Become A Better Nursing
Student
General Advice:
Make time to exercise! Even if for only 10 minutes a day. Take a walk, ride a
bike, lift weights, etc.. Lots of benefits for studying/learning (memory, mood,
concentration, etc)
Remember to rest.. Your physical and mental health will ALWAYS be more
important than studying/school work
Stay hydrated while studying (improves focus)
Listen to music while studying to make it more enjoyable! NO LYRICS Lo-fi
hip hop, Jazz, ambient noises, etc)
"Eat that frog!" v.s. "Low Effort Hack"... Tackle the hardest task first (aka
"eating a frog") or the easiest (if you're having trouble getting started)
Thomas Frank; YouTuber)
Practice Meditation Zazen)/Yoga Nidra (increases focus, discipline, and
memory)
Practice Sunkalp (aka mindfulness) to improve outlook and lower stress levels
Dr. K; HealthyGamerGG, YouTuber)
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"Parkinson's Law".. Work expands to the time we allocate to it.. Having too
much time to complete a task leads to procrastination; Have a cut-off time..
Do you really need a week or can you do it in the next 24 hours?) Ali
Abdaal
For less stimulating/easier tasks, challenge yourself and see how fast you
can get it done.
You can use CTRLF to search your PowerPoint for specific information (like
a search bar)
"Anki flashcards are amazing for learning Pharmacology!" Ali Abdaal
The myth of "I don't have time." You have plenty of time.. You are just actively
choosing to use that time for something else.- Ali Abdaal
It's much harder to get started than it is to keep going.. JUST START!!
Your "heavy workload" can be GOOD or BAD depending on your
PERSPECTIVE!!.. It is important to feel good about the work that you are
doing and to always remember where your hard work is taking you!
("Studying is making you a better person and promising you a better future;
not keeping you from "all the fun.") Dr. K; HealthyGamerGG YouTuber)
ENJOY THE PROCESS Make memories.. It goes by FAST!
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Studying:
Make sure to UNDERSTAND and NOT memorize
Study your most trouble areas FIRST before reviewing old information
Constantly ask yourself "Why?" "How?'" and "Why is this bad?" (for diseases)
If you start to get bored/uninterested in the topic your studying, change
things up/study a different topic (aka interleaving), and keep going
"Don't miss the forest from the trees" (understand the bigger picture and
where everything comes together.. aka scoping the subject.. Make
connections, search for patterns.. Ali Abdaal
Understand the broad spectrum of things first and go over the more indepth/specific details later.. "Broad brush strokes and filling in the picture is
much more important than the details. 80 percent of testable material will
come from 20 percent of the information presented to you in class (the
core information)." - Ali Abdaal
Use Active recall (aka testing yourself and/or retrieving information from your
brain without looking at your notes or textbook)
Active Recall Examples Anki/Quizlet flashcards.. Review questions you wrote
down during class.. Tackle some NCLEX Practice ?'s.. Teach the material
you've learned to another person Or the wall).. You could also take a blank
sheet of paper (or whiteboard) and write down everything you know about a
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specific topic; when you can't think of anything else pull out notes/PP
slides/textbooks and fill the gaps in your knowledge.. Afterwards, repeat..)
Quiz yourself on the material as you go Active Recall)
Use Spaced Repetition Anki/Quizlet/Retrospective revision timetable)
Retrospective Revision Timetable: Make a list of all the topics your currently
studying.. Each day you study something write the date next to the topic(s)
so, when you look back, you know when you studied it last. Use the "traffic
light" color coding method to indicate level of difficulty (Green = Easy..
Yellow = Medium.. Red = Difficult).. Alternatively, you can just highlight the
ones you don't know and/or rank difficulty on a scale of 1 to 5.. To sum
things up: keep track of WHAT you studied, WHEN you studied it, and HOW
DIFFICULT it was for you.. Again, while revising, tackle the most troubled
areas FIRST..) - Ali Abdaal
It is recommended by Ali Abdaal that you create a Retrospective Revision
Timetable on Google Sheets, however, blank paper/spiral notebook works
just as well. See Ali's YouTube video on this topic for more detail)
Pomodoro technique (timed, intense studying sessions with small breaks in
between) 25 to 50 minute rounds) 5 to 15 minute breaks) Using the
FOREST STAY FOCUSED APP is a fun way to do this)
Prepare for lectures (read PP slides, complete assigned textbook reading, or
take a look at Cece's Study Guide for a quick overview) AT LEAST 20 MIN
BEFORE EACH LECTURE **I AM NOT AFFILIATED WITH Cece's Study
Guides!! IT IS, HOWEVER, A GREAT RESOURCE FOR NURSING SCHOOL**
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Use Memory Palaces, personal connections, or funny stories for "difficult to
remember" topics that just won't stick. Works well with Pharmacology)
Mnemonics are another great tool to use when something just doesn't seem
to stick.. Example: "Scuba" is much easier to remember than "Self-Contained
Underwater Breathing Apparatus", wouldn't you agree? I will warn you,
however, coming up with your own mnemonics is challenging and requires a
lot of creativity (for the good ones at least) but it will definitely help you get
"unstuck." The time it takes to create a good mnemonic will be well worth it in
the long run. L.A.T.T.E and A.D.P.I.E are also great examples for mnemonics,
especially for nursing school! More details on these later..)
