Advices for upcoming nursing student

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Hi to all....I just wanted some good advices I can take as I start my nursing program this Fall 2016. I am excited but at the same time nervous. Any advices from you dear nurses out there will be most welcome. Thanks much....Katherine

Congratulations into getting into nursing school. That is such a wonderful accomplishment. Here are some tips that will help you into nursing school:

1. Get plenty of sleep.

2. Study early

3. Make sure that you read early in your textbooks and also study everyday a little bit.

4. Start studying for the NCLEX Exam.

5. Get into study groups

6. If the professor has a test review, go to it.

7. Do as much extra credit as you can when available by the professor

8. Learn from your mistakes and move on from them

Thank you and good luck to you in your school work and your future.

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First of all, congrats. You and your family should be very proud!

Some tips:

1.) Make sure you have any issues with your car/vehicle taken care of now, before nursing school starts. Nothing puts more of a damper on your day than being late or missing class/clinical. Get your oil changed, tires changed, and a full inspection done now. You won't really have time to later.

2.) if you have credit cards, or any other financial responsibility that requires monthly payments - check to see if you can set up automatic payments. You could be the most responsible person ever - but once you get into study mode - you may just forget an important payment. And that = stress that can easily be avoided.

3.) sleep! It's not the quantity, but the quality. Early on in nursing school, some of our clinicals started at 0630. Not so bad until you realize you prelab the night before, and will be up pretty late doing care plans. You may be left with only 2-3 hours of sleep. While this may not sound like alot - take advantage of it. A little sleep is better than none at all. Your brain will thank you.

4.) coffee is your new best friend.

5.) On the topic of friends, let them know now that you will probably not be spending as much time with them as previously. Nursing school becomes your life the further you get into things. Letting them know this now will avoid any hurt feelings on their part down the road.

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Specializes in Med Surg/Ortho.

I start my nursing program in the fall too! Congrats. And this is all great advice, thanks everyone.

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Ah....Love those advices....I will take them into heart...yes...thank you very much.

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Thanks Mhays for these tips...really so thankful

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Congratulations! The fact that you are thinking of strategies now will set you up for success down the road. Some of my own suggestions:

1. Please take some time off for yourself every week, even if it's only for a few hours. Take a bubble bath, read a good fiction book, watch your favorite show (with your notes away), take a walk, anything to get away from studying. You cannot study 24/7, and regardless of what some of your colleagues might say, nursing is not just about knowledge. Taking some time for yourself will help you be more present with your patients, and will show positively in clinical evaluations (do make sure your care plans are thorough and well thought out though).

2. If you have a specialty in mind, consider joining a professional organization as a student. Looking at the journals and going to meetings (if you have the time) will keep you motivated even when things are hard. Also is nice on a resume, but if money is tight, don't stress out about this.

3. Consider your study habits, knowledge base, and how you learn. It is not possible to read and memorize every single textbook assignment, especially if you are taking multiple classes. If you are able, skim the text before lecture so you have a grasp on content, attend lecture, and then read more in depth the concepts you had trouble with, skimming over ones that were okay for you. Everyone is different, but I found this process helpful for me and it cut down on textbook time.

4. I don't know how your program is structured, but really take your foundation classes seriously: Assessment, Fundamentals, Patho, Pharm, and A&P. These classes form the foundation for everything thereafter. You will have a MUCH easier time tackling an unfamiliar test question in Med-Surg for example, if you can think critically about how the anatomy works and what is going wrong, even if you can't remember the specifics about a certain disorder. If you do the minimum in these classes, you will likely spend a lot of time in the more advanced classes trying to catch up.

5. Invest in a good NCLEX study aid, or see what your school offers. As painful as it is, it's helpful to try and do review questions as you go through the material in school. Saunders is good for this, but don't overwhelm yourself with this in the beginning. Focus on the basics.

6. In clinical, always remember that even though learning needs are important, your assigned patient needs come first. This includes practicing things like bedside manner, confidence, and providing support to your patient as needed.

7. If you ever feel anxious, try to think about it in terms of feeling excited! The arousal pattern in the body is similar and little thought tricks like those can help you perform well even when nervous.

Good luck to you, remember that all the R.N.'s in the world have gotten through in one piece and that we are here for you on the student forums; as long as you do your research first ;-).

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Thanks so much Oceanblue52...

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Congratulations in getting into nursing school. That is a very big achievement. I can remember when I got my acceptance letter, I was so happy that all of that hard work paid off with all of the pre-nursing things. When you start nursing school, it is wise to get ahead of the reading material, set a good schedule for yourself, eat balanced meals, always ask questions to your professors either after class, during office hours, or by email and phone, and study early for tests. Good luck to you and I hope that you have a fantastic year in nursing school.

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Getting into nursing school is such a huge accomplishment. I think the best thing to prepare you for nursing school is to read a nursing novel. Before I went into nursing school, I read this book called "Echo Herin." She was a real live nurse and she wrote her story about what it was like in nursing school, being a mom, and working all of the same time. The tips that I got when reading her book were the following:

1. Budget your time wisely in nursing school.

2. Make a schedule for everyday and stay on that schedule.

3. Eat a good breakfast; especially before rotations in school.

4. Always think positively.

5. Keep a diary of your nursing events.

6. Have a good positive outlook on things.

I hope these things help.

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Always allow yourself a day of rest. In between intense studying, of course!

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Here are some great tips for nursing school:

1. Make a written schedule for every week.

2. Study in chunks of time and take breaks.

3. Reward yourself whenever you do your homework or study for a test or do well on a test.

4. Get to know your professors well and ask questions.

5. Get into study groups.

6. Understand everything on the study guide.

I wish you the best in nursing school.

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Thanks so much....will practice them... ^_^!

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