Test Taking Skills Resource Packet.
Test Taking Skills
Resource Packet
The Ultimate Guide for Studying While in Nursing
School By Sarah Qualls, Pediatric Nurse,
Georgia
Nursing school is tough, there's just no doubt about it. It doesn't matter what
school you attend, or how smart you think you are, studying for nursing
classes is a whole different ball game.
The key to having a successful nursing school outcome is reprogramming
your mind to think like a nurse. While this may sound easy, in all actuality it
is quite a lengthy and involved process which one must undergo. The
essential thing to keep in mind is that nurses learn almost everything
doctors learn except in just 2 years (or less) as opposed to the 8 years of
medical school. If you're just beginning nursing school then your first weeks
reading assignments should be evidence of that. If you're somewhere in the
middle of your program you anticipate 500 pages of reading and are
planning ahead. For those of us that are just finishing up we read through
our whole break so we could focus on studying for the NCLEX and the rigid
clinical assignments instead of reading for the last semester. Regardless of
where you are in your program, if you're struggling, as I have in the past,
then this Ultimate Guide for Studying in Nursing School is for you.
The first and most important thing you can do for yourself as you enter
nursing school is to determine what kind of learner you are. There are a
number of online inventories that can help you discover what type of learner
you are. One free one is located at
www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory/. Once you know what kind
of learner you are, studying for nursing school will instantly become easier.
Regardless of your learning style, one of the most important things to
remember in nursing school is that teachers test from the book. Regardless
of how inclusive the lectures may be, you are responsible to know and apply
any
,Test Taking Skills Resource Packet.
and all information included in your designated text books. For this reason, I
recommend that you read each and every word of your text that is assigned
to you. I know this sounds like a huge chore, and it is, but understanding and
being able to apply the information in a clinical setting is what nursing school
is all about. This task is easier said than done however. I have a few helpful
tips that have made sitting and reading more bearable for me.
First, set aside a few hours a day when you're awake and alert. Make
sure you have a quiet place to study and good light. Try and eat a snack
before you sit down and have a glass of something to drink near by so you
don't wander away half way through a chapter. Make sure you have a
highlighter handy and some adhesive page markers so you can easily
reference important material later to review for the test. Try and read for
only 45 minutes each hour. Nursing books are so packed full of technical
terms you'll need a 15 minute break for your brain to reboot. Next, I have
found it very productive to play a Deep Learning CD in the background.
These CD's are supposed to help you retain information better. I've used
these kinds of CD's throughout my entire college career and swear by them.
After you have read for a few hours, go back and review the information that
you have highlighted and see if you can remember it. If not, you will need to
reread the section until you understand it. I have found it useful to have a
Taber's Medical Dictionary close by when I am reading. This way if the text
doesn't cover the topic in question where I can understand I have an
accessible reference close by to help grasp the concept.
Another handy tip is to record each and every lecture you attend.
This is especially essential you if you happen to be a verbal learner. I use
tape because I can't write quite as fast as my instructors talk and often don't
get important notes because of this. I have found that by taping I can go
back and review the entire lecture on my own, take additional notes and
stop the lecture as often as I need too in order to take notes on important
items. This tip is truly a life saver, especially if you have a teacher who does
test directly from his/her lectures.
Many books offer comprehensive study guides. While not the only material
you will need to pass your exams, these books do offer a comprehensive
summary of topics covered in each respective book. I have found these
books invaluable
,Test Taking Skills Resource Packet.
throughout my nursing career and I imagine you will too. If money is tight,
many school libraries have these books on hand to check out, or you many
be able to find them at your local library. If that fails, look for them at online
used text book sites for an often cheap alternative to paying full price.
Perhaps the most important and helpful information I have received from my
instructors is this: You have to think like a nurse when testing. This
means you are looking for the answer that gives your patient the best
possible outcome.
When you have 4 right answers for each question this is often times the tie
breaker. Additionally, you want to know what is the first thing you will do for
your patient if the patient presents with X. What are the definitive tests for
this issue and what do the results mean. What could be possibly causing the
problem, and what other problems should you be looking for. Also important
to remember is what you would do if you walk in and your patient is in
distress.
All nursing books have great boxes that give nursing tasks per diagnosis or
diagnostic procedure. I advise you to know these boxes and understand
when you should apply them.
With time, studying and patience you can pass all your nursing classes and
the NCLEX and become a nurse in no time at all. The important thing to
remember is simple. Study, study, and study some more.
