The beginning of your nursing career can be exciting and overwhelming as juggling between school and personal life is typically challenging. With so many courses to learn and understand, including fundamentals of nursing, much planning is required for any med student.
Nursing foundations or fundamentals of nursing is a prerequisite that most students take during their first semester. It equips a learner with basic principles, procedures and sets the difference between nursing and other professions. Studying for nursing foundations can be taxing with so much to cover in both theory and practical sessions. However, the following tips may transform your nursing school experience from frustrating to gratifying.
#1 Comprehend your learning style
The different learning styles include tactile, visual, auditory and read-write. Different people have varying learning styles. Some learn best by hearing, while others need to write down.
For instance, kinetic learners thrive from the motion of writing, which helps them remember information, and visual learners need to see data to master better. Having an insight into the method that works for you best makes your studying experience fun and saves you time.
#2 Study a little every day
The basic foundations of nursing covered throughout the course work are so much to cram in a week before your exams. For this reason, you should intentionally set time to study at least each day. Doing this will help you lessen the load when the assessment period approaches.
Besides covering more content, learning every day enables you to build a learning culture. Instead of dreading learning as most students do, you will be looking forward to it. Your study hours can be in the morning or late at night, depending on when you’re most active. It is also an effective way to retain a lot of information for an extended period.
#3 Form a study group
Attending class helps you retain 60% of the information instead of group studying, enabling 90% retention. Besides that, learning in the company of fellow students gives you a better understanding of the coursework. Working with other people also lets you discover their different success tips, setting you up for a higher exam score.
Going through loads of content alone can be tedious, so you should consider group studying, which is a fun and effective learning method. Other added benefits of study groups are they promote teamwork and critical thinking.
#4 Give yourself a break
Keeping up with school work, including theory classes and practicals, can be a daunting task. It is easy to obtain burnout due to lack of rest. Spending all of your time in books puts you at risk for mental exhaustion.
As such, you may not be able to retain as much information as you would in the right headspace. While going to the library is essential, rest is just as crucial. Allocate time for breaks in your study schedule to avoid loss of interest or enthusiasm.
Among the ways to take a break include obtaining enough sleep, engaging in your favorite hobby and taking long walks. A change of your study venue is also enough motivation for studying.
#5 Skim-read first
The content volume for reading in nursing school is plenty. Understanding through the first read may be frustrating. Before studying a particular chapter, skim through the heading, topics, summaries and topical questions.
Doing this will help you filter important information from junk. Although each content is essential, there are some which you may have already studied in other courses.
#6 Manage your time
Time management is an essential factor for every nursing student as it dictates your general learning experience. Be sure to have a schedule for all your lessons to avoid missing out on any, as catching up can be overwhelming.
Align your errands to your schoolwork to facilitate coordination. You can do this by creating a daily or weekly plan for yourself. Being a student means most of the time, school work will be your priority. Knowing this helps you avoid distractions that may eat up on your time. A routine schedule promotes organization and makes nursing school manageable.
Much commitment is needed to complete nursing school. However, with the proper planning and good study tips, the learning experience can be convenient.
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