An Organized Approach to Reading a Healthcare
Textbook
Make your textbook work for you!
Do you
grab a
highlighter
and begin?
Do you
know
what is
importan
t?
The example you just looked at encourages passive
reading. The student is not organizing information,
and recognizing major details and central points.
The result will be a text that is
 marked to show key ideas & major details
 notes to study from and prepare for a test.
• TIP: It is not how much time you put in to studying,
but what you put into the time you spend studying.
 Many facts
 Difficulty of material sometimes requires rereading
 Terminology is subject specific
 Diagrams are numerous
 Need to know how to apply the information in to a
medical setting.
 Preview before a lecture is important
 Read carefully and methodically after lecture
 Review your notes and the reading periodically.
Let’s apply the 3 stages of the
reading process to reading a chapter
from a healthcare textbook.
An organized approach would use
SQ3R
Use the chapter handed out at the first class meeting.: “Vital Signs”
 Survey
 Question
 Read
 Recite
 Review
Before you start, look the chapter over
Read all of the subheadings, look at the
diagrams, charts and graphs
Think:
What do you already know the topic?
 Examine the title
 Read the first and last paragraphs
 Look at the headings and subheadings
 Read the first sentence under each heading
 Look at any graphics
 WHY?
This helps you organize your mind and build a structure
for the information to come.
 Examine the title
 Read the first and last paragraphs:
Introduction/summary/conclusion
 Look at any graphics, charts,
 maps, or pictures
When you finish reading a section – annotate!
 Look at the
headings and
subheadings
 Read the first
sentence under
each heading
 Pictures
 Captions
 Turn the boldface headings into a question or
questions
 Write the questions –





in the margin
on a concept card
on Cornell Notes paper
on post-it notes
in a notebook
WHY?
When you are searching for answers, your mind
is more engaged in learning.
 What are vital signs?
 Are there different
types?
 How does one gather
vital signs?
Do I know the chapter’s
key terms?
 Read each section – one at a time - with your
questions in mind.
 While reading, when you find answers, you
may choose to highlight or annotate, take
notes, make a map or summarize on post it
notes.
Annotate as you find your answers
Write notes in the margin – use key
words
 Recite the answers to your questions
out loud in your own words.
 Read annotated material and notes aloud.
This will also lock the information into your memory.
 Review by looking over the reading one more
time. You can reread difficult sections; this
clarifies details, fills in the gaps of understanding.
Annotation:

key words in margin

Terms defined

Details numbered

summarized notes

Ready to create
hand notes for review
 Don’t just open the book and start reading.
 Find an appropriate environment.
 Set your purpose.
 Get an overview.
 Read with a pen in your hand and post-it notes handy.
 Do a quick review at the end – oral or written.
 Test yourself.
 Reward yourself!
 "A goal without plan is just a wish." -- Antoine D’Exupery
 "The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are
there not to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show
us how badly we want something. The brick walls are there
to stop the people who don't want it badly enough.“
(Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture)
 Active Readers get the most out of the time they spend
studying and reading.
 Passive readers have little to show but a bright yellow
page for the time spent reading
 Now use the chapter passed out in class on “Vital Signs”
to complete the SQ3R worksheet.
 With your group – follow the steps to SQ3R.
1. Vital Signs: Definition –
2. Pulse
a. Pulse Rate
b. Pulse Quality
3. Respiration
a. Respiratory Rate
b. Respiratory Quality
c. Respiratory Rhythm
4. Skin
5. Pupils
6.
Blood Pressure
Key words
Vital Signs: Definition
Pulse
Pulse Rate
Pulse Quality
Respiration
Respiratory Rate
Respiratory Quality
Respiratory Rhythm
Skin
Pupils
Blood Pressure
Details
Now
 Survey and Question
 Read
 Recite: Take notes
 Review