Nursing Success Course
Module I
LEARNING STRATEGIES &
TESTING STRATEGIES
_____________________________CONGRATULATIONS!
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You have chosen a wonderful profession
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Nursing is a dynamic profession that requires you to:
 Continuously apply your knowledge
 Perform many clinical skills competently
 Make clinical judgments
 Engage in lifelong learning
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Being a nursing student is not always easy. There are many factors, such as family
and personal commitments, which interfere with effective studying.
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This Nursing Success Module is designed to provide you with helpful study tips,
testing tips, and information that will assist you to make the most of studying and
learning.
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Start with an assessment of your own study habits. Try some of the strategies listed
to help you focus your attention and set aside time for you to achieve your academic
success.
Study Inventory
Are you able to study without interruption?
Have you established a routine for studying?
Are you having difficulty identifying the
main concepts in the nursing books?
Are you overwhelmed with the amount of
studying that is required?
Do you feel you do not have enough time to
study?
Do you have a lot of personal and family
responsibilities?
YES NO
Helpful Hints
Select a special lace such as the library, a
café, or bookstore to study
Set aside a specific time to study. This is
your time to help you achieve your goal.
Stick to it!
Join a serious study group. Discussions
with other students are very valuable to
your learning.
Develop weekly and monthly goals for
studying. Reward yourself when you met
each goal.
Attend all lectures, take good notes, and
tape the lectures. Review the lecture
content within 24 hours of hearing it.
Get family support. Be flexible and allow
your family and friends to help you.
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Applying Effective Learning Strategies
Everyone processes information differently and learns at a different pace. There are
different styles of learning (verbal, auditory, visual, tactile or kinesthetic). It is important
for you to know your preferred style and to use it to enhance your learning.
Try some of these suggested methods to increase your aptitude for learning.
Preparing for Class

Read the class outline and the objectives. The objectives identify the major
nursing topics that will be presented in class

Look over the required textbook chapter. Notice how examples of important
nursing concepts are identified in boxes and tables contained in the chapter. Read
the chapter. Reread the chapter focusing the nursing content on the class
objectives

Be sure to understand the pathophysiology of any disease process. This will help
you with the development of the plan of care for clients with that disease process.

Read over the required reading BEFORE class and make brief notes in your own
words. Complete any outlines provided by the instructor before class.

Look up new terminology and concepts and make flash cards to help you
remember. Be creative in developing flash cards (draw pictures, use color)

Write down questions to ask in class
Getting the Most from Lectures

Never miss a class

Sit near the front of the class.

Focus on the content, not the instructor’s characteristics and mannerisms

Be alert for repetition of concepts. Be alert for phrases such as “remember, the
most important assessment or interventions for this condition are…”

Avoid sitting near anyone who will distract you

Take good notes. Tape the lecture for review. Taking good notes requires
practice. It is important to write the important concepts and the key pints of the
lecture. Try not to write every word- a tape recorder can do this.

Keep your textbook open during lecture and highlight any information your
instructor addresses from the book.
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Good Note-Taking Strategies

Rewrite your lecture notes in a different format. This will help you to recall
information.
Here is an example:
Concept
Bed bath
Key Points
Steps:
Begin with face. Wash
arms, chest.
Change water. Etc……
Concept
Privacy
Keep Warm

Make tables and charts to help you organize the information.
Here is an example:
Type of Feeding
Tube
NGT
Site
Purpose
Stomach
Dobhoff
Intestine
Lavage and
Enteral Feedings
(short-term; 2
weeks)
Enteral Feedings
(long-term)
Nursing
Implications
Include any
important nursing
assessments or
interventions….

Make flash cards. Create flash cards to prompt your memory for key points or
specific facts. Flash cards help you process information in a format your mind
can “picture” and recall

Block out distractions in the environment. Try not to think of things outside of
the lecture.

Take notes that include all of the important ideas.

Date and title your notes.

If you use abbreviations or symbols, be sure you understand the system you
use. You do not want to waste valuable time trying to decode your notes.

Write legibly.