How to Study for Your Nursing School
Tests By Linda D. Stanley
Are you in Nursing School and wondering how on earth you made such a lousy
grade on your test or how should you study for your test? Not only did you
make a lousy grade but most nursing school grade numbers correlate to
letter grades differently than other non-nursing schools. For example at my
nursing school you have to have a 74.5 and above to pass! You do not earn
a B unless you are above an 82.5 and an A is anything above a 92.5. This is
standard grading procedures for many Nursing schools which is why being
able to succeed on your tests in nursing school is of utmost importance.
Where to Study
, Test Taking Skills Resource Packet.
You have probably heard it a million times in high school and even in college
or your nursing school but the first thing you have to have to be able to
successfully study is a quiet place. I have seen numerous people try to study
for their nursing school tests in front of the television and that does not work
especially in nursing school. Nursing school curriculum includes disease
pathology, nursing procedures, nursing interventions and other measures
that need your entire focus and not just partial focus during the commercial
break of your favorite show. Sensory overload is real and trying to study for
nursing school with outside distractions will surely lead to missed
information along with inability to correctly retain that information. When
you begin your study time be sure to have a quiet location that is free of
distractions. The location also needs to be comfortable otherwise the
discomfort will become a distraction in itself. On that note, do not make it to
comfortable like lying on a bed or you will surely end up snoozing instead of
studying and in nursing school you do not have time to snooze.
When is the best time to study? A good time to study for your nursing school
test is anytime that you have extra time and when your mind is not too
overloaded or tired (you will always be a little overloaded and tired during
nursing school). While you are in nursing school you will probably find that
time is hard to come by so take any extra time you have, find a quiet place
and do some studying. I am in nursing school right now and I prefer to study
each night for about one hour. If I had clinical that day, I will sometimes take
the day off because my mind is just too tired to focus on any more
information. Instead I use my lunch breaks and other breaks at work and
nursing school to study instead of mingling. It is great to have friends in
nursing school but friends are not going to pass your tests for you so use
your spare time studying instead. It may sound harsh but once you get out
of nursing school you will be able to take as much time as you need with
your friends; in between you new well- paying nursing job of course!
What and How to Study
During nursing school students are given more information that one can
possibly process in such a short amount of time. The information given to
nursing school students is meant to be a foundation for learning about
nursing.
Test Taking Skills
Resource Packet
The Ultimate Guide for Studying While in Nursing
School By Sarah Qualls, Pediatric Nurse,
Georgia
Nursing school is tough, there's just no doubt about it. It doesn't matter what
school you attend, or how smart you think you are, studying for nursing
classes is a whole different ball game.
The key to having a successful nursing school outcome is reprogramming
your mind to think like a nurse. While this may sound easy, in all actuality it
is quite a lengthy and involved process which one must undergo. The
essential thing to keep in mind is that nurses learn almost everything
doctors learn except in just 2 years (or less) as opposed to the 8 years of
medical school. If you're just beginning nursing school then your first weeks
reading assignments should be evidence of that. If you're somewhere in the
middle of your program you anticipate 500 pages of reading and are
planning ahead. For those of us that are just finishing up we read through
our whole break so we could focus on studying for the NCLEX and the rigid
clinical assignments instead of reading for the last semester. Regardless of
where you are in your program, if you're struggling, as I have in the past,
then this Ultimate Guide for Studying in Nursing School is for you.
The first and most important thing you can do for yourself as you enter
nursing school is to determine what kind of learner you are. There are a
number of online inventories that can help you discover what type of learner
you are. One free one is located at
www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory/. Once you know what kind
of learner you are, studying for nursing school will instantly become easier.
Regardless of your learning style, one of the most important things to
remember in nursing school is that teachers test from the book. Regardless
of how inclusive the lectures may be, you are responsible to know and apply
any
,Test Taking Skills Resource Packet.
and all information included in your designated text books. For this reason, I
recommend that you read each and every word of your text that is assigned
to you. I know this sounds like a huge chore, and it is, but understanding and
being able to apply the information in a clinical setting is what nursing school
is all about. This task is easier said than done however. I have a few helpful
tips that have made sitting and reading more bearable for me.
First, set aside a few hours a day when you're awake and alert. Make
sure you have a quiet place to study and good light. Try and eat a snack
before you sit down and have a glass of something to drink near by so you
don't wander away half way through a chapter. Make sure you have a
highlighter handy and some adhesive page markers so you can easily
reference important material later to review for the test. Try and read for
only 45 minutes each hour. Nursing books are so packed full of technical
terms you'll need a 15 minute break for your brain to reboot. Next, I have
found it very productive to play a Deep Learning CD in the background.
