Study Skill Tips

Mississippi & Louisiana Organizations for Associate Degree Nursing

Presents for the Nursing Student

Nursing School Success

Study Skill Tips & Other Good Advice!

The Mississippi Office of Nursing Workforce conducted a study titled “Nursing Education Barriers Identification Survey” and discovered from the student’s perspective that study skills were lacking when they entered nursing school. Students rated their preparedness on six skills including study skills, verbal skills, time management, writing skills, reading comprehension and math skills. The least prepared area was—you guessed it---study skills. Students ranked study skills as being “most important” before entering nursing school and of “high importance” to succeed in nursing school. Time management and reading comprehension were also ranked of high importance for success in nursing school.

Faculty in schools of nursing also identified these same skills as important for success in nursing school. Faculties ranked reading comprehension, and then study skills and time management as top important skills to succeed in nursing school. Interesting? For more information about this study go to Mississippi Office of Nursing Workforce site, click on key projects, then “Barriers to Nursing Education”.

The Organization for Associate Degree Nursing wanted to be a part of the solution so this work has as its purpose to “Pump You Up” in study skills plus give you other handy advice to promote your success. Most colleges have a general study skills course however; these modules were written by nursing educators to be specifically related to nursing courses. We know what challenges you are and will be faced with based on years of comments and experiences with nursing students! Hopefully this information will give you a realistic idea and insight into what nursing school really means and how to improve your study skills, time management, reading comprehension and MORE.

So think about WHY do students and faculty think that study skills are lacking. Let’s examine this as a basis for even why you need to work through these modules!!

Nursing courses move faster than other academic courses. Do you agree? If you disagree you have probably never taken a nursing course. How are nursing courses different than studying other academic courses? Nursing students are expected to know, apply, analyze and synthesize information from the beginning course to the end of the program. If you agree that nursing courses are different then you can understand the necessity of studying more diligently perhaps.

You will have to take information given in your theory course and apply it in the clinical setting while caring for patients. The difficulty with this is that no two patients are alike. So can you see how this makes studying nursing different that other courses?

You may have performed well in high school or other academic courses. Nursing courses however may call for a significant change in your study behavior or even require new study behavior. Nursing courses contain volumes of required reading material usually very well defined with objectives (daily, unit, course, and program). Nursing faculty are experts at writing objectives.

Just think about all the content that one can learn about the human body and the response that illness causes, the treatments, the medications, math (imagine that!) and all the human interactions with the environment. Nursing courses expect you to know (and recall) all that content and to go further or “go deeper” as some instructors term it by synthesizing previous content in successive courses. Tests occur frequently in nursing school and usually you get that grade back in a timely manner. Nursing schools are very specific with grades---what will pass and what will not. No curves found there! What you see is what you get.

These 16 modules have been designed to help nursing students to adjust and do well in their nursing courses and program. Yes you may already have some of these skills and advice under your belt. Great! Maybe you can support someone else along the way. Perhaps though these modules will enhance your study habits and get you some insight on some different ways of doing things if what you are doing isn’t working. Are you ready for the study challenge?

Let’s assess your readiness by answering the following questions with a simple “Yes” or “No”

1.______ I plan to do well in my nursing course.

2.______ I plan to accomplish just enough to pass my nursing course.

3.______ I am willing to do whatever it takes to do well. (You know the WIT Theory?)

4.______ I am not sure where I will find the time to study.

5.______ I am committed to developing a study plan.

6.______ I don’t usually have to study or read all of the material in order to pass.

7.______ I have family support with my education.

8.______ I have my finances worked out in order to attend nursing school.

9.______ I have many outside commitments.

10._____ I am a positive thinker.

11._____ I plan to be present at every class.

12._____ I ask for help without hesitation.

Rating key (based on your answers)

If you answered “Yes” on Items 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, & 12----You are ready. Congratulations! Proceed to the other modules.
If you answered “Yes” on Items 2, 4, 6, & 9----You need help understanding what nursing school will involve. You may be out of touch with reality! Proceed slowly; you need to take to heart every word in these modules.
If you answered “No” on Items 1, 3, 5, 11, & 12----You need to see your nursing advisor immediately and discuss a major change.
If you answered “No” on Items 7, 8, 10----You may encounter difficulty with nursing school. Look out, rough waters ahead.

Instructors have been overheard saying:

"I think I put more studying into this than the student--I know I worry about it more than the student does."

"If the student would only use their common sense!" (Sometimes on a test the student's answer to a math calculation came out to be "Give 40 tablets")

Words of Wisdom: "Don't Worry, Just Study!"

Learning Exercises:

Go to the MONW web site and click on Key Projects and then the Nursing Barriers Survey summary and identify three top barriers to successful completion of nursing school. http://www.monw.org

Hint: Issues are different from skills mentioned at the beginning of this module.

Identify how you are handling these issues.

Summarize your reason for choosing nursing as a career.

“Desire to Help People” was the number 1 attraction to go into nursing for 63% of the 2,270 nursing students in the Nursing Barriers Study

Identify your short term and long-term goals for your nursing course success.

Check out these links:

You have to do it! http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/motiv01.html

Effective Study Habits http://www.studygs.net/attmot4.htmot4.htm

Balancing Relationships and Being in School http://www.couns.uiuc.edu/Brochures/comrel.htm

Learning As An Adult http:www.studygs.net/adulted.htm