I start this fall in my nursing program and Im extremely anxious!!! Im looking for any advice that will help me in school. Whats the thing you can NOT live w/o during nursing school? What was the best study method for you? Index cards, recorders, palm pilots? What should I take to clinicals? I know you all were anxious when u started!!!
thanks guys
p.s. ....im hoping this will end up being a HUGE thread that other anxious students can read
I've been out of school for a couple of years but I used a digital recorder in class, burned the lectures onto cd's and listened to them several times. Plus I would listen with laptop in lap and make myself study guides (I'm a little OCD when it came to the study guides...they were color coded etc... lol). I found my recorder to be the best purchase I ever made.
Also used lots off coffee, chocolate and the best group of friends from class I could have ever asked for.
Oh and the best supplemental book I ever used was the NCLEX made incredibly easy.....I bought it in my 2nd semester and used it all the way through, bought a new version of the same one to study for the nclex....
One thing that really helps my students is to do the NCLEX questions that are relevant to the area they are studying. Also, don't try to cram, try to understand. For example, if you just try to remember the norms for blood sugar, that is a lot different than asking yourself "What would I teach a newly diagnosed diabetic about preventing hypoglycemia?" Always look for how you would apply the situation to the major risks/safety factors with the condition. Also, try to apply both Maslow and the ABCs to each situation. For example, what would be different about the psychosocial needs of a newly diagnosed teen with diabetes vs someone who was born with diabetes and is now 8 years old?
Good luck. Study. Don't be afraid to say 'No' to friends, relatives, co-workers...for anything. Nursing school is the most important thing in your life while you're in school.
I used multiple study methods; study cards, group study sessions every Sunday, recording classes, recording information that didn't seem to stick in my memory and then listening to any of the recordings on the way to and from nursing school...or any time that I was alone in a car. Bring those study cards with you AAT (at all times). Make three piles once you've studied them. One pile that you know, one that you sort of know and another that you don't have memorized very well at all. Slowly as you memorize them they can be moved from one pile to another. I color coded the index cards on the top for different chapters/units.
I know this did take a lot of time to write out, but if you get your objectives before nursing school even starts, then you can fill in the front of the index cards for the whole semester, before the first day of classes!
If you purchase a recorder, get a nice one. Mine was made by Olympus and was ~$130. Pricey, I know, but well worth it. The sound quality was amazing! It had the ability to record differently in a lecture hall and a classroom.
It may or may not be in your required texts, but having a good labs results book helps a lot.
I like my Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests with Nursing Implications (Seventh Edition) by Joyce LeFever Kee. Written with nursing in mind. Its a lot more expensive than when I bought the 1st ed. (yeah, yeah, I'm showing my age ). But it is very straighforward, lists significance of abnormals etc.
I too, used the NCLEX book (Saunders) for studying, but not until the last year of nursing school, cause that's when I got it. I was mainly trying to caution the OP about trying to do too much too fast. I graduated last weekend, and I've been studying NCLEX books hardcore since March. (Thanks to the OP for doublechecking me on this! :)
I definitely think there's value to the books, but while you're in the classes I'd recommend focusing on what your instructor focuses on. The books are good for general knowledge/test-taking practice but you may find yourself overwhelmed if you're trying to learn all the book content on a topic plus what your instructor wants. There's a lot of content for each topic and you don't have to know it all! Just don't pressure yourself too much. If it works for you, great, if not, reevaluate and see what does!
Math could be something to review, Check out Math for Nurses. This book can be found for as little as two dollars on amazon:
This book provides a review of basic algebra as well as more nursing specific problems like the IV ones referenced earlier. I will caution you that the answer key does have a few errors (the author confirmed this). I say this not to deter you from buying the book, but just to suggest that if you keep getting a "wrong" answer, try another one of the same type instead of frustrating yourself with a possibly right "wrong" answer.
The lab values book was most useful for understand what high/low labs meant and what treatments would be used to fix them. Each hospital sets their own "normal" lab values, so knowing a ballpark is good, but if you try to memorize them all from your book it may not match what you see in the clinicals where you will be using it.
I have a "smartpen" from Livescribe. I bought it at Target. If you have AAA, you can get a 10% discount ordering on line. I absolutely love it and have been using it for a year now. You can listen to the lectures and upload your notes to keep them electronically. Some professors do not allow you to record them, but this is so discreet noone even notices. THe sound quality is great. It is a great tool, especially when your eyes are crossed and you can not read another page!!
Make appts before nursing school starts (dentist, doctor, hair, etc). Set priorities about chores and don't sweat the small stuff. Keep up on your laundry, bills, grocery shopping, and car stuff. Find some time to do "nothing" for a brain break without guilt. I set my alarm to go off at least 30 minutes before it really needs to...don't neglect your spouse. Vent to someone who is or was a nursing student. Most importantly, remember your sense of humor!
I have also enjoyed reading everyones advice. It's over 30 years since I was a student but one of my most useful books was my little nurses pocket dictionary. Its barely reconizable now as it was used so much and still is! I don't know what I would have done without it as so many times you can be reading an article and they will use words you've never heard of before. This "smartpen" sounds a nifty little gadget and could come in quite useful especially if the lecturer is a bit boring and you feel yourself drifting away a bit!! Lol.
). But it is very straighforward, lists significance of abnormals etc.
:yeah:
redheadedvixen
23 Posts
I've been out of school for a couple of years but I used a digital recorder in class, burned the lectures onto cd's and listened to them several times. Plus I would listen with laptop in lap and make myself study guides (I'm a little OCD when it came to the study guides...they were color coded etc... lol). I found my recorder to be the best purchase I ever made.
Also used lots off coffee, chocolate and the best group of friends from class I could have ever asked for.