Leave margins or extra lines at the end of each section to allow you to fill in
any missing information.

Above all, LISTEN. It is critical that you do not get so caught up in writing
you are not able to really listen to the instructor.

Notes are to enhance your study and to help you prepare for tests and projects.
Study Groups
Form a study group or partner with another student to discuss the class material and test
content. Different group members may emphasize different points that may help others
to fill in knowledge gaps on areas you do not understand.
Be sure the group stays on task!
Identify problem topic areas you do not fully understand before each exam. Ask help
from study group members or your instructor.
TEST TAKING STRATEGIES
Judge yourself fairly. Tests are a measure of a student’s mastery or understanding of
content; they are not an evaluation of you as a person. Keep a healthy perspective.
Test Preparation
Review Theory Content
 Review your lecture notes. Be sure to complete all required reading assignments,
learn new terminology, review illustrative aides (pictures, tables and charts) that
reinforce the lecture material

Review your notes out loud.

Study according to your biological clock. Are you “normal”, a night owl, or and
early bird?

Since nursing is a practice profession, visualize taking care of the client as you
review the material:
What would you need to know about the diagnosis, lab, medications, nursing
assessment and interventions, and possible complications?

Join a study group.

Review practice test questions.

Ask your instructor to clarify any concepts or information that is not clear.

Avoid marathon study sessions. It is more productive to spend shorter intervals of
time in daily study prior to the test. NEVER wait until the night before. There is
too much information.
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The Night Before the Test
 Try not to work the day before a test.

Be sure your alarm is set.
 Get a good night’s sleep.
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The Day of the Test
 Get to class with plenty of time to spare before the test begins.

Relax.

Use positive affirmations. “I have studied well for this test,” “I know the
information,” “I will do well on this exam.”

Avoid reviewing the content with peers right before the test. This may cause you
to doubt what you have learned.

Eat a nourishing breakfast or lunch before the test.
After the Test

Reward yourself.

Do something relaxing and get re-energized.
Tips to Consider If You Did Not Achieve Your Desired Score
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Join a serious study group.
If you are in a study group, assess how the group uses the study time.
Make an appointment with your instructor to review the test. This should be
done within a week after the test.
Do practice questions on a regular basis.
If the information in your textbook is not clear, seek out another reference.
Use assigned videos, CD’s to enhance your learning.
Ask your instructor to explain concepts that are not clear.
Evaluate your study habits.
Re-evaluate your work schedule (if you are working).
Implement new techniques for studying immediately.
Frequently ask yourself questions that reinforce your learning such as, “If I
had to do that procedure, what would I need to know?” or “If I was taking
care of a client with that condition, what would I need to do or what would I
need to teach them?”
Critical Thinking in Nursing
Nursing requires not only the learning of facts and procedures but also the ability to
evaluate each unique client situation.
Critical thinking provides nurses with the cognitive skills necessary for assessing
and analyzing clinical situations and for ultimately making clinical decisions.
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You should be attempting to think like a professional nurse
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A client comes into the emergency department. She is an elder who has had frequent
falls and instability when walking. She is sent off for many tests to rule out neurological
problems and chemical imbalances. You, the RN, are thinking of other causes and asking
the question: What else could cause these symptoms? You examine her shoes and find
that one has a missing heel and a large hole worn through the bottom. After numerous
tests at a great cost, you discover, by using your critical thinking, that her shoes have
been the source of the problem all along.
Characteristics of a Critical Thinker

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
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Open-Minded-Be open and willing to listen to different points of view.
Flexible –Be willing to change plans or interventions based on the presenting
need.
Inquisitive-Seek answers by asking questions, researching information, and using
resources (e.g. library, instructor, study group, Internet) to arrive at the answers.
Reflective-Constantly thing and question. Is this the best possible method of care?
Based on this information, is this the best answer?
Creative-Think about how things could be done better.
Self-Directed-Seek resources that help you enhance and apply your learning
Critical Thinking Test Question
A newly admitted client has a blood pressure of 200/96 mmHg. The client has a family
history of diabetes mellitus. Which nursing action is most appropriate at this time?
a.
b.
c.
d.
call the doctor
retake the blood pressure
assess other signs and symptoms
ask the client if they are taking antihypertensives
This type of questions requires you to make a clinical decision. You will use critical
thinking skills to help you arrive at the answer.
Test Taking Skills
Key Words in Test Questions
Most test questions contain key words that direct you to answering the test question.
Which nursing intervention would the nurse do initially?
Identify the nursing diagnoses with the highest priority?
Which sign/symptom is the most important?
Response Options in Test Questions
The response options in test questions are the possible options from which you must
choose an answer. Most multiple-choice questions will present you with four options.
Here are a few tips:

