Powerpoint Tips

Nursing school is hard, but very do-able! I am a mom with two young and active daughters. If I can get through a traditional BSN program in my 30's, anyone can! Here are some tips on how to make the most of powerpoint. Nurses Announcements Archive Article

Powerpoint Tips

What I found effective during lectures was to pull up the powerpoint the instructor was using on my computer (before class started) and take notes either in the notes section, or on the slides. Most instructors will *hint* "this will be on the test" or "this is VERY important"... put asterisks by those things and LEARN them! If you would rather not use the computer, you can print off the slides before class as well. I would print 4 to a page and remove the box around them so I had room to write notes.

Once class was over, I would go home and do my mom duties, then sit down and revise my notes by making notecards (i-Flash is wonderful if you like to use computer notecards instead of writing them out!). If there was a topic/system that I wasn't quite understanding then I would crack open my book and really understand it. I would not read every single thing. If I had a grasp on it and understood the lecture portion of it, then its time to move on to the stuff I don't get. I would make sure I had all the note cards done for that lecture at LEAST before the next lecture started.

Once all the lectures were done for the topics that would be tested on, and all of my notecards were made, I would start studying the cards. I would look over them, have my husband quiz me, get together with my favorite nursing buddy and quiz each other. The best thing about getting together with another nursing friend is you can teach each other things that the other doesn't know. THAT is a win-win because if you can teach it, then you own it AND you are helping your friend out! I've remembered best the stuff I can teach! Drawing pictures of the heart and vascular system in red and blue also helps a lot for visualization!

Don't read every single little thing in every single page of your books unless you truly aren't understanding, in which case you should probably contact the course leader/instructor that taught that section for clarification. Take care of yourself by eating right, drinking enough water and exercising. This seems like a no-brainer but it is really easy to forget. Make time for yourself too! Even though nursing school is inevitably going to feel like your baby, you need to have some fun too!

One last thing, a test is just a test. Whether you get a good grade or a bad grade, its JUST a test. Keep your chin up and recognize what you need to work on, or how you need to adapt to different ways of studying to get a better grade. That test grade WILL NOT reflect how well you interact with patients, and it doesnt show that gentle care that you provide, or the way you can advocate for all of your patients, or soothe broken hearts of family members. Keep your chin up, I believe in you!

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Katlove123

1 Post

Thank you so much for this ! I start my BSN program in January and I'm excited & nervous at the same time but reading this really made me feel less scared ! Thanks again :)

rn2beinokc

28 Posts

Thanks for this post! I am in m thirties as well, but am about to fail out of my med surg 1 class ;( I need to make an 86 on my med surg final in 9 weeks but we have been told that med surg final is the hardest.. I miss the simplest things like " leave the light on", " raise head of bed" etc etc.. How can I re train my brain to not think so in depth? Bcz I've been told to do tons of nxlec book questions but then when I do , I seem to overthink things on the test ;( any pointers for missing dumb stuff and possibly make an 86 on MedSurg final in 9 weeks?

Julius Seizure

1 Article; 2,282 Posts

Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

Great advice, but I was expecting the whole thing to be about powerpoint and it really was more about study tips!

Good luck! You can do it!!! Just remember when answering a question, remember least invasive first. If the answer doesn't involve airway, breathing, or circulation then think about the little things. If someone has an airway problem, raise the head of the bed (least invasive first). Start thinking like that, and good luck!

Yeah, me too Janey. I'm not sure why it is titled that to be honest. It was supposed to be study tips, not just powerpoint tips! :)

wsilvernell

3 Posts

Thanks for the tips. I too have returned to school having just turned 40 and need advice on concept maps. We have each selected a disease (I chose cirrhosis) and we build it weekly for the entire semester. The information is not the problem, my issue is not knowing (other than Word) what program to do this in. It must have different shapes, colors etc and be able to print larger than 8x10. I've googled and found so many different options I'm overwhelmed. I've played with Excel but I just don't have the time to "experiment" in different programs. Of course I want it to look good and be creative so looking for programs also causes me to get distracted ugghhh:( Any advice on how to do this simply but still make it look good? Thanks!

Thanks for the tips. I too have returned to school having just turned 40 and need advice on concept maps. We have each selected a disease (I chose cirrhosis) and we build it weekly for the entire semester. The information is not the problem, my issue is not knowing (other than Word) what program to do this in. It must have different shapes, colors etc and be able to print larger than 8x10. I've googled and found so many different options I'm overwhelmed. I've played with Excel but I just don't have the time to "experiment" in different programs. Of course I want it to look good and be creative so looking for programs also causes me to get distracted ugghhh:( Any advice on how to do this simply but still make it look good? Thanks!

For my care maps in school (I called mine patho-diagrams), I wrote mine free hand on multiple pieces of computer paper, connecting all the disease processes, labs, vitals, and assessments together. I also color coded everything, when I was done I taped it together so that when it was unfolded it still stayed together. I wish I could have found a computer program that I could have put it all on, that more than likely would have been more visually appealing! I know that isn't too helpful, but I didn't use a computer program for mine. Good luck!

A&Ox6, MSN, RN

1 Article; 572 Posts

Specializes in Pediatrics/Developmental Pediatrics/Research/psych.
Thanks for the tips. I too have returned to school having just turned 40 and need advice on concept maps. We have each selected a disease (I chose cirrhosis) and we build it weekly for the entire semester. The information is not the problem, my issue is not knowing (other than Word) what program to do this in. It must have different shapes, colors etc and be able to print larger than 8x10. I've googled and found so many different options I'm overwhelmed. I've played with Excel but I just don't have the time to "experiment" in different programs. Of course I want it to look good and be creative so looking for programs also causes me to get distracted ugghhh:( Any advice on how to do this simply but still make it look good? Thanks!

When I was in my AAS program, I made the concept map on Microsoft word using text box and shapes. However, I have discovered that it may work better to do it on PowerPoint. You have more shape and design options including colors, sizing, etc. you can print a PowerPoint as large as you would like. In fact , I use PowerPoint to print my research posters which are 36"x48".

It is often helpful if you save the slide as a pdf.

organizedmom

37 Posts

Do you have access to a cricut machine? With a cricut you could print off larger shapes with text in it. Or software like photoshop elements? With photoshop, you could create a 11x14 document to get printed somewhere. I just submitted a case study for heart disease for A&P II class. Our rubric had 5 pts. for "creativity." Honestly, I didn't have any idea what to do to make it more creative. But then I thought about making a word cloud, so I made it in the shape of a heart along with the symptoms of heart attacks for women that filled up the heart. Kind of corny but it went over well. Creative and informative at the same time :). Good luck!

Excellent post! :)

meganec17

93 Posts

Hi - I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for, but have you heard of/ever tried an online program called 'Prezi"? It's a pretty cool program a bit similar to a Powerpoint, but better templates and movement.

ah sorry, this is supposed to be in response to wsilvernell