Nursing Student Coach
Join Lauren Chapnick, RN, as she takes you through the journey of becoming a nurse! On Nursing Student Coach, Lauren, who is a new nursing professional, along with her knowledgeable guests will give you the tools to succeed in your nursing career. They will discuss ways to reduce anxiety and stress, share tips on studying and preparing for your NCLEX, and so much more - you won't be alone in this adventure! New episodes air every Thursday.
Nursing Student Coach
Nursing Exam Hacks: Essential Tips for Nursing Students
Embark on a journey toward academic excellence with your guide, Lauren Chapnick, a dedicated RN who knows the ins and outs of mastering nursing studies. Forget the frustration of ineffective cram sessions; we're here to unravel the secrets behind selecting the perfect study environment that suits your learning style. Whether you're a lone wolf who thrives in the silent corners of the library or someone who benefits from the collective knowledge of a study duo, this episode arms you with strategies to break down complex materials, adopt focused study sessions, and ensure you're not just studying hard, but studying smart.
Let's face it, the path to those coveted RN initials is no stroll through the park, but with a dose of Lauren's infectious positivity and disciplined approach, you'll find the strength to push through even when motivation seems like a distant memory. This episode is not just a lesson in study tactics; it's a rally cry for all nursing students to harness their inner potential and conquer their exams. Lauren's unwavering belief in you is palpable as she shares insights that will not only prepare you for success on the NCLEX but also mold you into the exceptional nurse you're destined to be. Tune in and transform your study habits from mundane to magnificent!
Is the nursing student coach, giving you the strategies you need the most. Hi everybody, and welcome to Nursing Student Coach. This is your host. I am Lauren Chapnick and I am a registered nurse. I work in an emergency room and I started this show because I want to help put more great nurses into the world. That is my whole mission behind starting the show. I hope that you take something valuable from the lessons that I share with you and our guests share with you. If you like what you hear, all I ask is that you share it with a friend. If you could be so kind as to leave us a positive rating and review, that would be amazing, because then we can help put the show in front of more future nurses who could benefit.
Speaker 1:The rest of season two is dedicated to nursing exams. Let's ace those nursing exams. Let's just keep getting those scores higher and higher so you ultimately pass that NCLEX and put those letters R and N after your name. Today I am going to answer who, what, where, when and why when it comes to your study habits. So first let's tackle who. Obviously, the who is you. You are the one who's doing the studying. But think about this have you been successful in who you have been studying with.
Speaker 1:Now, I've shared before that I am not a fan of study groups and if you do study in a group, I say, proceed with caution. The reason I say this is because all too often, study groups can turn into just another excuse for distraction. In nursing school, some of my best friends, who I love dearly, I could not study with because 20 minutes would go by and we'd say why are we talking about M&Ms and the bachelor and whatever the heck else we're talking about? Because we are not talking about pharmacology or med surge or whatever we came here to talk about. I also found that in a group that's too large, there's always going to be somebody who comes not prepared and you spend the entire time catching that person up and it can be frustrating. The point is, your time in nursing school is so valuable. Really, really strongly consider who you are studying with and is it serving you.
Speaker 1:Studying alone, in my opinion, is the way to go. Or one other partner who you trust, who you know you can stay on task. Also, if you do choose to study in a small group, proceed with caution. Make sure everybody shows up to the study session prepared. I do have coaching clients who swear by their study groups, who like to meet in the same small group every time there's an exam and it really helps them. That's great.
Speaker 1:For whatever reason, it never quite worked for me. I am a one woman show when it comes to studying, but you have to do what works best for you. So I want you to take a look at what you've been doing and just ask yourself has it been working for you? How's it going? Is studying by yourself more of a distraction because you don't exactly have a plan when you sit down? Or is studying in a group not really helping because you get distracted? Think about it and stick with what's working. If you are consistently doing well and you have been studying in a group at least part of the time, keep doing it. You don't have to listen to everything that I say. You got to pick and choose what works for you, right? So that's the who.
Speaker 1:Now let's answer what? What are you studying? This is a problem. I see a lot where people just don't even know where to start. They know that they have to study because they've got three exams coming up in the next two weeks, but let's say they have three hours. They don't have a plan, they don't have a clue as to how they're going to spend that time. So to answer that question, what?
Speaker 1:When you sit down to study, I want you to know exactly what you're going to study In that session and keep it very simple. Start small, don't overestimate what you can do. If anything, underestimate, and if you have more time, move on to the next thing. But let's say you have a pharmacology test, right, and you've got seven PowerPoints to get through and you're going to sit down to study. Just say to yourself I am going to get through the first PowerPoint, I'm going to listen to it or I'm going to make my outline on it, or I'm going to read through it, however many times it takes. Make notes, I'm going to study this. Don't sit down and have no idea what you're going to do, because I promise you you will get overwhelmed. Small chunks, small bites and take breaks.
