What is my instructor talking about???

DLS_PMHNP, MSN, RN, NP · Jan 9, 2009

Can someone, anyone help me to understand just what exactly my instructor is talking about. She says that when we are reading 15+ chapters a week for our lecture exams, to read, skim, go over tables and charts and make sure to "Grasp the Concepts"???? of what ever subject we are on, that is what is important. Say for example we are covering Cancer, or GI, or what ever, what the heck are the concepts that I am suppose to be grasping?? NO clue as to what this means and she can't explain what she is talking about either. Just said to read about it and get what I could from it...I really what to learn what I need to know about each subject, it is impossible to learn everything about it, but I what to know what I need to know in order to be able to take care of patients. Please help!!

Ask what concepts you need to focus on for your exams.

That will tell you what is most important for you to learn. (Hopefully....)

Good Luck,

Diane

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Jan 9, 2009

Okay.

There are a bunch of different kinds of cancer, all very specific and different.

HOWEVER. They have in common certain principles: what "cancer" means, metastasis, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, how the cells proliferate, what their proliferation means for the normal cells.

Focus on that stuff, not squamous cell carcinoma, etc.

Does that make any sense?

flightnurse2b, LPN · Jan 9, 2009

something i used to do in nrsg school was read the intro page of each chapter that had the key points and key terms on it. then as i was reading i would make sure that if i saw one of these words/concepts i made sure to review them.... they usually sum up the majority of the important things in the chapter. not specifics, just summarizations of what is the most important for you to grasp.... good luck in school :)

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jan 9, 2009

your instructor is trying to help you all become better students and studiers.

major college study web sites recommend that students first skim through assigned reading first and look at how the chapters are organized, look at any charts and graphs and pictures. see strategies for success (http://www.accd.edu/sac/history/keller/accditg/ssindex.htm) and click on "sq3r" which is the section that talks about how to read a textbook. your instructor telling you to "read, skim, go over tables and charts" sounds like the "s" part of the "sq3r" textbook reading method on strategies for success. the "s" stands for "survey". if you go to the website you will discover and get explanations of what the "q", "r1", "r2", and "r3" mean. reading a textbook and studying, like the nursing procedures you are about to learn, are skills that you must learn and practice, practice, practice. i've been on that website enough to recognize the technique.

hope that helped your understanding. good luck with your reading.

you will find more weblinks to help you improve your studying on this sticky thread: https://allnurses.com/nursing-student-assistance/study-strategies-254733.html (the strategies for success weblink above is on post #14))

cupid09 · Jan 9, 2009

Thanks everyone for the replies. SuesquatchRN I think that this may have been what she was trying to say, but in an around about and up the creek sort of way. I may be reading and trying to focus on too many small details, like all of the different kinds of cancer and things about each one. It was just starting to overwhelm me and I couldn't remember one from another! I failed to mention that she did say something like step back and look for the big picture in what you read. At that point I just figured the big picture must have been some place laughing and playing with the "concept"!!!:uhoh21: I wished that I had asked you-guys sooner about this, now I feel like I need to repeat the semester and read the book again, but the right way...:smackingf

moomoo111 · Jan 9, 2009

Our instructors had cd's for us to listen to along with our reading. They highlighted on the important stuff to remember. Another way is to read all of it and if you see something that you think might be important, and this is where your critical thinking comes in, you highlight those. After you have an exam, you'll get an idea of what they are looking for in each area. Don't try to cram too much in and read every detail. You never get that in nursing school anyway, you get that when you start working with patients and you learn the important things to look for in each disease process. Good luck to you and don't sweat the small stuff. My exams were so much harder than my state boards but I used extra books, the internet and asked the nurses I worked with while I was a nurse tech/CNA on each disease and that really helped me. If you are not working now, then ask the nurses that you are doing clinicals with. They are always eager to help the students out. You'll figure it out and you'll get the grasp of what is important. You could try to "Google" liver disease or diabetes and you'll figure out what's important in nursing in each disease and what you need to know and what you need to be looking for. Hang in there, Allnurses is a great place to start. MM:redbeathe

DDRN4me · Jan 9, 2009

I used to look at the questions and study outline at the end of each chapter. then go back thru the text of the chapter and look up anything i didnt understand. the highlights in each paragraph are also keys to what you want to focus on.

It is very easy to get lost in the details when overwhelmed. I found studying for no more than 1/2 hr -1 hour at a time and t hen doing a short mindless task (ie laundry or dishes,etc) helped me retain what i had just read. good luck! mary

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Jan 9, 2009

Remember your nursing process? What do you need to know that would help you do an assessment, plan the care ----?

HapEgirl · Jan 10, 2009

When I was about to begin nursing school, one of the nurses I work with told me, "it's all about the boxes and tables!" She said not to bother trying to read the chapters. Just skim read, read all the bolds, and focus on the boxes. Well, I am about to start my last semester and have made two A's and one B so it must be working!

Good luck! :wink2:

Spazzpup · Jan 10, 2009

You want to know the truth? You'll find out after you take the test. LOL Sorry but that's how it works at our school. Sometimes we are so mislead and study EVERYTHING. We end up not being tested on content from the book, we're tested "word for word" from a lecture. Frustrating LOL

netglow, ASN, RN · Jan 10, 2009

I think every school is different, so, I agree that you have to see what the tests are like before you will be able to get a grasp on what to study. This means you kinda have to study everything for your first test, and yes, you'll probably not have anything you studied show up point blank on the test. Our tests are NCLEX style, so they are less factual, and more scenario-based about "what is the best nursing decision". I have found that I have to put in a lot of time. :no: Good to know about the disease/condition: pathophys, signs/sym, Medical Dx/Tx and how you as a nurse fit into all of it.

Hope that helps.