Studying for Finals: What you Need

You must be prepared when studying for finals. You don't want to have to keep leaving wherever you're studying to get something else. 

So here is what you need:

Laptop and/or tablet

Chargers

Head phones 

Phone 

Water bottle

Notebook & papers for at least 2 classes (in case you just give up on one class for a couple of hours)

Note cards

Scissors (if you cut your notecards) 

Pencil

Pen

Highlighters

Dry erase markers & eraser (in case you are in a classroom or study room with a whiteboard) 

Snacks (fruit, granola bars, gummy snacks, candy)

Coffee or soda or whatever gives you energy 

Know the closest bathroom 

Someone you trust to share a table or classroom with just in case you have to leave but don't want to lose your space. 

Wallet - just in case you want to buy food from a vending machine

Now these are just suggestions. 

If I were studying anatomy, I'd definitely add coloring book, colored pencils, and pencil sharpener, so I focus my studies differently than I would if I were studying human development. 

Studying for Finals: Locations

During finals week, most buildings at your school will remain open for longer, so you can study longer. The library will probably be open 24/7 and other buildings (like your union) will be open a couple hours past its normal closing time. 

Now normally, everyone floods the library during finals week. This makes the once quiet and almost desolate library now loud, hot, and crowded. Sometimes you can't find a table to sit at, let alone find a level of noise that you can study with. Because between the one floor that you can whisper, everyone is whispering too loud, and the next floor is WAYYY too quiet, you're at a loss. 

Try going somewhere other than the library. Other buildings are open and the 24 hours a day thing really messes with you. Sleep is important. Try utilizing these buildings/rooms because they could help you out the most. You can even talk on them. Sometimes, because everyone is at the library, you may be the only one in that room. 

At my school, there are so many different places you can study that many people do not take advantage. There is the:

Ballroom

Union Ballroom - there were two other people here, but they were hiding

A big empty room with ample light that allows for group projects because of the round tables as well as single study spaces. There are couches along the sides to curl up in if you need to take a nap, or just want to change seats. Finally, there are big windows to look out and people watch or check the weather before you go back to your dorm room. 

Dining Centers

A dining center on campus - no one was here

The main dining center on campus will close when meals aren't being served, but the other dining centers on campus will be open to sit at and study all the time. You just can't always get food from them (which, to avoid the "freshmen 15" and "sophomore 10" is probably a good thing), but you have plenty of space where you can just sit and relax. Sometimes noise is being made, by the staff, but unless you need ABSOLUTE silence, this is probably okay for most people

Multi Purpose Room 

Not all schools have one of these rooms, but a lot do. On my campus, this room has tables and couches and allows for a perfect setting between relaxing and structured. 

Floor Study Rooms

Now I don't recommend studying in your room (even though I do it more than I should), studying on your floor is a great option, especially if almost everyone on your floor have gone other places to study. Your floor is then quiet and you don't have to worry about packing up everything you need to go somewhere. If you forget something, that is OKAY! Just hop back over to your room. But beware. Don't turn on your TV or lay in bed when you go back in. You'll just ruin the momentum you had beforehand. 

Lounges

Many individual schools have their own specialized lounges, equipped with books or information that could help you individually with your major. Take advantage of these lounges or other lounges (if you can get into them - some you may have to have swipe access). 

Like I mentioned above, sleep is important. One problem with the library (and some other buildings) being opened 24 hours a day until the end of finals means that you have absolutely no reason to go back to your room and go to sleep. Studies have proven that sleep is very important for remembering what you have just learned. So by going to places that will close by a certain time, you have that incentive to go back to your room and go to sleep for some time. Sleep is also important for your health. You don't want to get sick during finals week, so take care of yourself. Eat some fruits and veggies while snacking instead of eating ice cream the whole week. Exchange one soda with a cold water. These things will help. You'd be surprised. Take care of yourself and you will do better on your finals than you were expecting. 

How to Prepare for Clinicals

For many, clinicals start bright and early, and that means waking up even earlier to get there and be ready. If you're anything like me, you like to sleep for as long as possible. 

Here are some tips for getting ready for and being prepared for clinicals:

1) Check the weather

If it is supposed to be cold in the morning or all day, you don't want to leave your room without having a scarf or gloves. On the other hand, if it is supposed to be warm, you don't want to leave the next day with a sweatshirt or jacket on, because you'll just have to carry it. 

