How to Study in Nursing School: 8 Tips from an Expert Nurse Educator

Blog shared from Nurse Jannah’s Osmosis webinar on successful study habits every nursing student should adopt.
As you’re about to enter into an awesome and powerful field, you’re probably wondering about how to study in nursing school so you won’t get overwhelmed. Adopting smart study habits early on in your education will set you up to be a successful learner, test-taker, and practicing RN. Why not get them right from an expert nurse educator?
Why getting into nursing is a big deal
Did you know that, according to AACN Fact Sheets, nursing is the largest healthcare profession in the United States, with 3x as many RNs as physicians? This really speaks volumes about the big role nurses play in healthcare, but also about the challenging road to becoming one.
Nurses work in so many different settings and are in charge of a lot of things. They collaborate as a team, but they operate independently of medicine or other fields.
No wonder there’s tons of information to master in nursing school!
All of this can be overwhelming and confusing to any student: maybe it’s too much to learn in a short time, or maybe you’re not sure where to start. Maybe you feel like things aren’t sticking to your memory, or you don’t know what to use to learn, with so many resources available.
As our expert nurse educator shares in our Osmosis webinar: “This happens to a lot of us”. Here are 8 key tips that Nurse Jannah recommends on how to best study for nursing school.
1. Get a head start on your course material
Try to stay ahead of the game before you even have a lecture. Read the chapters or watch videos and get familiar with the content—whatever the preparation looks like, it’s important to do it ahead of time.
The reason is that it’s really hard to catch up with the study in nursing school, as there’s a lot of ground to cover, and it goes by fast.
Some of the material you’ll learn is easier to understand than others, and that’s OK. Putting in the work ahead of a lecture is the most important part, as you teach your brain to set the right foundation for gaining knowledge. And even if you don’t understand everything, you build on that and let the lecture or next piece of learning help fill in the gaps.
2. Try making concept maps
Instead of going with the classic way of taking notes—highlighting text and rewriting pages of notes—concept maps are one fun and easy way to study for nursing school.
A concept map is a visual representation of knowledge on a subject that helps you to organize your thoughts on it. Besides being much easier, it’s also an efficient way to understand the information (rather than memorizing it).
Start with the topic you want to learn about and, first, build on it with what you learned. After that, use your notes, videos or other resources to fill in the map and get the whole picture of that topic.
3. Meet your learning objectives
This is something that probably many often ignored as students, which you definitely shouldn’t. When you stumble upon your learning objectives (LOs), paying attention to them is one smart way to study in nursing school.
Although it seems just like a list, LOs act much like your guide to studying, because they outline exactly what you should be able to do or competently discuss after successfully learning about them. This is a really good guide to follow especially when you have a lot of content and don’t know what you’re supposed to focus on.
You can find more practical and visual examples of these tips in our webinar.
4. Make a schedule (and stick to it)
Another tip Nurse Jannah has for you is making a schedule that really sets you up for success. This means one that is realistic and adjusted to your life, your time, your responsibilities.
There’s no standard timeframe for the best learning, so the key here is to focus on quality rather than quantity. If your daily schedule allows you to study for nursing school two hours in the morning or three hours in the evening, both are fine as long as it’s according to your real attention span.
Another important thing here is to make sure you can stay committed to your schedule for studying just as you commit to other obligations in life, in a practical way. This will keep you accountable as well.
5. Teamwork makes the dream work
Speaking of accountability, another tip on how to study for nursing school the better way is finding a study partner: a friend, a tutor, or joining a study group to keep you connected.
The best thing about study groups is that you can listen to different perspectives while discussing a topic. Actively listening to how other people think and apply knowledge helps you hone your critical thinking skills. This is one important skill to have in nursing school, as you’re taking different tests and answering different types of questions.
6. Find your learning style
Everybody learns differently: some students are visual learners—and Osmosis makes that easy with 1800+ animated videos for you!—while others learn better by listening to lectures or doing activities.
Try to practice a bit of self-reflection to discover your learning style and find resources that represent it, as primary learning tools. The earlier you discover how you learn best, the easier it becomes to study and not waste your time the wrong way.
7 Practice, practice, practice
Of course, it is also about practicing NCLEX®-style questions during nursing school. Not only it challenges you to apply all the knowledge you gain, but also your ability to think at a high level and analyze data in different ways.
NCLEX®-style questions are unlike any other type of questions you’re used to seeing, which is why practicing them helps to reinforce your understanding of a concept and prepares you for the final exam: the licensure examination.
8. Don’t forget the basics
Understanding the basics is the biggest starting point in your studying. You need to have a solid understanding of foundational sciences first, such as anatomy and physiology, because all the knowledge you learn in nursing school is based on these and it’s also what makes learning more complex concepts along the way much easier.
And finally… you got this!
And don’t forget to watch the full webinar here: Study for Success: Habits Every Nursing Student Should Adopt.
