How to read and study nursing textbooks?

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I've gone through my first week of nursing school, and the amount of information you have to read and understand is absolutely overwhelming. For my fundamentals class alone it took me almost 2 days to finish reading about 50 pages over asepsis, and as the semester progresses the readings are going to be piling up and before I know it I'm gonna have to be reading multiple chapters a week.

How do you guys read the chapters and study the information? I know its important to read the chapter summaries before reading the book, but how can I manage to read the chapters fast while retaining the information? My teachers also provide powerpoints, so is it better to study the powerpoints and use the textbook for reference to certain sections I don't understand? Is it also important to memorize the key terms (definitions)?

I appreciate all the tips and feedback and thanks in advance!!

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Specializes in Forensic Psych.

I don't read every word. I learned to scan and skim the chapters very early on for things that I need to know. It would be great if we knew every fact, figure, and idea in those books, but it ain't happening on our time crunch.

Focus on the tables and charts in the book. Look for things the book is telling YOU as a nurse to do. Read any objectives your professors give you and find the answers to those.

I think the key is practice. You'll take tests and you'll learn what the important stuff is. You'll hear a million lectures and figure out what types of stuff your instructors want you to latch on. And, in my experience, the reading will lighten up. There's SO many basics for you to grasp in the beginning, and then things get more in-depth and focused.

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Specializes in CVICU.

I also skim over the parts that are obvious in the book. For example, my book might spend two pages in the beginning of the chapter talking about why it is important that nurses care about their patient's psychological functioning. It is obvious to me why I should care. So I skip it. Also, my school assigns objectives with each lecture, ie things we should be able to do/discuss after that lecture. So, I read by the objectives. It is really best if you can read the entire chapters before tackling the objectives, but if not, just scan the chapter for information related to the objective and type it out/read it.

Every school is different so it is up to you to figure out what works best. Tables and graphs play a huge part in my program because a lot of the objectives are contained within tables/graphs.

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Specializes in NICU.

I audio record every lecture and download the audio file to the folder on my laptop. I have a folder for each class on the desktop of my laptop that I put all the files for the class (syllabus, calendar, paper rubrics, power point slides). I then play the audio on the computer and write notes in the comment section on the bottom of each powerpoint slide. Then when I need to study for a test I have the most important points the instructor made in her lecture. If they say "remember this" or "this is important" then I highlight that in my notes or on the powerpoint itself because it will be on the test. Finally I read the chapters. I like to audio tape because there is always something that you missed while trying to take notes in class.

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I find it helpful to start with the chapter summaries and questions. Write the questions for the chapter down and search for the answers, makes it a little better and keeps your brain stimulated.

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Thank you everyone for the advice, I really appreciate it. I'm really nervous about doing well in the program, but I'm kind of getting an idea of how to study for the chapters and what to focus on. I will definitely use the objectives as a guide and record the lecture.

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I find it helpful to answer as many questions as I can related to the subject matter. The NCLEX books I've found don't narrow it down as well as the online testing engine for PREPU. I've found the PREPU materials sold by lww.com have helped me pass because I don't care to waste my time reading the textbook. There are only so many ways to ask the same question. Your teachers will ask the same questions maybe worded a bit different.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I skim through the chapter, paying attention to the table of contents, section headings, any terms in bold font, tables and graphics, etc. Then I take out the list of objectives from the syllabus and read through each one; if it's something I know or that can be answered using common sense I skip it. If I'm not sure, then I'll find that section in the book and read through carefully. When I'm done with the objectives I do the end-of-chapter questions to see if there are any weak areas, if so it's back to that section. For some people reading every word from start to finish apparently works but for me it feels terribly inefficient and to be totally honest I just don't have that kind of attention span.

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Of course everyone will have their own techniques as to what has worked for them. I am currently in my second year of the ADN program, and what has worked for me thus far is this... I read the textbook initially focusing on what the NCLEX will ask from a nursing point of view. For example, many of our exams ask, what is the most common signs/symptoms, the first priority, the most definitive way to diagnosis, the highest risk etc. etc. So I always make a habit of initially highlighting in the textbook those key points. Because trust me, you can end up highlighting the entire book and make a mess. And come review time just before a test, you can easily get lost trying to find those critical components that you need to remember. It's impossible to remember every single disease process, and signs or symptoms that go along with them, or how you will use the ADPIE steps for everything you need to know. By reading your textbook from an NCLEX point of view, you will surely pick up on the nursing process for each step of the way. I agree with most when they say that anything in the textbook is fair game on exams, no matter where you are. The power points and bonus hand outs are exactly that, only a bonus.

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I do this as well! Then you also have a study guide when it is test time! Good luck! =)

I find it helpful to start with the chapter summaries and questions. Write the questions for the chapter down and search for the answers, makes it a little better and keeps your brain stimulated.
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What information do you looking for when reading to study for exams?

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Specializes in CVICU.
What information do you looking for when reading to study for exams?

1. What are the S&S for this disease process?

2. How is it medically treated?

3. How can nurses help alleviate the symptoms?

4. What is the priority problem with this disease process?

5. What are the potential complications of this disease process?

6. What are the labs pertinent to this disease process?

7. What are the risk factors for this disease process?

8. What do I need to know about the diagnostic procedures for this disease process?

9. What do I need to know about any surgical interventions used for this disease process?

10. How would I use the nursing process with this disease process?

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