Helpful Hints Part 2

June 2, 2011 at 1:01 pm (Uncategorized)

Stacey Rybinski is a senior in the traditional nursing program. She is a member of the Dean’s Circle, SNAOU, National Student Nurses Association and Sigma Theta Tau and is currently class representative of SNAOU. She is employed at Royal Oak Beaumont as a nurse tech in the Nursing Resource Team which means she rotates through every unit in the hospital, allowing her to see many different patient populations and units while meeting a lot of people throughout the hospital.

So, your first semester (sophomore 1), is all about time management! You will have a full load of classes and labs and to help keep you from getting too overwhelmed, be sure to get ahead and stay ahead. If you keep up with your assigned readings and don’t fall behind, it will be a lot easier than trying to play catch up.  Take this semester one day at a time, stay organized and don’t forget to breathe!  Get to know your professors. They are available and willing to help and guide you, but don’t wait until it’s too late for them to help you.

Your second semester (sophomore 2) is similar, but it’ll be in your best interest to study hard and practice in the simulation lab often!  You will begin clinicals and they are great! Being nervous is normal, it’s all new, don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions this is how you learn.  Clinicals are also the time to practice, perfect and get comfortable with your nursing skills. Practice makes perfect and helps you become a confident nurse!

ACUTE! I’m sure you will hear all about “dreaded acute.”  It’s your junior year and it’s the toughest year of school, but all the time management skills you learned the 1^st year really pay off and come into play during your junior year. With a little planning and discipline, you CAN and WILL get through your junior year and survive acute too.  Again stay on top of assignments, read assigned readings and study as you go.  Waiting til the last minute to start studying and cramming for the acute exams does not work. Nor would you want to jeopardize any future patients you have by not truly knowing and understanding the material.  Studying as you go helps you to understand the material and apply it to clinical and also leaves you time to meet with your professors to get help.  You will be stressed out, you will think you aren’t going to be able to do it, you will cry…a lot (this is completely normal!). You can and will get through nursing school! I am a senior now and will be graduating in December; I never thought I would see the light at the end of the tunnel and I am finally seeing it and you will too! I hope this helps ease your nerves about nursing school and you have some helpful hints to guide you through your nursing school career! Good Luck!