Pointers for Success in Nursing School

August 25, 2009 by Rn2b
Filed under Becoming a Nurse, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Earning Your Nursing Degree

Have you already received your letter of acceptance from the nursing school you have applied? If so, congratulations! Now you are about to go on board a noble path where you will learn and experience things which will positively change your life. As the cliché goes, nursing is one of the noblest professions. Here is a career that will change your way of thinking not only as a student but as a human as well. In treading the paths to becoming a future nurse, what does it take someone to succeed?

One of the most important things is to always be positive. It takes a mature and courageous person to be aware of his personal disadvantages and uncertainty yet pushing ahead anyway. You have to have confidence in yourself. If you feel that you are not capable enough to handle the pressure and problems of nursing school, take a breather and tell yourself “I can do this!” try to do things one at a time. Try to find ways to make your studying easier for you. View your problems as challenges that need to be solved.

Another important thing in order to succeed in nursing school is to keep updated in everything and never get behind. Keep up with your class by reading your lectures, assignments, projects and lectures. You can also plan ahead of time and strategize effective study habits. Never procrastinate, as this can only result in last-minute cramming and erroneous results. In everything that you do, make sure that is not just satisfactory, but an excellent work. Remember that credits are given to those who deserve them. Always aim for the top. As you probably know, an hour of lecture generally takes two to three hours of concentrated studying. Never compromise your studying and comprehending a topic for other less important things. Remember that your aim is to be the best and succeed. Last but not the least, you need to fully understand your lessons. You need full comprehension on the topics that you have discussed. It is understandable that some topics are really hard to understand. Never get discouraged when this happens. All you need is a little time and motivation… seek out help from your instructors until you fully understand the full content. If it helps, you can use strategies like jotting down important notes or statements which are hard to understand. You can employ the help of your professors as well as your classmates to get different perspectives in understanding the lesson.

Thorough comprehension of the content is needed for you to do well in examinations. You must have known by now that pure memorization is not that effective especially in the NCLELX-type of examinations. This sometimes takes nursing students by surprise, which leads to academic casualties. Nursing exams mostly test the nurses’ critical thinking and resourcefulness as well as the proper application of knowledge of the nursing fundamentals. Remember to analyze first before answering.

A fine NCLEX-style review textbook is recommended. It may be a little costly, but in the long run, you will realize that it is worth it. You can check out the current edition of Saunders Comprehensive NCLEX Review – the one with the questions broken down into subject matter. You can easily review the book because the topics are organized into different categories such as psychiatric alterations and fluids and electrolytes. Understand the reason behind the answers and sharpen your test-taking skills. Tags: for Success, in Nursing, Pointers, rn2b, School

Have a Doctorate Degree in Nursing

March 29, 2009 by Rn2b
Filed under Becoming a Nurse, Earning Your Nursing Degree, Licensed Practical and Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN)

Nursing education is not limited to months or just a year, the farthest you can go in studying nursing is to take a doctorate degree in a specific field of nursing. However, it is not very simple to get there, there are some steps of education that you need to undergo before reaching the final stage which is to have a PhD. Nursing education can start as simple as getting a diploma program. If you are seeking for the know-how care giving task of a nurse, then try having an AND or an Associate Degree in Nursing; students more or less graduate in about two and a half years or less. It’s a quick program and it’s sure to give you a head start on what nursing is about.
If you’re planning to learn more and have a bachelor’s degree in nursing, then I suggest you finish a four-year term in BS-Nursing. Look for the school that is known for giving a high-standard nursing education so that when you graduate you have an edge with the companies and hospitals you want to work with. Most BS-Nursing programs also offers the nursing licensure exam to their graduating nursing students so when they pass they will be registered nurses; this will allow them to work in hospitals as doctor’s assistant.

If you want to be an expert in a certain field of nursing, you should then take a masters degree because this will surely be beneficial if you’re aiming for a higher rank in your workplace. The highest education you can attain is to get the doctorate degree; take this after you finish your masters’ degree if you want to go farther with your education and rank.
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