These CD's are supposed to help you retain information better. I've used
these kinds of CD's throughout my entire college career and swear by them.
After you have read for a few hours, go back and review the information that
you have highlighted and see if you can remember it. If not, you will need to
reread the section until you understand it. I have found it useful to have a
Taber's Medical Dictionary close by when I am reading. This way if the text
doesn't cover the topic in question where I can understand I have an
accessible reference close by to help grasp the concept.
Another handy tip is to record each and every lecture you attend.
This is especially essential you if you happen to be a verbal learner. I use
tape because I can't write quite as fast as my instructors talk and often don't
get important notes because of this. I have found that by taping I can go
back and review the entire lecture on my own, take additional notes and
stop the lecture as often as I need too in order to take notes on important
items. This tip is truly a life saver, especially if you have a teacher who does
test directly from his/her lectures.
Many books offer comprehensive study guides. While not the only material
you will need to pass your exams, these books do offer a comprehensive
summary of topics covered in each respective book. I have found these
books invaluable
,Test Taking Skills Resource Packet.
throughout my nursing career and I imagine you will too. If money is tight,
many school libraries have these books on hand to check out, or you many
be able to find them at your local library. If that fails, look for them at online
used text book sites for an often cheap alternative to paying full price.
Perhaps the most important and helpful information I have received from my
instructors is this: You have to think like a nurse when testing. This
means you are looking for the answer that gives your patient the best
possible outcome.
When you have 4 right answers for each question this is often times the tie
breaker. Additionally, you want to know what is the first thing you will do for
your patient if the patient presents with X. What are the definitive tests for
this issue and what do the results mean. What could be possibly causing the
problem, and what other problems should you be looking for. Also important
to remember is what you would do if you walk in and your patient is in
distress.
All nursing books have great boxes that give nursing tasks per diagnosis or
diagnostic procedure. I advise you to know these boxes and understand
when you should apply them.
With time, studying and patience you can pass all your nursing classes and
the NCLEX and become a nurse in no time at all. The important thing to
remember is simple. Study, study, and study some more.
How to Study for Your Nursing School
Tests By Linda D. Stanley
Are you in Nursing School and wondering how on earth you made such a lousy
grade on your test or how should you study for your test? Not only did you
make a lousy grade but most nursing school grade numbers correlate to
letter grades differently than other non-nursing schools. For example at my
nursing school you have to have a 74.5 and above to pass! You do not earn
a B unless you are above an 82.5 and an A is anything above a 92.5. This is
standard grading procedures for many Nursing schools which is why being
able to succeed on your tests in nursing school is of utmost importance.
Where to Study
, Test Taking Skills Resource Packet.
You have probably heard it a million times in high school and even in college
or your nursing school but the first thing you have to have to be able to
successfully study is a quiet place. I have seen numerous people try to study
for their nursing school tests in front of the television and that does not work
especially in nursing school. Nursing school curriculum includes disease
pathology, nursing procedures, nursing interventions and other measures
that need your entire focus and not just partial focus during the commercial
break of your favorite show. Sensory overload is real and trying to study for
nursing school with outside distractions will surely lead to missed
information along with inability to correctly retain that information. When
you begin your study time be sure to have a quiet location that is free of
distractions. The location also needs to be comfortable otherwise the
discomfort will become a distraction in itself. On that note, do not make it to
comfortable like lying on a bed or you will surely end up snoozing instead of
studying and in nursing school you do not have time to snooze.
When is the best time to study? A good time to study for your nursing school
test is anytime that you have extra time and when your mind is not too
overloaded or tired (you will always be a little overloaded and tired during
nursing school). While you are in nursing school you will probably find that
time is hard to come by so take any extra time you have, find a quiet place
and do some studying. I am in nursing school right now and I prefer to study
each night for about one hour. If I had clinical that day, I will sometimes take
the day off because my mind is just too tired to focus on any more
information. Instead I use my lunch breaks and other breaks at work and
nursing school to study instead of mingling. It is great to have friends in
nursing school but friends are not going to pass your tests for you so use
your spare time studying instead. It may sound harsh but once you get out
of nursing school you will be able to take as much time as you need with
your friends; in between you new well- paying nursing job of course!
What and How to Study
During nursing school students are given more information that one can
possibly process in such a short amount of time. The information given to
nursing school students is meant to be a foundation for learning about
nursing.
