Pointers for Success in Nursing School

May 11, 2009 10:59 AM

by VickyRN

Staff

Updated May 13, 2009 at 05:37 AM by VickyRN

You just received your acceptance letter into nursing school. How exciting! You are about to embark on a life-changing journey, a wondrous career and an entirely new culture and way of thinking. What are some pointers to increase your chances of success?

The most important thing is to maintain a positive outlook. One of the definitions of courage is being aware of personal weaknesses, fears and uncertainty, yet forging ahead anyway. Believe in yourself. Everyday upon arising, look at yourself in the mirror and say, "I can do this!" Then, take it one day at a time, one week at a time, one test at a time. Take the opportunity now to hone your study skills and strategize for that challenging first semester ahead.

Another key to success in nursing school is don't get behind. Stay up with your reading assignments, papers, and projects. Plan ahead by mapping out the semester for each course, noting when each assignment is due. Don't procrastinate. Waiting until the last minute often proves disastrous in nursing school. This takes discipline, but everyday, do whatever it takes to "stay on top."

You are probably aware of this from earlier college-level courses, but for each hour of lecture, it generally takes three hours per week of intense studying. This is especially true in nursing school. Don't ever, ever get behind in your reading or comprehension of a topic.

This leads to a third key to success in nursing school: make sure you fully understand the subject material. Don't be discouraged if you are unable to understand a subject the first time around. If you don't understand something, then take the initiative right then to seek out the instructor and do whatever it takes until you fully comprehend that content. Write out difficult material in your own words. This really helps with understanding, and it causes you to look at the content from many different angles.

You will need a thorough comprehension of the content material in order to do well on the examinations. NCLEX-type nursing examinations are a culture shock for new nursing students, even those entering the program with a 4.0. Nursing tests are unlike most tests, in that you, the learner, will be tested on a higher level. Instead of merely asking for regurgitation of "knowledge," you will be asked to apply and analyze the material on the tests.

Here is an entire thread on successful test-taking strategies, and another with excellent resources on nursing math. Make sure you book mark these for later use!

I highly advise purchasing a good NCLEX-style review book. It will be worth its weight in gold, I promise! I recommend the current Saunders Comprehensive NCLEX Review, but make sure you purchase one with questions broken down by subject matter. This way, when the lecturer is going over a certain topic in class (such as fluid and electrolytes), you can review the questions in the NCLEX book. Test taking is a skill just like anything else - you will get better with practice. Make sure you go over each question by examining each of the answers and rationales. Make sure you understand the rationales (why the answer was right or wrong). Doing this will greatly improve your test-taking skills and your comprehension of the course content material.

Again, congratulations! Hopefully these three key pointers for success will prove very helpful to you in the exciting journey ahead.

sonia211 · May 12, 2009, 04:37 AM