Best way to understand information for nursing school tests?

[VAgirl247]

I am coming back from a semester off due to personal issues. People always tell me it is better to understand it then memorize the information. But what exactly is understanding if nursing school wants you to know all of it?

[tbirdtyler]

Well, I am not in nursing school yet (I start in 2014) but I do have some experience with complex study materials- AP anyone?

What I did was purchase a large dry erase board and I try to teach imaginary "students" the lesson. It sounds cheesy- because it is :) But IT WORKS! The process of reading aloud the material, and writing it down at the same time helps me memorize. If I have pictures to draw (poorly, but that's not the point) I do, which helps immensely. I study this way for hours. And when I start the process sometimes I can't explain it, but it doesn't matter. It is just me there. I say the words, hear them, ask myself questions and repeat until I begin to connect the dots!

The final step is when I actually can explain it to someone. Real (study partners) or imaginary (like at 2 AM alone in my room) it doesn't matter. If you can explain it clearly, you know it. If you can't explain it, something is wrong. I hope this helps and good luck :)

[bfree1001]

Well since you've been in nursing school I'm sure you've figured out that nursing is a completely new monster. You can memorize because you're learning concepts.

You must understand the concepts because in real life, situations are dynamic. There are sooooo many variables that can change outcomes, interventions, assessment and blah blah blah. So when I study I try and get a grasp on the whole concept. Sometimes it may mean cracking open my anatomy book and drug guides or whatever so that I can have a complete understanding of how it all works together. Having a thorough knowledge really helps me when test questions only hint at things and expect you to catch the small stuff.

[krisiepoo]

I think you need to memorize AND understand. You have to know (memorize) all the lab values and know how to apply them in real life scenarios (understanding). It's not like A&P where you memorized a bunch of stuff and reguritated it on the test, you need to know how things work together so when you're given the scenario you can apply it