5 Resources for Success in Nursing School

Let’s face it – nursing school can be tough. There’s a lot of information to learn in a short amount of time. But if there is a secret to success, it is to take advantages of all the resources that are out there. Check out these valuable tools for Chamberlain students:

1. Your campus’s Center for Academic Success (CAS). One-on-one tutoring from the CAS team can help you tackle everything from general study skills to specific course material. Many centers also offer “boot camp”-style workshops for nursing courses to help reinforce material you’ve been learning in class and prepare for exams. On many campuses, peer tutors can provide you with “been there, done that” advice and guidance on specific topics.

At the CAS, you’ll also find additional resources, such as tip sheets, manuals and study software. All of this is available at no additional cost to Chamberlain students.

2. Textbook resources. Using a nursing textbook from Elsevier? Your book includes a code that allows you access to a ton of additional features on the Evolve website – including practice tests, answer keys, tutorials, HESI tools and more.

Are you more of a visual learner? Video clips on the site can help certain concepts “click.” Struggling to pronounce certain nursing terms? There’s also a pronunciation guide. If you’re using the eBook version of the textbook, many of these resources are already integrated into the text.

3. Your professors/instructors. If you're not understanding a concept, speak up. Ask questions early and often – before you fall behind. A quick email exchange will do for certain topics, but nothing can beat a person-to-person conversation. Be sure to set up an appointment so you have enough time to go over all your questions.

4. Your peers. Many students find it helpful to form a study group. After all, your classmates know what you’re going through. They probably have many of the same questions that you have – but they might also have a better understanding of certain content. Maximize your study time by partnering with a few like-minded peers.

One common arrangement is to have everyone study the material beforehand, and then take turns teaching and leading the discussion on certain topics. Read more tips for a successful nursing school study group.

Whatever you do, be sure to choose study partners who are going to pull their own weight. (That might mean not selecting your friends.)

5. NCLEX questions. When you’re studying for a Fundamentals exam, it’s hard to look ahead to the NCLEX – but don’t forget where all of your hard work is leading to. NCLEX-type questions ask you to synthesize information you’ve learned throughout the curriculum. Many different sources of practice questions are available, including books, CDs and Internet sites. You could also try an NCLEX app. One possibility: HESI® Q&A for the NCLEX-RN Exam, which includes 600 critical-thinking style practice questions in six different content areas – Medical-Surgical Nursing, Pharmacology, Pediatrics, Fundamentals, Maternity and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing.

What other resources would you recommend? Leave your suggestions in the comment section below.