Establish a consistent study time. By setting up a time specifically for study, you increase the likelihood that you will engage in an adequate amount of study. Stick to your schedule as much as possible, making up any time that you miss to ensure that you dedicate yourself to the task of learning.
The more you engage with your notes the more likely you are to remember the information that they contain. Instead of just reading over your nursing notes, re-write them, rewording the information. To reword, you must take the information into your head and process it. This practice increases the likelihood that you will retain that vital healthcare information.
A tape recorder can help ensure that you do not miss any valuable information shared by your instructor. Take a small digital or traditional recorder to class with your, and create an audio recording of the lecture each day. When you return home, listen to the recording and take notes or add to the notes that you already took during the actual lecture.
Share in the study process by joining with fellow nursing students to exchange information. Set up a study group at your college library or an area coffee shop. Ask all study group members to take notes on the chapters being covered that week prior to the study group meeting, and compare notes when you meet. Help each other work through any particularly difficult concepts.
The field of nursing is always changing. Staying on top of current innovations in the industry can help you develop a better understanding of nursing practices and principles. In your spare time, read nursing journals and consider how these new advances modify or enhance the information that you are learning in your classes.
Once you enter clinicals, you will be expected to know an array of procedures and standard nursing practices. If these are procedures or facts that you still struggle with, jot these things down on note cards and keep them in your scrubs pocket. If you need to review the information, you can step out of the room and look over your notes. This will save you time and effort as the information you need will always be right at your finger tips.