1 / 41

Strategies for Success in Nursing School

Strategies for Success in Nursing School. Time Management Stress Management Study Skills. What About These Issues?. These 3 things are critical to students ’ success in Nursing School They are all interrelated You need to: Understand them Work on them Master them. Closer Look.

Download Presentation

Strategies for Success in Nursing School

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Strategies for Success in Nursing School Time Management Stress Management Study Skills

  2. What About These Issues? • These 3 things are critical to students’ success in Nursing School • They are all interrelated • You need to: • Understand them • Work on them • Master them

  3. Closer Look • Time Management • How you manage your time? • Most think they know how to manage their time, but they DO NOT • Nursing school must be the priority • Stress Management • Having Nursing school be the priority WILL cause you stress • You must be able to balance it with the rest of your life • You must be able to manage it or it will do you in • Must do it everyday. It is a lifestyle, not a quick fix

  4. Closer Look • Study Skills • Most students do NOT know how to study • Particularly • Prepare for class • Actively listen in class • Take notes • Review after class • Read their text book for comprehension • Study for learning not memorization • Apply recent material to really learn it

  5. Time Management • Let’s take a test (It is nursing school after all) • Where does your time go? test

  6. Time + Nursing School • If you are taking an 8 credit hour nursing class, then your only in school 8 hours a week. Right? • Wrong: Your 8 credit course gives you • 4 hours for class • 4 hours for lab preparation • For every hour of class the NLN requires 3 hours of clinical • 4 hours of class = 12 hours of clinical

  7. So let’s figure out the hours for your 8 credit class It wouldn’t be nursing school without math How Much Time Does One Nursing Class Take? 8 credit hours + 12 clinical hours 20 hours 20 hours of direct time on your nursing course

  8. There is a general rule in college that every credit hour, will require 2 hours of study time. Nursing school is probably 3:1 What About Study Time? 8 credit hours X 2 hours 16 hours

  9. So what do we have so far? 20 hours of time in class or clinical + 16 hours of study time 36 hours of time each week

  10. Time + Nursing School • So you will spend a minimum of 36 hours on your nursing class • 36 hours is a full time job • This doesn’t even take into account time spent completing clinical paperwork

  11. How Do You Swallow an Elephant? • One bite at a time • The elephant here is NURSING SCHOOL • 1 day at a time • 1 hour at a time • You can do it

  12. Time Management • You need to know how to manage time using a calendar • Steps in making a weekly calendar

  13. Stress Management • What is YOUR stress level? • What are your biggest stressors? • How are you going to manage them? • Hints: • YOU must manage them • You probably CAN manage them • If YOU can’t, you will not succeed • It may not be the time for you to be here

  14. Myth About Stress Management • This is impossible to manage. Probably not true unless you have personal stressors that are not under control. Millions of students do it every day. We have all done it. • What do I mean by IT? • Go to school • Study • Work • Family • Life

  15. What Are the Personal Stressors That Will Do You in? • Problems with your spouse or partner • Problems with your children • Non-supportive family • Non-supportive friends • Financial issues • Health problems • Work problems

  16. Un-addressed personal psychological issues • Anxiety • Depression • Grief • Anger • Psychiatric problems • You MUST have a handle on these types of issues

  17. Did I Forget a Big One? • YES: TOO MUCH WORK! • One of the most common things students say: I have to work! • One of the most common things professors say: They shouldn’t be working full time! • What’s the obvious problem here? • It CAN’T be both ways

  18. Do You HAVE to Work? • If you do, it can NOT be the priority • You must work around it, school can not work around your job • Ask for a break (help) from employer, you just might get it • Can it be part time? (Insurance) • Remember time management • Sounds harsh? To bad! • You will not succeed unless you have this mind set

  19. How Stressed Does Nursing School Make You? • Very stressed and it’s not just the amount of time that must be devoted to it. Other sources of stress in Nursing School • Inadequate knowledge. You can’t know everything all the time, but you have to know a lot most of the time • In class • In clinical • For exams

  20. Inadequate support from family and/or peers • Real or imagined pressure from instructors • Fear of making a mistake or “hurting someone” • Actually making mistakes or doing poorly • Dealing with pain, death and dying

  21. Symptoms of Stress? • Feel: overwhelmed, fatigued or angry • Frequent minor physical complaints or illnesses • Feelings of fear or anxiety • Starting, returning or an increase in smoking • Dependence on caffeine usage • Substance abuses

