What to do Before Nursing School Starts?
Nursing school should teach you many things, but in order to get the most out of it, you need to make sure you're ready to learn. The most successful students will take initiative and complete some tasks ahead of time to smooth the transition into this rigorous program and ensure they are fully prepared for the challenges they'll be facing. These four ideas are a good place to start.
Let Your Friends and Family Know
Your decision to go to nursing school won't only affect you - everyone in your life will probably feel the impact of it in some way. Your classes and homework will inevitably take up a huge chunk of your time going forward. That's why your friends and family need to know about your new endeavor as soon as possible. This is especially important if you're going to be juggling work or childcare responsibilities with your new studies, as you'll likely have a lot less time available for socializing.
If you make it clear from the start that you expect to be busy but that you also don't plan to abandon anyone, your loved ones won't be as upset about your lack of connection. It's just a temporary measure to see you through school until you can make them a priority again.
On top of gaining their understanding, you might also garner some extra support from them if you need it. Babysitting, rides, study help and even pre-made meals are all things people might be willing to help you out with when they know you're stretched thin on time. Remember, these people want to see you succeed!
Stock Up On Supplies
You're probably already expecting to have to buy books, pencils and other traditional school materials for your nursing classes, but you may not know that nursing school also requires some more specific supplies. For example, you're expected to own your own stethoscope even as a student. You might also want some additional foot cushioning, like compression stockings and comfortable shoes, to make the long hours on your feet during clinical placements a little easier.
Some students find technological aids like nursing watches (watches that allow for extremely precise alarms to keep medication dose times and other time-sensitive matters on track) and voice recorders (to record lectures and other information) helpful too.
Do Some Preliminary Independent Learning
You'll have a lot to learn in nursing school and not much time to do it. If you can manage to get a handle on some of the material early, you'll be at a significant advantage when it comes to keeping pace with it all.
Some basic anatomy knowledge is a great place to start - it's information that you can easily find and grasp on your own, but that will be useful to you throughout the entirety of your studies and future career. There are many textbooks written on the subject (some of which you may be using in your formal coursework), but there are also many reputable sources available online for free if cost or accessibility is a concern.
It also might not be a bad idea to take a first aid course (assuming you haven't already). While nursing school will obviously involve much more complex procedures and techniques, some of that basic knowledge will still be applicable, and it will help to get you in the swing of things in terms of hands-on caretaking.
Work Out a Study Schedule
Time management abilities have been shown to have a major influence on nursing students' levels of anxiety over the course of their studies. Getting a handle on your schedule now, before any of your courses actually start, will allow you to get a head start on building this critical skill.
Take a piece of paper and map out all of your existing commitments onto a calendar model with hourly blocks, remembering to include any classes you already have set times for. Using this, you can figure out when you're going to be able to study and block off that time too. Now you know exactly when you need to be focused and ready to learn, so you can make sure you have all your chores, errands and extra work done before those times hit.
Do you want to be a nurse? If you want to earn an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing Degree, ECPI University offers this course at an accelerated pace. For more information about this exciting program, connect with a helpful admissions counselor today.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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