2) Set out all of your clothes the night before. 

You've probably been told this many times in high school and everything else. "Set out your clothes to be more prepared!" But this will help you out immensely. Have your scrubs folded and sitting on the dresser/chair/whatever so it's not on the floor, along socks inside your shoes, and a warm up jacket (if you have one) or long sleeved shirt for underneath your scrubs. 

3) Put your name tag somewhere you would remember. 

Put your name either on your scrub top so you don't have to do it in the morning, or in your scrubs pocket or a bag of yours so you know it's there and won't lose it. Keep it consistent. When you're done with clinicals for the day, put it back in that same spot.

4) Check your wallet.

Whether you have to take a bus, train, or you're carpooling, you're going to have to pay someone for transportation. Make sure you have enough money to pay for the bus/train fare or pay someone for gas. If you're driving alone, make sure you have enough money to pay for parking - some clinical sites make you pay for parking. You don't want to be blindsided because you don't have enough money. Also, if you plan on buying food there (if you are there for any meals or just want a snack) make sure you have enough money on hand for that. A lot of vending machines now have credit card readers so all you have to do is swipe your card and you'll get what you want. BEWARE! This is a great way to go through your money quickly. My recommendation - only pay for things in the vending machine with cash! You'll be less likely to spend as much

5) Pack your lunch.

granola bars, banana, apple juice, pretzels, and a sandwich in the fridge

If you're at your clinical site for any meal and don't plan on buying your meal at the cafeteria (also, not all clinical sites have a cafeteria for you to buy food at), you should probably pack your lunch. 

If you don't eat breakfast right after waking up, pack breakfast bars or other things in your lunch bag so you can eat at sometime before clinicals.

Remember to include: main meal (sandwich, pasta, salad, pizza, soup), snacks (pretzels, chips, fruit snacks, breakfast bars), fruit (banana, cut apples, grapes), and a drink (water with a drink mix, bottle of apple/orange juice, soda). Put another bottle of water in your bag, because you drink much more water during the day than you think you do. 

6) Pack your clinical bag.

You probably have certain things that you have to bring to clinicals, including but not limited to: stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, pen, pencil, black sharpie, penlight, and iPad/notebook. You know what your instructors want you to bring. 

7) Set up your desk/vanity/bedside table for the morning.

Do you take any medications in the morning? Put them out so you don't have to go far to take them. Put a bottle of water there too. If you need to put your hair up, include a comb/brush with a hair-tie, bobby pins, clips, or headbands - whatever you need to put your hair up. 

8) Shower

This could be done before you go to bed or before you go to clinicals - whichever makes you happy. But please do it. And that includes all other personal hygiene habits, like deodorant and brushing your teeth. Just please do it. Everyone around you will be thankful.

9) Check your alarms

You don't want to sleep in and miss your clinicals. Just make sure you are ready to wake up on time. 

10) Put your lunch bag (unless there is stuff in the fridge still), clinical bag, and clothes all together in one condensed area.

By keeping everything in the same area, you don't have to travel all over your room or house to get to your stuff. It's all right there. If you have food that should be refrigerated until you can put it in your bag and go, keep your lunch bag by the fridge. It'll help remind you that there is food in there for you. 

11) Try to go to sleep early.

 know I included a lot of steps in here and it makes it seem like if you do them all, you'll be up all night getting ready for clinicals. But once you get in the habit, making your lunch and packing your clinical bag will be so incredibly easy. 

12) Wake up and start getting ready.

Get dressed, brush teeth, brush hair and put it up. Eat breakfast (if you want to) and grab your bags and leave. Your morning routine will take you no more than 20 minutes if you don't shower, 30-35 if you do. That way you can get the most sleep possible without running around like a chicken with its head cut off. 

Is there anything that you do in the morning or the night before that helps your morning go faster?

Breath Patterns

Breath patterns are extremely important to notice while assessing a patient as a nurse. 

Here are the most common ones that you should know: 

Cheyne-Stokes Respiraton

Often found when a person is at the end of their life, however, it is common in infants and elderly while they are asleep. They have regular periods of inspiration and expiration followed by period of apnea. 