  22. Coping With Stress in Nursing School • Basics • Maintain balance in life (make time for school, family, yourself) • Plan daily relaxation or quiet time • Get outside each day for sunlight • Plan physical activity (at least 3X week) • Eat well • Sleep well • Avoid cramming or staying up all night

  23. Coping With Stress in Nursing School • Put yourself first • Learn how to say NO • Learn how to ask for help • Help with errands, children, studying, etc • Help with feelings • Share feelings (not complaints) with your peers • Create support groups • Find a mentor

  24. Coping With Stress in Nursing School • Grow UP • Always be prepared ahead of time (class, exams and clinical) • Take on a professional demeanor • Do not miss class • Learn to accept mistakes; grow from them • Accept responsibility for your status • Learn to handle problems constructively instead of defensively • Accept what cannot be changed

  25. You must constantly evaluate your level of stress • If you’re not aware of your level of stress then you can’t manage it • You have to do a lot of self evaluation • If you’re not good at it, you better get good or find tools to help you • Here are some examples:

  26. Study Skills for Nursing School • You need to understand the process of learning • Most information in nursing school cannot be memorized it must be applied • How do you go from sitting and listening in class and reading your textbook to applying what you’ve been taught

  27. The First Step in Improving Your Studying Skills • Understanding and improving your foundation • Poor basic foundation skills brought into nursing school. 3 most common • Poor reading skills • Poor math skills • Poor computer skills • There are resources available to address these, but only YOU can do it

  28. Next Step in Improving Studying Skills • Analyzing your overall strengths and weaknesses as they related to studying

  29. Improving Your Study Skills • Preparing for class • Complete assigned readings • To prepare for the large amount of material in each class • Can scan, no need to read in depth • Do not highlight • Focus on pathophysiology • Right before class spend 5 – 10 minutes reviewing notes from previous class

  30. Improving Your Study Skills • Actively listen in class • If you have trouble paying attention sit in front • Make eye contact with instructor • Listen when others ask questions and/or ask yourself • Things you should be thinking about: • What will this client look like? • How will I assess them? • How will I take care of them? • What are the priorities? • How will I know when something is wrong?

  31. Improving Your Study Skills • Take notes • If you have difficulty studying, do not rely on power point handouts – take additional notes • Use a proven “method” for taking notes (see web-sites and on-line videos) • Write legibly in an outline form • If using PP then write in “focus” notes • Leave space in your notes to later fill in answers to previously asked questions

  32. Improving Your Study Skills • Review after class • Spend 5 minutes right after class reviewing notes or power points • If you have questions – ask for clarification immediately after class • Do not change gears to quickly • A few minutes now will save study time later • This is part of the “rehearsal” process for learning • Re-read your notes fully within 24 hours of class

  33. Improving Your Study Skills • Read your text book for comprehension • Read the assigned chapters for topics covered in class within 48 – 72 hours • Use a “proven” method for reading text books (see web-sites and on-line videos) • Use your notes for outline of what to focus on and make comparisons between book and notes • Get it into long term memory by writing summary of each section in your own words

  34. Improving Your Study Skills • In order to really learn, remember • That nursing is all about the process and applying what you’ve learned • Exams primarily test your ability to apply this process • The NURSING PROCESS! • Assessment • Planning • Intervention • Evaluation

  35. Improving Your Study Skills • Study for learning, not memorization • Reviewing your notes is important, but • Just reading you power points 5, 10, 50 times will not help you in nursing exams, it’s all about application • Go back to readings and read questions at end of chapter and complete any learning activities suggested by book • Pay close attention to things that are bolded, italicized, underlined or tabled as well as medication management and nursing interventions

  36. Improving Your Study Skills • Study actively with partner or group • Take turns asking questions that focus on application • What will this patient look like? • How will I assess and take care of them? • What are the priorities based upon the problems? • What will I teach them and how will I know they have learned it?

  37. Improving Your Study Skills • Pay attention to medication management • What is the class of drug? How does it work? • How will I know it is working or not working? • What are the side effects? • What teaching does it require? • Quiz yourself

  38. Improving Your Study Skills • Apply recent material to really learn it • Alone or in your group: • Develop a concept map for each disorder • Identify: pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, assessments and interventions • Use nursing process by developing a care plan for each topic to be covered on exam

  39. Web List • A multitude of sites to assist you • No one can do it for you, you have to put in the time • View the videos for more in depth information about these topics, especially reading and note taking

More Related