Nursing is a challenging and rewarding profession requiring a significant amount of hard work, dedication, and knowledge. Experienced nurses will tell you that nursing school may be difficult but certainly worth all the hard work. Leveraging tips for nursing students from the nursing community can be helpful.
Nursing students face many challenges as they pursue their education and prepare for a career in healthcare. Getting started in school by establishing good habits and routines can help you succeed and better meet those challenges.
In this blog, we’ll share some tips for nursing students to help them succeed in their studies and achieve their goals.
Take breaks
Beyond the time spent in class, you’ll have to spend time studying and preparing for exams or practicum experiences. But studying for long periods can be exhausting and counterproductive. You will only be able to retain so much after reading and taking notes or staring at a computer screen for hours.
Taking breaks is essential for maintaining focus and retaining information. It is recommended that nursing students take a 10 to 15-minute break every hour or so. During your break, it’s important to get up and move around, take deep breaths, or take a short walk to help refresh the mind and improve circulation. If you find yourself going long stretches of time without a break, set an alarm on your phone to remind you to get up and think about something other than studying for a while.
In addition to taking breaks, it’s important that all your time isn’t focused on studying. Getting enough sleep at night is good for your mind and body as you’re going through nursing school. Although there may occasionally be a night you stay up late to cram before an exam or preparing for clinical, don’t make this a habit. Take the time to let your brain and body rest.
Create a study group
When you’re out on the hospital floor or working in the clinic, you won’t be working alone, so don’t study alone either! Studying in a group can be a great way to learn new material and reinforce concepts. Embracing group work is a great tip for nursing students.
Each member of the study group has something to offer. A study group can provide a supportive environment where students can share knowledge, ask questions, and get feedback. Working together can also help students stay motivated and accountable for their learning.
If you’re putting together a study group, it is a good idea to find fellow nursing students you know will put in the work and be good study partners. Everyone has different areas of strengths and weaknesses, so use these to your advantage. Teaching a difficult concept to fellow nursing students can help you reinforce that information in your own mind.
Know your learning style
Understanding your learning style can help tailor your study habits to your unique needs and preferences. Some students learn best through visual aids, while others may prefer to listen to lectures or read. Knowing your learning style can help you identify the most effective study methods and strategies for your needs.
Your learning style is helpful to know when studying in groups as well. There may be occasions where you’re in need of additional help or you’re able to offer help to other students. Your particular learning style also allows you to know how best to remember the information you need to know.
Use a nursing exam guide
When the time comes for exams, especially the ever-looming National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), a nursing exam guide can be a valuable resource. These guides contain practice questions, test-taking strategies, and other helpful tips that can help students prepare for the types of questions they may encounter on their exams. You may find the nursing exam questions to be difficult or written in a way that may seem tricky to answer. Many nurses will tell you that there is an art to answering these questions. An exam guide can help teach you the ropes on how best to approach exams.
The guides can also help students identify areas where they need more practice or review, which can help focus their study efforts. This is especially helpful when there is a large amount of information to absorb. Knowing where you need the most review can help you make the most of the study time you have.
Applying tips for nursing students
Nursing students face many challenges as they pursue their education and prepare for careers. By taking breaks, using nursing exam guides, creating study groups, and knowing your learning style, maximizing your own learning potential and achieve your goals is far more attainable.
With the right tools and strategies, nursing students can more easily succeed in their studies and prepare for a rewarding career in health care.
To talk about other helpful tips for nursing students with a community of nurses, download the Nurse.com social networking app.