Biot's Respiraton

Irregular patterns of inspiration, expiration, and apnea. Often found in patients who have had severe trauma to the head or any severe problems with the nervous system (spinal cord or brain).

Eupnea (Normal)

Regular and constant cycle of inspiration and expiration. There are no periods of apnea. The rate is 12-20 breaths/minute. 

Bradypnea 

Regular breaths at a lower rate than eupnea (<12 breaths/minute). 

Tachypnea 

Increased rate of regular, shallow breaths (20+ breaths/minute). Often found in those experiencing fear, have a fever, or recently exercised.

Hyperventilation

Increased rapid rate of regular deep breaths that occur in patient's who are experiencing fear, anxiety, or extreme exertion. Hyperventilation is when the person believes that they are not receiving enough oxygen, when in fact, they are over-oxygenating and there is a lack of carbon dioxide in their blood system. 

Learning Medical Abbreviations

Sometimes, your professors will use abbreviations that you are not used to because they forget that you are not advanced nurses or are trying to teach you the abbreviations without explicitly saying "this means this." Either way, you may miss out or feel lost in class because they use these abbreviations. 

I complied a list of some abbreviations that you may come in contact with that your professors may not always explain to you. 

r/t (RT) - relating to

s/s - signs and symptoms

PRN - as needed or as circumstances arise

po - by mouth

mcg - micrograms

kg - kilograms

g - grams

tsp - teaspoons

mL - mililiters

ac - before meals

pc - after meals

BP - blood pressure

Rx - perscription

Dx - diagnosis

NDx - nursing diagnosis 

NSAIDs - Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug

q4h - every four hours (q = every)

EMR/EHR - electronic medical record or electronic health record

MI - myocardial infarction (Heart attack)

CVA - cerebral vascular accident (Stroke)

CA - cancer

DM - diabetes mellitus

CAD - coronary artery disease (heart disease)

UTI - urinary tract infection

HTN - hypertension

ICS - inter coastal space

Are there any other abbreviations that you have come upon that you don't know what they are?

Using PowerPoint to Study

PowerPoint is a great utensil to use while studying. It really can be used as note cards. If you need to know concepts or memorize a sequence, PowerPoint helps the most.

Most note card apps (and real note cards) give you two sides, a front side and a backside. You cannot hide concepts one at a time. With PowerPoint, you can use animations to keep steps in order. 

How to make a note cards:

Make the title of the PowerPoint the title of the note card.

Here: Health Promotion (YA) (Young adult)

Make the bullet points the information on the card.

Here: Immunizations, HIV/AIDS, etc.

Click your first bullet point. 

Go to animations and decide which one to use. 

If you want the information to appear one-at-a-time, click the first bullet point and each main bullet point will be given an animation. If you want the information to appear all at the same time then highlight the whole section.

PowerPoint is really a helpful study tool to use, especially in nursing school. I used it mostly during Human Development. The only problem that I can think of is that it does not randomize the slides. But to counter that problem, you can put your notes on a slide show so it will be full screen. That reduces a lot of distractions that you could have on your computer. 

Do you use anything else that helps you study?

Finding Your Fun Fact

On the first day of classes your professors want to get to know you. Most likely they'll have you introduce yourself by saying your name, where you're from, and a fun fact about yourself.

"Hi, I'm Kathleen, from Pennsylvania, and my fun fact is....." *cue stammering as I prepare a fact about myself.*

You want your fact to make yourself sound interesting and you want to stand out.

Here are some things to think about when you think of your fact:

Have you ever been on a fun vacation anywhere? 

Have you ever been out of the country for any reason?

Is this your first time out of state?

Did you ever go on a mission trip?

Did you have an interesting job or internship that applies to your major?

Do you have any hobbies or special talents, like singing, cooking, drawing, or playing a sport?

Do you have any special certifications, like a scuba diving license or a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant)?

Is there something cool about you or your family, like you've been around the world or you're a twin/triplet?

Have you ever met a celebrity or sports star?

Did you ever get sick or injured in a funny way?

Tips:

1) Keep it short and sweet.

2) Be honest. Your classmates are the people you're trying to make your friends.

3) Keep it light & cheery. Instead of "My great grandmother died last month" say "My great grandmother lived to be 104." See the difference?

What was your fun fact?