Speaker 1:I love, I swear by the 27 three method. That is my own method that I kind of adapted from something else. What you do is you have a timer, you set it for 27 minutes, you study hard and you study only on that one thing for that 27 minutes. And when the timer goes off, you reset it for three minutes. At that point you get up, you move your body, you take a break, you do whatever you want to do run up and down the stairs, dance to a favorite song for three minutes. Then the three minutes is up. You sit back down, you start over again. Break it up, make it realistic, make it practical.
Speaker 1:If you sit down with a giant textbook and you say, oh my gosh, this test is on 14 chapters Like how am I ever going to get through this? No, you're going to get through that first chapter right now and then you're going to plan out the next one for the next time. You can only do so much. You can only do a little bit at a time. Your brain can only be in that peak flow state for only such amount of time that you have to recover and you have to take breaks. So the whole point of that tangent is know what you're studying. Have a plan for what you're going to study. If you're studying farm, great, say, I'm going to study the first PowerPoint. If you're studying med-surge, I am going to read chapter two. Whatever it is, be specific. The more specific you are and the more attainable that study goal is for that session, the more motivated you're going to be. You're going to feel good when you accomplish that small goal and it's going to keep the momentum going and keep the trend going of your great study habits, where this is so important.
Speaker 1:A scattered messy study space is a scattered messy mind. Take five minutes before you start studying or, better yet, set it up the day before. Clean up your study space. Have a really clean desk with maybe a nice plant or a candle or just something that inspires you or picture somebody you love. Have your study space be your sacred spot where you love to be. But, most importantly, it has to be free of clutter. I can't tell you how. Just subconsciously, just piles of garbage and just bills, the pieces of paper and pens that don't work and coffee spills and water that was from three days ago. Get it off your study space.
Speaker 1:That's if you study at home, if you study in a library, amazing. Find a really quiet area. You all know I love libraries. I love exploring new libraries, finding the quietest spots in a library where I can focus. Some libraries have amazing views. I just love libraries. They're always quiet. They're always quiet, that's first and foremost.
Speaker 1:But where you study is crucial. Your environment is everything. And here's a little hack To throw in your backpack always have some sort of noise canceling earbuds and, at the very least, just buy a cheap package of ear plugs. Okay, you can get those at Walmart or any pharmacy. Have some sort of noise blocking device, because in a pinch you're going to need it. You don't know when some annoying noise is gonna be going off If you're sitting at the library and all of a sudden they start mowing the lawn outside and you can't make that part of your background and you can't focus. Throw in some ear plugs, throw in some headphones and put on some focus music. Go to YouTube and type in brain focus music or classical study music or Spotify. Whatever you listen to, your environment is very, very important. So hopefully those tips help you out a little bit.
Speaker 1:When to study. Not only should you have a very specific plan of what you're going to study, but I have a whole video on time blocking and how to use a planner. But when you study is very important. You gotta do it at a time where you are at your best. Are you a morning person? Are you an evening person? But have your time of when you're going to study set. Don't just say, oh yeah, I'm going to study tomorrow afternoon. I don't have class. No, the more specific you can be, the more successful you will be, I promise you. Try it and see what happens. Don't say I'm gonna study in the afternoon. Say, okay, write it down in your planner. From 2 to 4 pm, I am going to go to the library, I'm going to sit on the second floor at the table in the back with the view of the tree and I am going to read chapter 5 of my psychiatric nursing.
Speaker 1:The point is have a specific plan, know where you're going to be, what time and what you're going to be studying. So that covers so far. We did the who, the what, the where and the when to plan out your time blocks. And then, lastly, is the why. This is the driving force behind why you're doing all of this.
Speaker 1:Why are you in this crazy difficult nursing program? Why? Why do you want to be a nurse? Because when the going gets tough, when you're crying, because it's just so much material and it's so confusing and you know maybe your borderline not passing a class and it's just so stressful. Close your eyes and think about why you got into this in the first place.
Speaker 1:What is your life going to look like once you're a nurse, once all of this is behind you? Because, I promise you, nursing school ends this madness, this exam, taking anxiety, this stress ball of your life right now it ends. There is a whole other world out there beyond this, and once you pass that NCLEX and you are a registered nurse, you have your license. There's a whole life that you're going to live. You're going to have this whole career and this nursing school is just going to be a blip in the radar. So what's that going to look like for you? Why did you want to be a nurse in the first place? What inspires you? Why do you want to do this? Because you're going to have really, really tough days in nursing school and you have to just think why am I doing this? What is your why? And sometimes you got to just close your eyes and imagine what your life is going to be and let that keep you going. Write down your why I want to be a nurse, because, whatever it is, what inspired you to do this, and let that be the force behind all of this.
Speaker 1:I believe in you. I know you are going to do so well. We just have to get specific. We have to have a plan when we sit down to study and we have to just crush those nursing exams, have a great mindset about it and not worry so much. Just do it. When you don't feel like doing it, do it anyway. Okay, listen to my voice saying get off your butt. Get it done, because it is so worth it. I promise you you're going to be an amazing nurse. I love you, I believe in you and until the next time, this is Nurse Lauren. It is my personal mission to help put more great nurses into the world. Thank you so much for listening. Bye-bye.
