (although it is obvious some people aren't doing the reading!), and then our instructor hands out notes on her lecture. I mark up the notes and highlight anything she stresses. So far so good....

Don't be afraid to ask your instructor for advice on how to tackle the reading. Sometimes they "reward" students who make the extra effort to get help with tidbits of information that are invaluable!!

Best of luck,

Beth

belabelisa · Sep 2, 2005

WAAAAAAAH! OK, now that that's out of my system, I need some help. I haven't even started NS yet, but at orientation (general, for the school) our Nursing Instructor assigned 11 chapters to read before class begins on Tues! :stone I have read the first 2, retained almost nothing, and am fighting the desire to not read more. Anyone have any good strategies? I've done a search for reading threads, but haven't found any. Any of your strategies would be greatly appreciated! I'm a visual learner, flashcards work great for me, but have to dig out the material to put on them first. Thanks!

I'm trying to get a handle on the amount of reading myself. One of my professors suggested to the class that, when we read the assignments before class, to read them as if we are reading a novel. Don't try to retain information. Do get out the highlighters. Don't study it... just read it. Then, after class, go back and re-read, study, and understand the points that were covered in class. That sounds like a good idea. I'm going to try that and see how it works.

kdavisnh · Sep 2, 2005

I'm trying to get a handle on the amount of reading myself. One of my professors suggested to the class that, when we read the assignments before class, to read them as if we are reading a novel. Don't try to retain information. Do get out the highlighters. Don't study it... just read it. Then, after class, go back and re-read, study, and understand the points that were covered in class. That sounds like a good idea. I'm going to try that and see how it works.

I think I'll try this. Makes sense. Especially since I have no idea what the tests are going to be looking for. Thanks for the info!

truern · Sep 2, 2005

I have avoided making this public, because I felt I was marketing. But here's the thing. I have a CD - entirely made of of pathos, Nursing care plans, Meds for clinicals, and class notes from my entire education. I sell it on Ebay for $12.50 on ebay, but in this forum, I have seen several nursing student struggling. So I have put up a couple of auctions on ebay for the CD at $9.99. I graduated with honors so these are good notes. Organized quite well if I do say so myself. I only have 1 request, if you feel that you can't be honest and not turn in my pathos/care plans or any of my work, then please tell me in advance and I would remove them from the CD. In either case, if anyone is interested, feel free to PM me. I have sold about 15 - 20 of these and have had nothing but rave reviews over it. I wish I had it when I was in school. I had been given permission by some of the instructors to share my notes because they were very good.
I hope this isn't construed as just selling this, I honestly created this for my own use while I was in school, but people who had gotten copies of it said I should consider writing some sort of book (like I have the time) so this is what I am doing instead. :biggringi

Jen, you have a PM :)

kahumai, RN · Sep 3, 2005

Haha.....welcome to nursing school and to students' #1 complaint: too much to read! :roll

Seriously though, I'm a last semester Senior and it doesn't get easier. We have the same amount of readings right now for my Crisis class and somestimes it's just too much. The only thing I can tell you from my perspective is that usually the first readings are introductory to nursing (i.e. what a nurse does, what the history is, etc.). I think it gets easier when you get to the real "meat and potatoes" of nursing where you cover diseases, different medical conditions, etc. because learning about stuff like that is what's so interesting to me. I don't know who these people are that say that they read the chapters and then have time to RE-READ them, because I have 4 semesters of nursing school under my belt and have yet to even attempt that. I would really like to know their strategy! I just try to make sure that my one attempt at reading is met with a moderate level of comprehension of the material (even if that means I re-read the same sentence 6 times to understand it), and then focus studying for the test on looking at what I highlighted and going over notes from the teacher (which, most of the time in my school, is what they always end up testing on the most). Everyone has their own way, but you need to take the time to figure it out. And if all else fails, prioritize your readings (i.e. don't read from that one book they made you buy despite the fact that you'll never really *need* it and focus readings on the main book used by the teacher. Alot of times, all that stuff does is just regurgitate what the other book said in a different way, so don't waste time with it). Good luck everybody!

mariedoreen · Sep 3, 2005

I'm trying to get a handle on the amount of reading myself. One of my professors suggested to the class that, when we read the assignments before class, to read them as if we are reading a novel. Don't try to retain information. Do get out the highlighters. Don't study it... just read it. Then, after class, go back and re-read, study, and understand the points that were covered in class. That sounds like a good idea. I'm going to try that and see how it works.

This is what I do. I don't highlight anything when I read it the first time, then during lecture I take a yellow highlighter and hit in my book anything touched on in class. I then go back and read it a second time with an orange highlighter in case there's anything else I want to stand out. The third time I go back is to study for the exam and I focus much more on the highlighted material and notes I've made in the margins. The yellow highlited material reminds me what was specifically covered in class as opposed to what I found to be of import.

prmenrs, RN · Sep 3, 2005

My suggestions: Grab your highlighters. At least 2 colors. Preview each chapter: the intro paragraph, all the section headings, picture captions, words in bold type, summary. Do that for all the chapters. Go back, skim thru each chapter more in depth. Highlight as much as necessary. Write down vocabulary words and definitions. That may be enough for the 1st go-thru. And, probably, as much as you can do @ this point.

When you go back to the material to study more , use a different color, highlight less.

My books were painted pink yellow and orange by the time I got done w/them.