Strategies for Success in Nursing School

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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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:

27. 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

29. 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

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

31. 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

32. 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?

33. 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

34. 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

35. 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

36. 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

37. 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

38. 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?

39. 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

40. 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

41. 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