NURSEVNOTES
your guide to
nursing school
success
A Workbook designed for you to get
some clarity and headstart for school
WELCOME!
Hey! I am Athena - the Founder and Owner of NurseVNotes!
I am a nursing student that once struggled to find my studying
style and I lacked efficient time management skills. Now with
one semester left, I am proud to say that I have mastered
navigating nursing school!
If you are new here, welcome to the family! We are so glad to
have you here!
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HOW TO SUCCEED IN NURSING SCHOOL
about me
When I started nursing school, I realized that it was SO much more
different than my other college classes and nursing prerequisites.
Once nursing school started, my exam grades went down. It was as
if I was constantly playing catch up with assignments; not only
that, I felt lost and unmotivated. It seemed like a never-ending
nightmare.
I began to constantly feel burnt out and frustrated with myself. So
I dedicated even more time reading through textbooks and attending
office hours, but I had no luck. I am sure these feelings are too
similar to you.
This all turned around when I took the initiative to change my
habits.
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SO...WHAT HAPPENED?
I went from THIS
to THIS!! Talk about a jump! And consistency!
Now, let's cut to the chase and get into my tips and tricks for
nursing school success!
(Disclaimer: I am absolutely not in any manner implying that you need a 4.0 or
straight As to become a great nurse, grades do not define you! These studying
tips had a huge impact on the way I learned and thus allowed me to achieve a
4.0. I hope that it may impact you as much as it did to me.)
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01
Time management
If you want to have a practical studying plan, you first need to
figure out your daily routine, it is an indispensable step to get
yourself organized.
How many hours of a day do you have dedicated to studying? How
can you maximize your time? Can you wake up earlier to get more
out of your day? Those are some of the questions you should think
about before reconstructing a new and improved studying plan.
Did you know that the quality of work also increases when you are
not rushing to complete it ahead of an approaching deadline?
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02
consistency
Consistency is another important key factor that goes hand in
hand with time management; you HAVE to stick with the schedule
you have made. I have three planners and two whiteboard planners.
I use all of them to stay on track. I make both daily and weekly
plans in addition to setting monthly goals.
Once you start to adhere to the plan you have made, you will
definitely notice changes! You will have more time in a day to do
your tasks and you will feel refreshed and motivated.
Now, let's do a worksheet together and identify where we spend
our time
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lets identify
Describe a typical day or week (Include time)
How many hours do you dedicate to studying per day?
Can you think of ways to maximize studying time?
What motivates you to study?
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setting goals
When are you going to start?
/
/
3 things you want to improve on when you study
What is the biggest challenge for you to improve?
How are you going to achieve those 3 goals?
Make sure you set clear instructions for yourself!
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
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03
02
sTUDYING
Having identified a new studying plan and set some amazing new
goals, let's talk about studying for nursing school.
If there is ONE thing I would like you to take away from this entire
workbook, it would be to understand that you simply cannot
succeed in nursing school without a strong foundation. What do I
mean by that? It means you CAN NOT purely memorize. If this is
your go-to studying style, then you have to adjust it ASAP!
Another term for pure memorization is ‘Raw rehearsal’ and it is one
of the worst ways to learn. It not only eats up time but also
requires no critical thinking.
Here are some ways to improve critical thinking skills:
Ask questions about anything you may not fully understand and
don't be afraid to admit to a lack of knowledge
Ask open-ended questions and reflect upon them
Explore other points of view and identify personal bias
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sTUDYING
3.1
02
Think about what you are trying to achieve when you are only
memorizing something just for an exam. This might work for a class
that you may never take again, but nursing knowledge is a part of
a bigger puzzle. Nursing knowledge builds on one another. Take
Pathophysiology, for example, if you do not build your basic
Pathophysiology knowledge, the interventions and medication will be
tough to remember and nursing school is going to be extremely hard
for you.
So what are the best ways to study? Active recall, Spaced
repetition, the PQ4R method, and practice questions are among
some of the best!
Let's do one last worksheet to solidify your studying habits!
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growth
identify current
studying habits
rate their
effectiveness
Name as many as you can!
On a scale of 0-10 :)
Extra comments:
Extra comments:
How can you improve your studying habits?
Are there any study techniques you would want to try out?:
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04
reward yourself
The last and final aspect of success is knowing how to prevent
burnout. You must engage in exceptional self-care! You cannot give
your 100% when you are burnt out. Nurses constantly care for the
sick and vulnerable, and this constant exposure can lead to
increased compassion fatigue!
Compassion fatigue is a term
that describes the physical,
emotional, and psychological
impact of helping others
A warm reminder I tell myself: I have to take care of myself
because my patients deserve the best care. They deserve me at my
best.
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4.1
reward yourself
Nursing school is stressful and there is a huge workload (Don't even
get me started on care plans.) Therefore, you need to know WHEN
to take time off to decompress; it is very vital as it enhances your
performance.
Some ways I like to decompress and reset:
Exercise (proven to reduce stress and increase endorphins)
Set boundaries (set ‘resting’ times where you don't do any work,
set times to nurture friendship and relationships)
Having a good sleep schedule
Coffee from my favorite coffee shop
Celebrate every achievement
What are your non-negotiables?
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let us recap
1
manage your time well
2
stay consistent
3
build good study habits
4
give yourself time off
Now go work for it! Success begins with you! I gave you my best
resources (and saved you an entire summer of wondering why it is
not working!) but in the end, it is up to you to make the final change!
Please know that I am so proud of you for taking the initiative to
read this workbook and trying your best to succeed in school!
Go and do big things!!
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join our masterclass
If you still need more guidance and would like an in-depth step by
step explanation of nursing school success, join our How To
Succeed in Nursing School Masterclass
-1 hour lecture with study methods that you can implement at any
moment
-Studying technique explanations and how to utilize each one
-Includes exclusive study planning templates and links to resources +
apps
-Teaches you different note-taking methods
-PDF slides are included for you to download
-Bonus: how to help you cope with burnout
Download and keep forever!
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Sign up on my website now!
HOW TO SUCCEED IN NURSING SCHOOL