Advice for student nurses

Nurses General Nursing

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I am in my last semester of an ADN program and I have a few questions for some experienced nurses. What can I do as a student to help ensure that I will be a more competent nurse when I am done with school? and What was the most help to you when studying for your boards?

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Have you worked in the clinical environment as a tech or assistant? When I was in school, I worked as a tech the entire time. This experience proved invaluable.

I used the Saunders NCLEX Review book. The best one, in my opinion. If you can afford a review course, the Hurst Review is excellent, from what I have heard from others.

I wish you much success in your nursing career,

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Specializes in Med Surg, Ortho.
I am in my last semester of an ADN program and I have a few questions for some experienced nurses. What can I do as a student to help ensure that I will be a more competent nurse when I am done with school? and What was the most help to you when studying for your boards?

How many pts do you take in your last semester? If it is two or less, you may want to consider taking more, with your instructors permission that is. As a new grad, I wish our school would have made us more ready for 5-6 pts. It's very overwhelming as a new grad. You shouldn't have to write up info and careplans on all 5, just try to learn time managment the best you can in your last semester.

The best help for studying nclex was the Kaplan review and their many practice questions. It was great! They teach you to break the question down, there were actually some of the same questions on my actual nclex that we went over in Kaplan.

Good luck :nurse:

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

I used Saunders. I didn't study the content, but just did practice tests.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

It took me 3 tries to pass boards, but on my third try I used Lippincott's review books. I had tried the review classes and I even hired a tutor to help me. Nothing helped but Lippincott. I was barely passing the practice tests in Lippincott's but I did pass my boards.

When I was a student, I knew I was working off my instructor's license, so anything she offered for someone to do I did it or at least volunteered. Shots, IV's, Foley's, chest tubes, HIV positive people, locked wards in psych...whatever they needed someone to do, I tried to be that someone. I know once you are out on your own, you may not have that kind of help. So I tried to do everything I could during clinicals to get experience. Hope this helps! Good luck to you!

Blessings, Michelle

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Specializes in ICU, Telemetry.

Saunders to review, but of all the NCLEX guides I looked at, the Hurst book had suggestions for approaching the questions that really, REALLY helped me, at least get thru LPN. Now I'm doing RN, so I'm just a nervous puddle all over again....

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Specializes in ICU, CCU, Trauma, neuro, Geriatrics.

As far as passing boards, I suggest test questions by yourself or with a group which ever you have access to. As far as being an orientee nurse, listen to your preceptor. Your orientation is very generic so ask questions and make suggestions as to what you feel you need to achieve and what your weaknesses are. Your weaknesses are the things that scare the crap out of you even thinking about them. Discuss these scary issues with your preceptor. Your preceptor wants to help you and have you as a future competent co-worker. The rest of the staff on the unit would like to socialize with you but you are so overwhelmed right now so they are just helping when needed,,,,,they do appreciate you and what you are going through.

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how hard is the nursing enterance test im thinking of going to nursing school and wondering if you guys hae any tips or suggestions.

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Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

As a student, you should be actively looking for different things to do at clinicals...even if it's not your patient, you should be wanting to do/assist in MANY different procedures.

Work-wise, being a tech helped me a lot with prioritization. Having 12-13 patients, having certain things to do EVERY shift,answering call lights....so forth, really helped me with learning how to make my work flow.

For the boards, throughout my last year, I did 100 NCLEX questions a week.....for the last 3 months, I did 200-500 questions a week on CD or in the book.....just had to do what I could when I could. And you learn what the questions are probably looking for based on the wording....

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Make rounds with the doctors, read, read, read, read, and did I mention read your textbooks, journals, charts, everything you can get your hands on.

By now you probably know how you learn best, be it visually, writing and rewriting your notes, making flash cards, studying alone or with a partner. Do it and do it and do it again. Repetition does help.

Write lectures on various topics and "teach" others, be they fellow students, family, or your pets. Nothing helps in learning something like having to teach it to someone else.

Plus, do what has been suggested by others above.

Good luck!

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Vito has great advice. Teach it to someone. I am an advocate of study groups for that reason.

At the hospital, be ready to do anything that comes. Don't be the student that has to keep saying, I need to review before I can do that. On down time, (learn how to work faster with your small assignments) review the P&P for the facility about procedures you heard about from other students or nurses. You might not have to do peritoneal dialysis today, but be ready, it might be tomorrow that is your golden opportunity.:nurse:

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