Nursing is a challenging course. It’s hard to break a balance between personal life, job management, and nursing studies. The solution to this is to study smart and not hard. In this article, you will get the best study strategies and tips to improve performance.
Study daily
Many students make the mistake of studying only on weekends. Some procrastinate until they get to exams. Procrastination isn’t allowed in nursing school. It’s impossible to cram the whole week’s work and use it well in a single-hour exam. If you want to excel, have everyday studies to master the concepts taught.
Time management
The greatest obstacle to success in nursing is poor time management skills. It would help if you manage time well to succeed in a nursing school. Set a schedule and adhere to it. Make a habit of reviewing the nursing syllabus at the start of each semester. Note the critical dates and adopt a planning device like a phone or a calendar to track the dates. Have a weekly and monthly schedule with milestones, goals, and tasks for the week or month. Make sure you meet them in that time frame.
Correct materials for the study
It’s not possible to have the time to read all the nursing materials given in a day. Instead, spend time analyzing the best materials and areas to focus your studies. Pay attention to topics covered in class by the tutor. Review the points emphasized in class.
Target critical thinking and not memorization
You need to memorize and learn huge information in nursing. However, it shouldn’t deviate you from developing the vital skill of critical thinking. All nursing exams target critical thinking skills. Data and facts are helpful though you can’t test the situation and condition using them. The nursing home help can help you here
Apply what you have learned
You don’t become a nurse by getting medical facts and knowledge. Patients don’t care what you know but how you help them feel better. You will study human psychology and diverse health conditions. Think of what you will apply in helping patients to heal. Think about how your approach to patients will be when discussing their condition. It will make you be the best nurse.
Start by skimming, then read later
There is wide reading in a nursing school. Your learning comes from what you read. To learn through reading, skim every chapter to get the main topics and themes covered. You have to read chapter subheadings and headings. Review chapter summaries and all questions at the end of the chapter. Get the vital information and then start reading the whole chapter.
Discover learning styles
When you discover your learning style, you have the key to effective learning. Learning preferences are unique to everyone. Some students prefer the dominant style of learning where they learn through seeing. Other students prefer learning through listening. Some students learn through practice, tactile interaction. You will be more effective in nursing if you discover your best learning style.
Form a study group
You will enjoy many benefits when you study in groups. You will retain more information when you study in a group than reading alone. Study groups allow members to teach other members what they know.
Have study breaks
You will overload your brains after a one-hour study time. Don’t study when your brain is full and tired. You shouldn’t study for three hours without breaks. Research shows that the best study duration is between 45 and 60 minutes with breaks. In this study session, have a ten minutes break to allow the brains to prepare and decompress to absorb new data.
Vary study methods and materials
Varying study methods and material improve the ability to keep and recall. For example, most students will remember only 10 percent of what they read in a book. Those who teach will keep 90 percent. You need to vary the methods for you to keep more for a longer time.
Set your study to the NCLEX orientation
NCLEX exam doesn’t have everything about nursing, but you will be a step ahead of the rest if you get this exam. NCLEX needs high preparation, so don’t wait until you graduate.
Conclusion
Nursing is challenging, like studying medicine. It would help if you worked smart using the above tricks to excel.