Do you study from your text books ?

Published

At my cc the instructors gives us powerpoints every lecture. We are currently using three required text books as well for our readings. I do skim over the text books, however most of the exams are from the powerpoints which come from the three text books.:bugeyes: I also use the text book as a reference, however all the readings are very time consuming. Do you use your text book to study ? If you use the powerpoints do you throw them away after the course ? I'm just looking for a way to minimize my readings. Thanks for reading :D

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

I read the chapters because as other posters have said, we're responsible for whatever reading is assigned regardless of whether it appears in a PP slide. But I concentrate more on what's been on the slides and just give a once-over to the rest.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
At my cc the instructors gives us powerpoints every lecture. We are currently using three required text books as well for our readings. I do skim over the text books, however most of the exams are from the powerpoints which come from the three text books.:bugeyes: I also use the text book as a reference, however all the readings are very time consuming. Do you use your text book to study ? If you use the powerpoints do you throw them away after the course ? I'm just looking for a way to minimize my readings. Thanks for reading :D

Minimize reading?

That's a negative Ghost Rider.

You may get through the class by powerpoint but in practice I think you will have some trouble. I'd be suprised if you'd get past the NCLEX unless you happen to be one of those "gifted" people.

The way I see it, all of the information in the text is important regardless of what you are being tested on. The days of "learn what's on the test" are over. You need to know it all in order to pass NCLEX because you will not have to opportunity to view a powerpoint that will contain the answers to the NCLEX.

I read every word of every page. There are no short cuts...My 2 cents.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med/surg, metro hospital, NH.

You are what I strive to be. I read as much as my brain will tolerate and find a lot of info from surfing the web.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
You are what I strive to be. I read as much as my brain will tolerate and find a lot of info from surfing the web.

Thank you...YOU can do this too...

The web is great but you can never be sure of the source.

Don't get me wrong here...by no means do I enjoy the amount of reading necessary.

I usually read in 40 minute blocks. My brain seizes after that...I need to take break, maybe 15-20 minutes and them come back.

You can do this...just start with one chapter -- like a 60 - 90 page textbook chapter -- and force yourself to read the whole thing. Take short breaks but don't quit until you're finished. Before you know it you'll be reading chapter after chapter without a problem. Eventually you'll learn how to cut throught the fat and get faster too.

Also...try finding stuff to read for fun, enjoyment...I know you're saying "Oh God you're a dork" but really...if you can read books that interest you then you are training yourself to read and getting some enjoyment too. I read about fitness...nutrition, exercise, and occationally some motivational stuff from Stephen Covey...train yourself to read and you will have a nice ride. :)

Hope this helps.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Something that has helped me with my reading, is recording as I read. I had intended it in order to listen to them later, but in reality it helps me MORE just by keeping me focused on teh reading while I am doing it. It was an unexpected bonus, but a bonus still none the less

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med/surg, metro hospital, NH.

Thanks for the advise. I think I am on the good road just having a hard time seeing the end. I don't strive for perfection but want a good grasp on the material and am "ok" with learning to fine tune once I get on the floor. Is this realistic? Going back to the beginning reading the material in our textbooks is (what I think) essential to success. Too many students get by without opening a book and I think you need to know why something is happening in order to get a handle on how to fix it. Ex. why is someone going into diabetic hyperglycemia-is it not important to understant why this is happening not just how to fix it? Maybe I am old school. . . hope old school leads me down the yellow brick road and to the emerald city with bells on! Thanks for all the help- God knows I need it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I do skim over my text as well as focus on my PP. I actually feel guilty if I don't do the reading. PP are great but what about really, really knowing the material. Are we going to be good nurses by just studying PP's? I don't think so. I think that in an attemp to remain sane and have a life outside of school we just(as well as our teachers) follow the PP and say we will pick up the rest on the job. Honestly to me I am slacking and really need to focus on reading and doing the PP and reading from other sources. Is it just me or has getting a nursing degree turned into years of mesmerizing NCLEX like questions, cramming PP down out throats and hope for the best. Really don't we really want to be good at our job because of the knowledge and experiences we have gained through our schooling not by questions we have memorzed? Does real life really happen like they do in a question? I don't think so. I agree it is hard, really hard but I want to know why things are the way they are not just an overview. Too many students want the easy way out and the teachers are actually encouraging us to just follow the PP. Is that really teaching and preparing us for our future as nurses? :nurse:

At my school, if you read every page, you'll be lucky to finish the reading by the time you have to take another test.

The books contain tons of information that is not necessary for nurses to know that will be taught when you get into Masters level nursing. For example, tons of students get caught up in the physiology...that's a "nice to know" but that is what Nurse Practitioners and physicians to go to school for.

Your focus is on the nursing process and the nursing care.

If you have a long list of disorders, for example, anemias...you need to be able to sum up the disorder in one to two sentences. That is all you need to know. What the cell does, is 100% irrelevant to nursing at this level...that is for the doctor to be concerned about. Your job is to know what labs to look for, normal values, and to know how to manage the patient and know if the patient is getting better or worse.

For example...anemias...it means there isn't enough of something or what is there isn't functioning properly. These are broken into two cataglories, either there isn't enough RBC's or the ones that are there can't do their job.

BOTH cause virtually the same signs and symptoms..you just need to memorize what they are for both and then figure out what is dfferent between the two.

Then, what are you going to do to fix it? Well, you are either going to manage it or replace it...replace it if there isn't enough or manage it if it can't be fixed, such as sickle cell crisis in sickle cell anemia.

You can spend a great deal of time learning those things, but you'll never see that much detail pop up on a test or NCLEX.

Saunders is a great guide to breaking down what you need to know in regards to the nursing process. I use that, plus my course objectives, plus what the instructor tells us about to guide my reading.

Tip: The most expensive part of a texbook is color...so if something is in a colored box, you can rest assured it's something important.

To pass the NCLEX doesn't prove you are the best nurse in the world...to pass the NCLEX shows that you are MINIMALLY COMPETENT to START practicing as a Registered Nurse.

Hope that helps. My school, with all of it's problems, has an extremely high pass-rate on the NCLEX...so this is what they teach us to look for.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hopeful... how 'bout you help write a new nursing curriculum? If that's the way your school is teaching you are very lucky!!! How reasonable and practical!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am too detail oriented....for my own good. When I become an NP it will help, but at this level, it is a liability. I was spending too much time focusing on what didn't matter...especially this semester.

It really is that simple. Keyword is NURSING CARE.

When the lightbulb went off and I started thinking about my exams, I couldn't think of a single one of them that went into that much detail...as much as I was learning. I went through my Saunders book...it didn't go into detail there either.

Everything focuses on the big picture...what are you doing to do to make the patient more comfortable? What are you going to do to prevent something bad from happening? What are you going to do to keep them stable and improve? What are you going to do to assist them in pain management? How are you going to manage the family? ETC, ETC.

Take any chapter in your nursing book...and you can go through these same questions and break it down.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion