All the readings!!

chaxanmom · Sep 1, 2008

What book are you guys using for Psych? We're using Boyd's and OMG it is soooo wordy!! It takes me forever to do the psych readings. We used this last semester for psych nursing and again this semester for family systems. Ugh! We're using Lewis' Medical-Surgical Nursing for med-surg though which is much much better. Very to the point and concise.

Angel@MyTable, RN · Sep 1, 2008

We have learning outcomes for each chapter. I have learned to focus mainly on those.

I take notes in a notebook, and highlight important info in the book. I then do the review ?'s at the end of each chapter.

b0785 · Sep 1, 2008

What I did to make it through nursing school was buy a NCLEX review book and study the corresponding information. For example, if we were studying cardiac I would go to the Nclex book and study that section on cardiac. Remember, nursing school is supposed to teach you the needed information to pass the NCLEX, so it makes sense to use an NCLEX review book. I liked Saunders. If there is something that you absolutely do not understand then go to your text and read it. This is what I did and it worked for me I graduated with very good grades and passed NLEX the first time with 75 questions.

Remember, everyone studies differently, but this is what worked for me since I also did not have enough time to complete all the required readings.

Melinurse · Sep 1, 2008

When I was in NS, I read the chapters out loud into a tape recorder, put on ear phones and listened as I did laundry, cook dinner, driving to grocery store, going for a run, etc. Before tests I just went over what I highlighted in class. I also would read over class notes. :rolleyes: I spent maybe 4 hours a day totol on studying. Maybe a little more the day before a test.

I am probably the only one who actually reads the chapters all the way through. Just in case............................................ Use a good NCLEX Reveiw book as well if you can. Wish I'd thought of that back then.

isweariguessimdull · Sep 1, 2008

actually tomorrow will be our mid-exam..i have a lot of books to read..but actually i feel sleppy whenever i saw a book....and i cant prvnt my self from sleeping after reading some chapters...

i tried to highlights all the important topic but...still its kinda confusing ...lol....that's why when i read a book i just search the main thoughts then....over!!....

MB37 · Sep 1, 2008

I just finished an ABSN program and recieved straight As throughout. I worked very hard for it, and don't assume my methods will work for you - I seem to learn best by working with information, not just reading and rereading it. Also, I didn't always get all of this done for every exam. I read probably 85% of the assigned pages for NS - occasionally I got bogged down, and that was the first thing I dropped. My test grades, however, occasionally suffered as a result. My goals for all core classes (all classes where our grades were based entirely on NCLEX style exams) were as follows:

1. Read all material once. Try to get it out of the way before lecture, it also retains pretty well if you read the day of lecture or day after. I always read a few hundred pages over breaks, so I'd have some out of the way before the semester started. I read quickly, and I use a highlighter, but I don't go back and reread the chapter to study - I'll use the highlighted parts to answer questions, make notes, and study in other ways, but once I've read it I'm done with it.

2. Go to class every day you aren't hospitalized. I took notes on powerpoints by hand, you're welcome to type them on your laptop. I usually recorded lectures, but only played them back to clarify things I didn't understand. This was really valuable in one class, less so in others. This is the basis - now I've usually been exposed to all material twice, and this time I both heard it and wrote it down.

3. Create study guides. I would transfer my powerpoints to word format, then type my handwritten notes in. While doing this, I would condense the information down. I left out everything I already knew. I'd wind up with a packet of usually not more than 20 pages for each exam. It might not cover every question, but it was a great review for myself (and for my classmates).

4. NCLEX questions. I always went overboard here. I have a large number of NCLEX books (15 maybe?), and I used them all. I have most major publishers' general NCLEX guides (Saunders, Mosby, Davis, HESI), plus I bought subject matter guides for each class. I liked the Reviews and Rationales series, but please go to your bookstore and page through several - other authors may appeal to you more. I also bought the study guides to accompany my textbooks. My R&Rs and study guides were especially helpful in classes that don't have much in the general NCLEX study guides. I'm not exaggerating when I say I did 1000+ questions for each exam. A few less in specialty classes (OB, psych, etc.) because I couldn't find enough, but I did as many as I could get my hands on. This was a requirement for me to do well. If I hadn't read the chapter for whatever reason, but I'd gone to class and worked with my notes, doing all these questions would help me critically think about the material. Plus, many instructors get their questions from these books. Ours usually changed them a little, but I could usually still recognize the right answers to several questions on each exam.

The trick (for me at least) is not to spend too much time in one area. You don't need to type up a verbatim transcript of the lectures, or memorize every sentence in the text. I liked to make sure I had a pretty good grasp of the lecture material, but also read the book since everything was fair game. I also didn't spend a ton of time "studying" - making flashcards, diagrams, going through my notes again and agaib. I spent all of that time practicing questions. This was helpful at my school because we took high stakes HESI exams every semester for our finals. We took another to graduate. I got an extremely high score on every one - the thousands upon thousands of questions I practiced were a big part of that. I haven't gotten my sit pass yet, but I'm continuing to practice questions (about to go do 100 as soon as I get off AN) and I'm pretty confident. I know this was long, but hopefully it's helpful to some of you newbies starting off!

moncj66 · Sep 1, 2008

were using cont. psych-mental health nursing by kneisl and trigoboff. Its really well written and not too wordy. I actually like reading it, I can't wait for rotations, we get to go to jail. yeah, we use the same book for med-surg, its ok I think some concepts could have been broken down a little more.

cherubhipster · Sep 2, 2008

I understand this too. 10 chapters due between orientation (a thursday) and school (a Monday).

I read the chapters but just for basic comprehension before the class. I take notes in class. When I get home I make flash cards with all the stuff that I think is important, and then study the flash cards evey day till the test. I don't know if this works yet though, my first test is next friday!

Acosmo27 · Sep 2, 2008

First I review all the notes.... After I somewhat understand the notes, I read the chapters. I never read before class/lecture. Only before the tests when I am studying. Im the type of person where I only retain information when it counts. If I read it a month before the test, it would waste my time because I wouldnt remember anything.

This technique has worked very well so far!

Mocow2006 · Sep 4, 2008

I read everything, some of the information is really interesting.

But, once you have your first exam you will be able to determine how you should proceed as far as determing what's important.