Read ALL options carefully before selecting an answer. Each option could be
correct, but you have to be able to identify the best option.

Most of the time you will be able to narrow your choice down to two answers. By
narrowing down the options from four to two, you have improved your chance of
guessing the right answer from 25% to 50% chance.

Reread the test question and the key words.

If you are having difficulty deciding an option, try asking yourself, “What is most
important?” or “Which is the safest action for the client?”

Notice the use of the absolute words “all,” “only,” “never,” and “always.” It is
usually not the answer. Ask yourself, “Is this something that can be applied to all
clients?”

If you cannot decide, make an educated guess.

Trust your knowledge.
General Guidelines and Important Points to Remember

Try not to change an answer unless you have misread the question or one of the
options. Your first choice is usually correct.

If you cannot answer a question, mark it and move on. The answer may come to
you as you work through the test. BE SURE and go back and fill in the answer.

Pace yourself so you are able to complete the test within the allotted time.

Avoid reading into the question. Deal only with the information in the test
question. Do not add anything to the question.

Base your answers on what you have learned from the class lectures and the
textbook information.

If, after the test, you disagree with a correct answer, discuss your reason with your
instructor. Discussing and providing sound explanations is part of developing
critical thinking skills.

Since nursing is a practice profession, expect more of the complex-type test
questions and fewer knowledge recall questions.

Never cheat. You will be taking care of human lives. You have to know the
information.
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Other Helpful Tips

Test your instructor before they test you. Ask questions about what kind of test
to expect, what material will be covered.

Become an expert test taker. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE answering
test questions.

Go with initial hunches. Stay with initial hunches

Eliminate stress in your life.

Stay mentally, physically and spiritually fit.
We all need a little positive affirmation…………………….
DESIRE
“The starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind.
Weak desires bring weak results, just as a small amount of fire makes a small
amount of heat.”
-Napoleon Hill
PREPARATION
“It isn’t sufficient just to want – you’ve got to ask yourself what you are going to do
to get the things you want.”
-Richard Rose
PERSISTANCE
“It’s not whether you get knocked down. It’s whether you get up again.”
-Vince Lombardi
Keep your goal in sight – “I WILL BECOME AN RN”
Learning Assignments
1. Before the first module exam, read chapters 1-4 in Test Success: Test Taking
Techniques for Beginning Nursing Students. (1)
2. Answer practice questions in Test Success: Test Taking Techniques for Beginning
Nursing Students as content is covered in class prior to each module exam:
Module I:
Meeting Patients’ Hygiene, Comfort, Rest, and Sleep Needs, p.268
The World of the Patient and Nurse, p. 205
Physical Assessment of Patients, p. 243
Meeting Patients’ Microbiologic Safety Needs, p. 344
Module II:
Meeting Patients’ Fluid and Nutritional needs, p. 280
Meeting Patients’ Elimination Needs, p. 292
Meeting the Needs of Perioperative Patients, p.332
Module III:
Meeting Patients’ Oxygen Needs, p. 305
Communication and Meeting Patients’ Emotional Needs, p. 230
3. Do research on “How to take multiple-choice exams.” Learning multiple choice
testing strategies will be helpful to you. Post a strategy you picked up on the
discussion board.
Reference:
(1) Nugent, Patricia M. and Barbara A. Vitale: Test Success: Test Taking Techniques for
Beginning Nursing Students, 5th edition, F.A. Davis Company, 2008.
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