Nursing Advice: 5 top tips for Back-to-Nursing-School Success

By Stephanee Beggs, Rn

The secret to succeeding at nursing school isn’t non-stop studying or perfect grades. It’s about balance.

YOU ARE JUST ABOUT TO LAUNCH into a new semester of nursing school, so let’s set you up for success! These tips will help you with time management, effective studying, and self-care so that you can make the most of your nursing experience.

1. BUY THE CALENDAR AND THE CUTE DUE-DATE STICKERS!

Put your assignments, due dates, project milestones, lab/clinical days, and times in a calendar as soon as possible. This is the most important organizational task you can do before getting the semester started. Research states that just ten minutes of planning can save you two hours a day!

You do not need a fancy, expensive calendar. I purchased mine from Target, along with some cute little stickers that made me excited to decorate and get organized.

2. STUDY FOR EXAMS ON DAY ONE

The worst thing you could do to your sanity in nursing school is to save your studying for the week before the exam. Do not wait. You will want to fully absorb this information because all these individual pieces will come together to create the whole picture of healthcare!

The worst thing you could do to your sanity in nursing school is to save your studying for the week before the exam. Do not wait.

I like to tell my students to tackle two to three chapters a week for exam prep. Study those chapters and build on them with more chapters in the following weeks. By your exam date, you will have refreshed these topics multiple times. Repetition is key.

3. PRACTICE THE POMODORO METHOD

The Pomodoro technique is an effective time management system. It suggests working in shorter, focused, 25-minute intervals and then taking a five-minute break. After four 25-minute intervals, take a more extended break. I used this method when studying during nursing school and the National Council Licensing Examination (NCLEX), and it helped me so much! Check out the app Flora - Green Focus. It can help you track habits and challenges you to put your phone down so you can be productive, all while helping to plant trees!

The Pomodoro technique is an effective time management system. It suggests working in shorter, focused, 25-minute intervals and then taking a five-minute break.

4. PRACTICE SELF-CARE

The secret to succeeding at nursing school isn’t non-stop studying or perfect grades. It’s about balance. If you can devote the necessary time to your career pursuits while also taking care of yourself and doing the things important to you, you’ve already succeeded in nursing school.

• DON’T SKIP MEALS. Truth is, not eating enough — or eating poorly — can contribute to low energy levels. Get regular, nutritious meals to stay sharp during your studies.
• LIMIT YOUR CAFFEINE. I know it sounds crazy to say this, but too much caffeine can contribute to poor sleep. Instead, try sipping on decaffeinated tea, water, or fruit juice or taking a quick walk outside!
• BE ACTIVE. It can be as simple as walking the dog or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
• GET MORE SLEEP. Even if that means going to bed 10 minutes earlier than usual, those extra minutes can make a big difference in how rested you feel the next day.

5. STUDY TO UNDERSTAND, NOT TO MEMORIZE

When we are thrown endless amounts of side effects and contraindications to learn, the first instinct is to pull out the flashcards and memorize word-for-word. This is ineffective. It’s important to understand why we do what we do or carry out certain interventions as the nurse.

Instead, try going back to the root of the problem or medical condition. Ask yourself:

1. What normally happens in the body related to this medical condition?
2. What changes in the body when a patient experiences this medical condition?
3. How does it present to us, the outsider?
4. How do we treat it?

BOOM. You have just learned everything you need to know about a topic by understanding instead of memorizing.

BELOW

STUDY SHEET SUCCESS

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STEPHANEE BEGGS is a registered nurse in Los Angeles, California, who unintentionally became viral on social media for her quick, concise educational tools that led to the creation of RNExplained, Inc. In addition, she teaches pharmacology in the classroom and medical concepts on various social media platforms to educate millions of nurses and nursing students around the globe.