––––––––––––
Content shared from Osmosis
Nurses Nurture Their Emotional Health
Article Shared from TravelNursing.com By Jennifer Larson, contributor “How are you feeling?” If the truthful answer to this question is something along the lines of…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Why BSNs are Important
Article shared from TravelNursing.com Cost vs. reward still a factor for BSN-prepared nurses By Debra Wood, RN, contributor When the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
8 Fast-growing Travel Nurse Specialties
This article is sourced from TravelNursing.com. With a nursing shortage compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has driven thousands of nurses from the bedside, many…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Congratulations Sumner College Graduate – Prolyn
PROLYN’S STORY “Prior to enrolling at Sumner College’s Medical Assisting program, I was a psychology student who was extremely interested in medicine. I wanted to…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Congratulations Sumner College Graduate – Alora
ALORA’S STORY “Prior to enrolling at Sumner College, I was working as an EMT and a CNA. I really loved the work I was doing,…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Congratulations Sumner College Graduate – Tina
TINA’S STORY “I had been working in real estate for 20 years when I decided to take my excellent, customer service skills into the medical…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Congratulations Sumner College Graduate – Caroline
CAROLINE’S STORY “I originally began my healthcare career working as a CNA/Medication Technician. I really enjoy helping others, especially the elderly. I wanted to expand…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Pursuing a career as an RN?
How to Become a Registered Nurse Registered nurses must be able to effectively communicate with patients to understand their concerns and assess their health conditions.…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Next Generation NCLEX-RN
With new changes to the NCLEX going into effect in April, it is imperative students and educators are prepared as the nursing shortage continues to…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Congratulations Sumner College Graduate – Ryan
RYAN’S STORY “I started out working as a personal trainer but knew becoming a nurse was my ultimate goal. Helping people has always been the…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Congratulations Sumner College Graduate – Julianne
JULIANNE’S STORY “Previously, I was working as a CNA at an adult family home. I wanted to increase my skill set and employment opportunities, so…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Congratulations Sumner College Graduate – Sydnee
SYDNEE’S STORY “Before apply to Sumner College’s ADN program, I had completed their LPN program and was working at an assisted living facility. I’ve wanted…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Congratulations Sumner College Graduate – Gloria
GLORIA’S STORY “Before attending Sumner College’s Medical Assisting program, I was employed as a Clinical Specialist for VeiMed Healthcare. Since I can remember, I have…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Congratulations Sumner College Graduate – Lowell
LOWELL’S STORY “Before applying to Sumner College, I was working in Residential Construction. I really like to help people. I chose Sumner College because of…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Congratulations Sumner College Graduate – Camila
CAMILA’S STORY "Before applying to Sumner College’s ADN program, I was working as a Medical Assistant at The Vancouver Clinic. I really wanted to expand…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Sumner College’s NEW Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Sumner College has launched its new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program — featuring a Clinical Simulation Lab and a new…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
January Student of the Month: Hamza Bagala, LPN
Hamza was selected by Sumner College faculty and staff for the January Student of the Month. Some of the reasons was was selected include: "Hamza…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
2023 Top Paying Nursing Jobs
Article Shared from DiversityNursing.com Whether you are considering a career in Nursing or are a Nurse looking to switch pathways, something to consider is salary. Many factors…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Nurses Secure The Spot For Most Trusted Profession 22nd Time In A Row
Article shared from DiversityNursing.com. The Gallup polls are in and for more than two decades, Nurses have achieved the highest ethics rating from Americans. According to the findings, the…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Travel Phlebotomist Jobs Growing at a rate of 17% through 2029
Content for this article is shared form AMN Healthcare | Club Staffing . Growth for Phlebotomy careers is much faster than the average for all…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Where do Registered Nurses Work?
RN Work Environment Registered nurses work in many settings, from schools to doctors' offices. Registered nurses held about 3.1 million jobs in 2021. The largest…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Presidents Day
Sumner College is closed today in honor of Presidents Day.…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
February 18th is Critical Care Transport Nurses Day
The Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association sponsors the annual Critical Care Transport Nurses Day which takes place on February 18th each year. This day…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Bachelor of Science in Nursing | Info Sessions
Interested in learning more about the BSN program at Sumner College? Schedule a FREE BSN Info Session online at www.sumnercollege.edu. Reserve your spot today -…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing at Sumner College
Sumner College now offers a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing! The Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing Program is the only program in Oregon…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Happy Valentine’s Day from Sumner College! Gift ideas for Valentine’s Day to honor the nurses in your life
Best Valentine’s Day Gifts for Nurses Full Time Nurse's February 2nd blog has some suggested ideas for honoring the nurse in your life for Valentine's…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Ambulatory Care Nursing Week is February 6-12
Ambulatory Care Nurses are critical thinkers, leaders, communicators, listeners, courageous, caregivers, and so much more. Join us to celebrate and support them! This celebration takes…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
What Color Tubes Are Used for Which Tests in Phlebotomy
Tube Colors And What They Mean The various tube colors phlebotomists use denote specific types of draws. The tube color refers to the color of…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Registered Nursing – Occupational Outlook
The field of nursing is an occupation that has exploded in recent years and is poised for continued impressive growth. According to the Bureau of…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Welcome to Sumner College – February 6th Nursing Classes Start Today!
Today we welcome the new students enrolled in Sumner College's February 6th cohorts for Registered Nursing, Practical Nursing and RN-BSN.…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn