1. Success Strategies for Nursing Students
Prepared by: N. Gail Yearick, RN, BSN
11/12

2. WELCOME
This slide presentation touches upon several elements that will help you to be successful in nursing school. It is intended to offer some assistance for identifying some of the challenges in nursing school and some ideas for overcoming them. Best wishes to you on your journey into the nursing profession!

3. Nursing School – What to expect …
Lots of studying
Variety of experiences
Classroom
Laboratory
Clinical

4. Care Planning Process Assessment Plan Implementation Evaluation
Nursing Diagnoses
Outcomes
Interventions
Implementation
Evaluation

5. Professional Nursing Associations
National Student Nurses Association
We want you!

6. Time Management Schedule your time wisely!
Review your time schedule routinely.
Don’t wait until the last minute!

7. Stress Management Recognize stress and its sources.
Have a plan for accomplishing tasks.
Plan for relaxation.

8. Motivation Identify your goals. Have a plan to accomplish your goals.
Stick with the plan.
Don’t proscrastinate!

9. Confidence Identify reasons to feel good about yourself.
Work to strengthen your weaknesses.
Recognize that you are a student and that learning takes time.

10. Personal Health Management
Balance work and play!
Manage any health conditions that you have.
Eat, exercise and sleep properly.

11. Concentration Set aside a place and time to study.
Know your goals and the plan for accomplishing them.
Divide work into short term goals that can be accomplished quickly.

12. Reading Strategies Have a reading system.
SQRW – Survey, Question, Read, Write
REDW – Read, Examine, Decide, Write

13. Note-taking Cornell Note-taking System
Divide note page into two columns.
Write key word/concept in first column.
List pertinent information in second column.

14. Study Skills Mnemonics Grouping Alphabetizing Rhymes, songs, poems
Study cards
Outlining
RCRC (read, cover, recite, check)
Rehearsal
Visual aids
Chaining
Color coding

15. Study Groups How to get started … Functions
Exam prep
Homework completion
Note-taking
Learning strategies
Reading
How to get started …
Identify 3-5 classmates to work with.
Decide when and where to meet.
Identify goals and set agenda.
Divide work evenly.

16. Test Anxiety Test Time Everyone has some level of test anxiety.
Strategies to combat this …
Study and over-learn material
Positive attitude
Eat, sleep, and relax
Follow plan for test-taking
Analyze graded test for strategies to help with future testing
Test Time

17. Test Preparation Study Study Study
Start studying early – like the first day of class!
Research what to expect on the test.
Practice test questions.
Maintain your self-confidence!
Study Study Study

18. Test-taking Have a strategy, such as DETER …
Directions (Read carefully).
Examine the entire test to decide how to complete.
Time (Be aware of how much time there is to complete each item).
Easiest (Answer the easiest items first).
Review the test when finished to assure correct responses.

19. Test-taking Multiple Choice Tests Note important words.
Read all answers.
Cross out wrong answers.
Look for opposite answers.
Look for language used by teacher or in your texts.
Change answer only if certain about the change.
Choose “all the above” or “none of the above” only if certain.

20. Need Help???
Nursing Student Association (NSA)
College Success Center

21. Professional Nursing Associations
Nursing Student Association
We want you!