Nursing is a demanding career, and getting through your nursing classes takes a lot of dedication.
However, it’s not just about memorizing facts and figures; you need to understand what they mean and how they relate to the real world.
To help you study for nursing fundamentals, here are five tips that will make it easier for you to focus on what’s important.
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How To Study For Nursing Fundamentals
1. Practice Makes Perfect
As this is one of your first nursing courses, it will be helpful to familiarize yourself with the type of test questions you will be asked.
The test format will likely be multiple-choice, but the style of questions will be similar to those you will encounter when taking the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).
This means all multiple-choice answers to a question will be correct but by varying degrees. Your task is to choose the best answer from them.
This type of exam question is often difficult for students, but the more experience you have with it, the better you will be at recognizing which answer stands out from the crowd.
To practice, Woodby and Poling recommend registering the textbook on the Evolve website by logging in with your D number and password.
This will give you access to additional practice questions beyond those at the end of each chapter in your textbook.
2. Develop A Good Study Routine To Help You Stay On Track And Avoid Procrastination
Use a schedule for your study time, and plan your study sessions around your work and family commitments.
Study in a quiet place with good lighting, not on the bus or subway, because it’s too loud and distracting for you to concentrate on what you’re reading.
Don’t study for too long at once; take breaks every hour or so (or sooner if you need them).
Don’t study when you’re tired or hungry, as your brain needs to rest and be nourished like fuel to a car.
Understand the material, do not memorize it. This lesson covers the fundamentals of nursing, and you really need to understand the rationale for nursing interventions and proper techniques.
You cannot simply memorize the material and risk forgetting it during the exam.
3. Update Your Skills When They’re Needed
Update your skills when they’re needed or if they’re outdated, which will help you become a better nurse in no time at all.
Set a goal for your studies. Keep learning during your breaks, too!
Get the most out of using websites that offer interactive learning platforms. You can also use these platforms to create study routines that fit into your lifestyle and schedule.
4. Get Help On Time
Many students come to the Center for Academic Success (CAS) after struggling with an exam. Students should use CAS if they feel like they might be in trouble. That way, he’s not trying to recover from a bad grade.”
If you have to miss a day of class, check with your classmates to make sure you have everything in your notes.
It is also better to do it right after the missed class and not right before the exam. It’s better to be proactive than reactive when it comes to getting help.
If you’re having trouble with the class, be sure to contact the Center for Academic Success on your campus.
5. Record The Lecture
When listening to a professor talk, students can easily get stuck trying to take notes while watching PowerPoint slides.
However, this can lead to students not fully listening to the information their professor is sharing and not fully understanding the concepts being explained.
Woodby and Poling advise students to consider recording the lecture. If you have a smartphone, it probably has a built-in app that lets you record audio notes.
Press the record button at the beginning of the lecture and save the recording when you’re done. To easily find your recording later, save the file name as the date and lecture topic.
About Nursing Fundamentals
Nursing Fundamentals is an essential class required by the most school of nursing and nursing programs that nursing students take during their first semester of nursing school.
This class is also known as Fundamentals of Nursing, depending on what your nursing program calls it.
Many nursing programs divide this class into a lecture, which is attended throughout the semester, and then a skills lab and clinical.
This allows the student to apply the theory learned in the classroom to the “real world.”
This class teaches students basic nursing skills, perioperative patient care, patient positioning, medication administration, nursing theories, charting, and legal issues (HIPAA, OSHA, etc.).
So why do students struggle with the fundamentals of nursing, and how do students study for the fundamentals of nursing?
This class can be difficult for students because there is a lot of material for each exam, and the exam questions require a higher level of thinking. Merely memorizing nursing facts will not help in the nursing exam.
The student must be able to think critically and apply what they have learned to the scenario.
FAQ
How To Pass The Nursing Exam?
Nursing school entrance exams are content-focused, testing what you already know or should know. Techniques that can successfully study content include memorization, shortcuts, and associations.
What To Expect In Fundamentals Of Nursing?
Fundamentals of Nursing introduces nursing students to rigorous patient assessment, the nursing process, nurse-patient communication, cultural differences, functional health patterns, and the overall framework of nursing practice.
Is The Fundamentals Of Nursing Easy?
Nursing fundamentals can be difficult because they cover a lot of material for each exam that requires a higher level of thinking. Merely memorizing the facts is not enough to pass this exam; therefore, you should try to understand the materials. Another important tip is to know how to answer NCLEX-style questions.
How Can I Improve My Nursing Test-Taking Skills?
Read the entire question carefully. Don’t rush and stop midway because you assume you know what you’re asking. Rephrase the stem to make it easier to understand and answer the question. Look for hints or keywords like most, all, first, best, primary, initial, always, and never.
Is Nursing Very Hard To Study?
There’s a lot to learn; exams are tough, schedules are complicated, and assignments keep piling up. All these factors can make life difficult for you as a student. Nursing is a highly competitive field from the beginning of the application process until you receive your degree.
How Many Hours A Day Should You Study In Nursing School?
Everyone is different, but it is generally recommended that medical school students study anywhere from 2-4 hours a day. Memorizing study material is essential to becoming a registered nurse, so the more time to study, the better!
Which Nurse Is An Easy Study?
An LPN or LVN program typically takes about a year to complete, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). What makes an LPN or LVN prep program the easiest type of nursing education you can take is its focus on training for only basic nursing services and completing it quickly.
Who Is The Father Of The Fundamentals Of Nursing?
Florence Nightingale
What Is The Pass Mark For Nursing?
Student nurses must pass all written and oral/practical exams for each level before advancing to the next level. The passing mark is 50 percent.
What Is The First Topic In Nursing?
Fundamentals of Nursing
Conclusion
Studying for nursing courses can prove difficult. It takes a lot of commitment and time. But by following these tips, you can make studying fun and keep yourself on track.
Studying is a valuable part of your future as a nurse, and we want it to be one you enjoy. You can share this article with your friends in the same major or aspiring to be in the same major as you.
Good Luck!