Concept Mapping aka "Mind Maps" work great for topics in Nursing School
(diseases/disorders) (include signs/symptoms, patient care, interventions,
tests, meds, etc..) If you use these try recreating them on a blank sheet
without looking at them to utilize Active Recall..
NCLEX practice questions help you prepare for tests/quizzes!
Use your NCLEX study guide to look up different terms/topics to help grab a
deep understanding and determine what is most important Works well with
MEDSURG Compare to class PP Slides)
L.A.T.T.E For studying medical conditions)
LOOK; How will your patient look? What are the presenting
signs/symptoms and chief complaints? What will you hear, see, and smell
when you walk into their room?.. ACCESS; How will you access your
patient?.. TESTS; What tests will be ordered?.. TREATMENT; how will the
patient be treated?.. EDUCATE; How will you educate the patient and their
families? Credit to "Straight-ANursing")
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A.D.P.I.E (for remembering the nursing process) Pronounced like "ADD
PIE") A lot of nursing test questions are based off of the nursing process so,
this acronym is crucial for you to remember. A = Assessment; D = Diagnosis;
P = Planning; I = Implementation; E = Evaluation.. You will also, obviously, use
this process on a daily basis when you start working as a nurse. Very, very
important. Works in conjunction with/similar to L.A.T.T.E.
Main focus for learning ANY DISORDER in Nursing school: Understand the
pathophysiology, Signs/Symptoms, Nursing Assessment, and the Nursing
Interventions.. Break down the pathophysiology step by step.. Literally.. NursingSOS YouTuber
Memorizing for exams: Step #1 Distillation: Summarize most important info,
as much as possible, into bullet points. Step #2- Reformation: Take those
bullet points and fit them into 1 or 2 lines each... Ex: Absence of seizures ⟶
FM, 310yrs, Last for a few secs, Hyperventilation, EEG ⟶ Bilateral,
symmetrical, 3hz spike.. Step #3- Upload: Review as often as possible
**KEEP ALL OF THESE NOTES, FOR ALL EXAMS, IN SAME NOTEBOOK
THROUGHOUT YOUR SEMESTER**—Anas Nuur Ali YouTuber)
Record yourself explaining something or reading practice questions.. Great
way to study "on-the-go.."
Taking Notes in class:
Take questions instead of copying down words, verbatim, from the PP slides..
This makes better use of your time and allows you to utilize Active Recall
immediately when revising.. It is recommended that you use Notion/Google
Sheets)... DON'T FORGET TO MARK THE SLIDE NUMBER NEXT TO EACH
QUESTION YOU TAKE!! Ali Abdaal
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Other than questions, write down things your professor emphasizes on and
those "hint hint" moments (you know what I mean lol)
If taking questions in class doesn't work for you, take notes like you normally
would and summarize them or covert them into questions after class.
Keep in mind that it is possible to scan handwritten notes into a document on
your computer, if you like keeping everything digital. I use the "Pen to Print"
App).. You could also, easily, upload digital documents to Quizlet and
convert them into flashcards.
If your lectures are pre-recorded, speed up the video lecture to 1.5x's
speed.. It will help keep you focused and you will finish the lecture sooner..
Improve Focus/Discipline/Motivation
Concentrate on one thing at a time, like a laser!
Remove distractions (turn your phone OFF, place it on other side of the house,
and use a digital alarm clock instead of the alarm clock on your phone to
prevent yourself from looking at your phone first thing in morning.. Looking at
your phone before doing anything else sets you up for a distracted/overstimulated mind that lasts all day.. In other words, it "sets the pace" for your
day.. Phone, T.V., or video games BEFORE studying = DEATH.. Well not really
but, you get the point..)
