How to study smart and productively ?

I don't care about just passing my exams to get through nursing school nor just memorizing everything  . I want to be able to understand the information and critically utilize it in clinical setting . I want to be a good nurse and give the best holistically care I can.  I want to hear everyone  preference and opinions on how they studied . What good habits should I work on now before starting the program in the fall? How should I approach the the textbook and questions?

Read any of the memory improvement books on amazon. Can’t go wrong with most of them. 

You are right that you don't want to only memorize; you need to study until you understand. Having said that, I agree that memorizing is important. When you're in the middle of a situation at work, you can't always stop to look things up.

Think about how you learn. Are you a visual person? Putting the information out (post-it notes, index cards) where you see it will help you memorize. Do you learn better when you discuss it or quiz each other? Find a study partner. I'm the type who learns much better when I'm moving around; sitting and staring at a page doesn't do it for me.

You will always do better in class if you read ahead; the lecture will make more sense. I read through the entire chapter or article first, even if I don't understand it all. Then, when I go back and study, it's easier to understand.

I also find that it really helps to study early, then go on to something else. When I come back to it the next day, everything clicks much better.