Top 3 Reasons to Form a Study Group in Nursing School

Nursing school is exciting, challenging and, at times, overwhelming. Most of the time, the only people who truly understand what you are going through are other nursing students.

As a nursing student, you are required to learn large amounts of information in a short period of time. You may have questions about content or need clarification on something you did not quite understand.

Often times, your peers have many of the same questions you do or may have an alternative explanation or a better understanding of that content. Collaborating with fellow nursing students in peer study groups is an excellent way to maximize your studying efforts.

When you study with peers, you learn more, retain more and gain an increased understanding of the content overall. Here are the top three reasons to form a study group:

1.      Improve your own Study Skills

In addition to sharing ideas about content, students in a study group can also share tips and techniques for note taking, organization and time management. While you may do things a certain way, seeing how other students organize class notes or prioritize their studying can help you be even more successful.

2.      Share the Workload

Sharing the workload among all students in the study group can help maximize efficiency. If each student researches a particular piece of content in preparation for class or an exam, the students can come together as a study group and share that information with the other members. You save time by researching less material than you would if you were tackling it all on your own. Also, explaining the content you researched to other students can enhance your own understanding of it.

A few words of caution: Do not neglect studying the information other students shared with you when you are on your own. Most importantly, make sure you are doing your part by equally distributing the workload and completing the work agreed upon by all group members. Each person in the group depends on the next to make the experience a positive one.

3.      Prepare for your Professional Career

Working with peers during nursing school can help prepare you for the professional relationships you will build with your colleagues throughout your career. As a nurse, you will be required to collaborate with doctors, pharmacists, other nurses and many other healthcare workers to provide the best possible care for your patients. Study groups will help you improve your communication skills and enhance your level of professionalism.

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By Keri Wabrowetz