First Day of Nursing Orientation: How to Prepare for Nursing School

It does not matter whether you are eighteen or sixty-eight, the first day at a new school or enrolled in a new course is sure to bring forth a fluttering mixture of excitement, eagerness, and a twinge of worry in your gut. Enrolled in nursing school? Then as your first day of nursing orientation looms closer, we encourage you to take some time and embrace those same feelings you had back in grade school.

Nursing school can be a great first step towards a fantastic future in a very rewarding industry. However, it will not be easy. There is a lot of information you will need to master, including human anatomy, pharmacology, and clinical procedures. There will be classroom lectures, clinical assignments, and plenty of laboratory work to test your mettle. You will also meet and work with a great variety of people of various specialties, and you may discover where your own specific skills and personality will be best suited in the healthcare industry.

But before all of that, there is the first day of nursing orientation to get through. Consider the following tips to help you prepare for this and your first days of nursing school:

Preparing For Your First Days of Nursing School

• Get the practical stuff out of the way first. When the first month of nursing school arrives, you want to be able to focus primarily on school-specific activities. So now is the time to take care of all the necessary enrollment housekeeping. For example, get your student identification card, make sure all financial aid issues and payments are completed, buy and organize your nursing school supplies, etc.
• Grab a high-quality folder or binder. There is much to rave about with modern technology and electronic syllabuses where you can CTRL+F to find exactly what you need and click on a link to be efficiently directed to course pertinent websites and information. However, you will invariably want to print out and keep copies of some important materials and several of your instructors will provide you with paper syllabi and other hard copy information. Put together a central folder or binder to keep copies of every key piece of paper, as well as class-specific folders.
• Develop an organization system that works for you. Don't just stop at the above folder recommendation. Nursing school can feel chaotic and stressful, primarily because there is so much information that you need to absorb and master. Finding an organization system that works for you and that will ensure you stay on top of studying and tracking your assignments from the moment they're assigned to well after you've aced an exam (remember, most all of what you will learn throughout your time at nursing school, you will need to know in your day-to-day life as a nurse). Getting together a system from day one of nursing orientation will go a long way in easing the normal stress of college life and will assist in keeping you on track throughout the program.
• Meet and share contact information with at least one classmate. At the bookstore, during nursing school orientation, and in your first week of classes, get chatty and introduce yourself to other classmates. Find out their teachers and interests and ask to swap contact information. Building a good relationship with fellow classmates and other nursing school students will be useful both in the short term, as you can garner insights on certain courses and work together on coursework; and in the long-term, as the workload increases and study groups become a necessity. Study groups are a critical component of school success, as a strong team will ensure everyone stays on task, and is prepared for whatever a professor or course throws their way.

The above steps are key ways to help you prepare for how busy you will be during nursing school. Many students don't anticipate just how much time and effort most of their classes will require of them, and as such can quickly feel as though they are falling behind. One of the best things you can do before your first day of class is to mentally prepare yourself to be busier than you expect. Then use the above tips, all of which will help you organize yourself and your life, to ensure that you are ready to hit the ground running and get the most out of your time at nursing school.

Pursue Your Associate of Applied Science in Nursing at ECPI University

Are you ready to get started with a degree in nursing? ECPI University offers the Associate of Applied Science in Nursing Degree at an accelerated rate. With year-round classes, you could earn the degree in as little as 18 months. For more information on this exciting program, connect with a knowledgeable admissions representative today.

It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

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