Adequate sleep, exercise, and hydration
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Study first thing in the morning (after meditation/yoga nidra and
sunkalp/mindfulness) The more tranquil your mind, the more information
you will absorb.. - Dr. K "HealthyGamerGG" YouTuber)
Train focus like a muscle (you will get better over time)
Pomodoro Technique 25 to 50 minute rounds) FOREST STAY FOCUSED
APP
Walk/Ride Bike/Meditate(Zazen)/Lay down in between study sessions
"It's not that you're unmotivated.. Your motivation is just pointed in the wrong
direction.. Learn to shift your motivation rather than "fix it" - Dr. K
"HealthyGamerGG" YouTuber)
Motivation = A Feeling.. Feelings are fleeting; feelings are temporary.. Rely on
discipline rather than motivation to get things done.. "Short term pain for
long term gain." Ali Abdaal
Smile (literally) instead of complaining.. Change your mindset.. It's not so
bad.. Happiness leads to success.. Negativity and frustration leads to failure
and burn out..
"Have to" v.s. "Get to".. "I have to learn new things" sounds a lot more
negative than "I get to learn to things".. A subtle but effective mind-shift.. Ali
Abdaal
Dharma = forget about fear/pain.. Do what you need to do because it is
important.. Be your own bestfriend.. You owe it to yourself.. You deserve this..
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- Dr. K "HealthyGamerGG" YouTuber)
Embrace the change of your identity.. Believe that's what you already are..
Embrace discomfort.. It WILL get easier..
"One day, patients lives will be in your hands.. Study like it.." Nurse Bass
YouTuber)
"Never forget WHY you chose this profession.. Never lose sight of the light
at the end of the tunnel.. As long as you remember your reason WHY, you
WILL succeed!!" Nurse Bass YouTuber)
Reading Textbooks Effectively and
Efficiently:
DO NOT READ EVERY SINGLE THING IN THE BOOK!!.. Just focus on the
reading/learning the sections that your professor talks about in class NursingSOS YouTuber)
Headings/sub-headings, bolded words, key terms, charts/tables, chapter
summaries, end of chapter quizzes, first and last sentence of each paragraph..
Take it one section at a time..
Some students claim that watching videos by RegisteredNurseRN on
YouTube effectively replaces reading the textbook LevelUpRN is good
too!
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If short on time you could also rely on reading your NCLEX study guide
(summarizes info)
You just need to grasp the general idea.. That's it..
Use Active Recall WHILE you read (quiz yourself on the material as you go)
BONUS:
If you use the "Nursing School Study System" by NursingSOS, in combination
with this guide, I believe it will be a COMPLETE GAME CHANGER for you!!
I'm using it myself!!
As of December 17th, 2020 the "Nursing School Study System" by
NursingSOS is available to purchase online PDF download) for just $27!!
**I AM NOT AFFILIATED WITH NursingSOS!! IT IS, HOWEVER, A GREAT
RESOURCE FOR NURSING SCHOOL**
Thank you so much for purchasing this product! I truly hope it helps you on
your journey to becoming a Nurse! **
🙂
Wishing you the best,
Richard
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Works Cited:
Abdaal, Ali. YouTube, 20 Nov. 2007, www.youtube.com/user/Sepharoth64.
Abdaal, Ali. Skillshare, www.skillshare.com/user/aliabdaal.
Bass, Brad. “Nurse Bass.” YouTube, 16 Sept. 2014,
www.youtube.com/user/NurseBass1.
“Nurse Liz.” YouTube, 30 Dec. 2017, www.youtube.com/c/NurseLiz/featured.
“Thomas Frank.” YouTube, 2 Dec. 2006,
www.youtube.com/user/electrickeye91.
“MDprospect.” YouTube, 29 June 2017, www.youtube.com/channel/UC5CRP
6oxYenIgBj17CkBZg.
Oakley, Barbara. “Learning How to Learn: Powerful Mental Tools to Help You
Master Tough Subjects.” Coursera, www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-tolearn.
Rafano, Christina. “NursingSOS.” YouTube, 11 Aug. 2017,
www.youtube.com/channel/UCjYqXp21rHQbjD_R0SsgSqQ.
Kanojia, Alok. “HealthyGamerGG.” YouTube, 17 Jan. 2019,
www.youtube.com/c/HealthyGamerGG/featured.
Ali, Anas Nuur. YouTube, 18 June 2018,
www.youtube.com/channel/UCFTxn6ULbnfScq_8BSXFWcg.
Nurse Mo. “Learn More. Stress Less.” Straight A Nursing, 17 Dec. 2020,
www.straightanursingstudent.com/.
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