Surviving and Thriving in Nursing School
Is the thought of making it through nursing school causing you to sweat so much you can’t even put on sterile gloves?! Here are some helpful tips on not only surviving but thriving in nursing school!
A. Planners, lists, and more!
You have probably been in the situation where you have a simulation lab final in two weeks, an anatomy test in 4 days, and four care plans due by tomorrow morning. AHHHH You need STAT PO coffee so you can pull a night and a day shift tomorrow 😉!
How do you keep it all straight, which do you prioritize, how can you get past procrastination?
How to keep all your ducks in a row 🐥🐥🐥
The best way is to have a virtual or physical planner. For virtual planners you can use Google, Microsoft, or other virtual calendars.
For physical planners we offer some of the best:
Check out our marketplace “Education Partners” one of our favorite planners is offered by RekMed – they even have customized nursing content.
How to prioritize and make a plan: 📚📓👩🏫
First make your plan! Break down studying into set periods of time, and schedule time for breaks, exercise, socialization, and hobbies.
- We think color coating is a great tool to help organize – invest in some good colored pens to help you identify tasks, due dates, and classes. 🎨
- We recommend you get a head start on larger tasks, including studying! We have a lot of study resources on our Hub under “Education Resources” – one of our favorites is Osmosis – for all your flashcard needs! ♠️♥️♣️
- For care plans – remember structure is imperative and knowing your clinical instructor’s style is super important for acing the care plan. You will get better and faster with time. ✍️
- Make time to debrief! Just like being a nurse – it takes time to get comfortable with nursing school. It is really important to schedule time for feedback on exams, care plans, papers, and clinical performance. This will make you a better, stronger nurse in the future. 🗣
The syllabus is often an underused tool by nursing students because it can be overwhelming. But it offers SO much information – including dates – so use it to help you plan ahead!
Read through the entire syllabus! Sometimes a professor will put the grading rubric on the syllabus – use it as you work on an assignment – it is even great to try and give yourself a grade before you turn in a final draft! 💯
C. Study Buddies 👩🎓 👩⚕️
Lean into your nursing school friends! You are on a different level of friendship – you see the worst of times and the best of times. You are challenged emotionally, academically, and physically as you log hours in the hospital, spend time in the library, and sacrifice time spent with family and friends to pursue a career as a nurse.
Tap into your nursing school group and lead a study group or find a study buddy to hold you accountable.
We like using the following when utilizing our nurse study buddies:
- Make flashcards or use Osmosis 💯
- Quiz each other 🧐
- Cross checking questions you may have – that is a true game changer!! 🙋♀️
D. Learning Styles 📚
As nurses, we wear a lot of hats – including education! When we educate patients we ask them what their learning style is – is it: reading, listening, doing, watching, or a combination of those.
If your classmate sits in lectures, simply nodding at the Professor, you may think they are thinking of weekend plans, while you are feverishly writing yourself notes. However, you may just learn differently! 👩🏫
We think some of the best resources can be found by just talking to your classmates. There is so much content out there to help you learn – we suggest brushing up by looking up content on YouTube and then talking it out with a classmate. 📓
Finally, if you are struggling, reach out to your Professor. Nursing professors are nurses – most want to help you be successful as they educate the future generation of nurses. They will work with you and connect you with more resources! 🧐
E. Oh ….Nursing School forgot… you have a life too! 🥳
Nursing School is tough! Nursing school asks you to be a statistician, anatomist, researcher, innovator, clincian all rolled into one.
However, you can’t forget to live your life. Evidence supports enhanced retention when you are having fun while you are learning.
Make a game out of learning, don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself, and although it can be hard, try to find some part of the learning experience enjoyable. Having a healthy balance of life and school will set you up for success with work/life balance one you graduate nursing school, because you will not only survive but thrive! 🏃♀️🎉👩🍳
We have a number of resources for our #Lumify fam as we cheer for you in Nursing School. Check out “Wellness Partners” in the Lumify Hub and reach out to us at contact@lumifycare.com – we want to hear your insight on How to survive nursing school! 🏥 🩺🧑⚕️👨⚕️👩⚕️