First year nurse student--how do i study?

RunBabyRN · Mar 24, 2014

I think EVERY nursing student feels this way. The volume of reading is overwhelming, there are a lot of demands on us, it's hard! There's no way to retain everything.

DON'T worry about NCLEX questions yet- you have time for that later. That will just overwhelm you even more. Focus on the curriculum for now. I know it's BEYOND frustrating when study guides don't match exams. Some of our instructors do that, too. Then others have study guides that line up beautifully.

Have you tried study groups? What worked for you in your prereqs? I do a lot of note cards, but that doesn't work for everyone. I also will read things aloud and record myself, then listen to those in the car. That way, I am reading it, saying it, and listening to it. I generally read from something I've written, so I am getting it multiple ways and it helps it all sink in.

With the reading, sometimes you just have to scan it. Some things will be easier to just scan than others, but do the best you can.

aquamoon713 · Mar 24, 2014

I'm a first year, second semester student and the NCLEX book, actually, really help on my exams. There is way too much information being thrown at you, and the NCLEX books really help break up it all up. When you find you are sick of reading endless pages of information/notes, before an exam, get out the NCLEX book and study the topics that pertain to your exam. I use NCLEX made incredibly easy, also Saunders is a good one.

Summer Days · Mar 24, 2014

Doing more NCLEX questions will stimulate your critical thinking. I have in my possession the following books:

Amazon.com: Med-Surg Success: A Q&A Review Applying Critical Thinking to Test Taking (Davis's Q&a Series) (9780803625044): Kathryn Colgrove, Ray Huttel: Books

Amazon.com: Prentice Hall's Reviews & Rationales: Comprehensive NCLEX-RN Review: Explore similar items

http://www.amazon.com/Lippincott-Rev...sxp_grid_i_0_1

Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination / Edition 5 by Linda Anne Silvestri | Barnes & Noble

These are awesome resources to practice nclex questions. Do as many as you can it will increase your understanding of the material. Another added advantage is that you will start to familiarize yourself with how nclex questions are phrased/worded. You will see questions being asked on a certain concept in many different forms but you will always arrive to the same answer. Read the rationales even if you get a question right; the rationales are very information-rich.

Lecturer not answering your questions? You have plenty of other resources. Your first stop is your clinical instructor. When I struggled in med-surg I often went to my clinical instructor. I'd compile tons of questions to ask her and what a life saver she was. Next stop would be the primary nurse you are paired with at the hospital during clinical. If you do not know anything or a struggling with a concept ask the nurse. They are very resourceful. Then if your school schedules for open skills lab hours here is another place you can go to with questions.

Cheers, don't give up.

nlynrob · Mar 24, 2014

I was averaging low B's when I was concentrating on study guides and text books for the classes and using HESI and NCLEX prep books to supplement my studies. After advice from a fellow student I started concentrating on my HESI and NCLEX prep books/online materials when studying and using my textbooks and study guides from class as supplements. Those low B's turned to low to mid A's on exams immediately. It made sense after I thought about how many times I've heard that nursing school prepares you to pass the NCLEX more than it prepares you for the real life practice of nursing.

Oh and an 88 is really, really good for nursing exams. Try not to beat yourself up so much! =)

NENANUNEZRN · Mar 25, 2014

I have tried study groups but unfortunately it turns into gossip central and I can't deal with that. My graduating class is very different than I expected. WE are not very united and it makes study sessions very difficult. Im doing my best with the few that I have and so far so good. Thank you for the advice. I appreciate it!!

NENANUNEZRN · Mar 25, 2014

Thank you for the suggestions! I just purchased the Saunders through the evolve website. I got the access code and started using it. Its very helpful. I wont give up no. Its just very overwhelming at times!

NENANUNEZRN · Mar 25, 2014

i didn't believe at first that Nclex books would help but now after reading all your comments and suggestions I feel they can help. I have used them once or twice and my grades have gone up by 10 points from last semester. The 88 was very difficult to get and to be honest i even thought I failed. I am happy that I found this site to get your opinions and suggestions.

Sometimes being a nursing student can even get lonely when your family doesn't understand the pressure. I have missed functions and outings and don't regret it because this is worth it, but i have no one to talk to. Thank you everyone!!

RunBabyRN · Mar 25, 2014

I have tried study groups but unfortunately it turns into gossip central and I can't deal with that. My graduating class is very different than I expected. WE are not very united and it makes study sessions very difficult. Im doing my best with the few that I have and so far so good. Thank you for the advice. I appreciate it!!

There are only a couple of people I can study with in my group as well. Most are younger than I am, and, like you said, are more focused on gossip than on material. There's kind of a division between the "momfia" and the younger students.

Good luck moving forward!

_iamkel · Apr 15, 2014

Hi!

This is my first semester in my schools nursing program. I knew it was going to be rough and I thought the professors would be more direct with us- but they're not at all! Our test "outlines" are so vague. Basically, they say this:

Chapter 3- 6 questions

Chapter 4- 12 questions

And so on. It's SO frustrating!

I find what works for me is to follow the lecture power points and skim the book based upon them and read up on anything that is unclear to me. I also like to go on YouTube for more complicated stuff such as fluid and electrolyte imbalances. That stuff really helps me.

I outline my professors power point slides and then I religiously go over them- over and over and over again. I make flash cards for important terms- such as Hypokalemia *cause, ss, treatment options.

And on my free time, I read what I can from my text books. It is SO hard to get all of the reading done- especially when you have other classes you're taking as well.

Don't stress, keep hydrated, and make sure you take time for yourself. Study study study- you'll do great!

lovenotwar14 · Apr 15, 2014

The success books by Davis helped me a lot. Improved my test scores by 10 points. You can find them on Amazon and they are subject specific.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Apr 15, 2014

The most important thing to realize, in my opinion, is that cramming facts is not a functional way to succeed in nursing school. Yes, of course you need to know and understand a lot of factual data points, but the nursing process (which is what you're here for) is all about knowing WHY.

You have to be able to synthesize, that is, to put together ideas to enable you to look at the bigger picture. And because nursing is unlike, say, a history or English major, you can't make it through one semester, congratulate yourself, sell the books, and start with a clean slate next semester. It's all cumulative-- you are responsible for remembering and having a good working knowledge of everything you learned before to apply to what you're going to learn next.

So, your strategy is not to cram. It is to approach every fact, scenario, or concept with the question in your mind, "Why do we care about this?" (And no, the answer is not, "Because it will be on the mid-term." :) ) The answer is, "Because when this happens, then that is affected, and that means I need to think about the other and how it all fits in, too." Why are things important? Why do we care? How do they fit into the big picture? When you study NCLEX

Nursing learning is different, no doubt about it. But this is a profession with a lot of responsibility for observation, analysis, and planning; to do that effectively, you have to know ... why.