Being successful in nursing school

1. Questions in class and clinical.
The only dumb question is the one you don't ask. Remember you are being educated to care for people, sometimes really sick people. You are only with your faculty a short period of time-take every advantage of what they know-pump them for information!

2. Objectives for the exam
Whether they are objectives or a study guide, ask your faculty to provide you with some structure to study for your exams. Yes, you do have to know everything-or at least that is what we faculty want you to know! But most faculty are aware of what you need to know to be safe and competent.

1. Do study and prepare
If you can pick your patient the night before clinical, review the following about them:
a. Their medical diagnosis
b. The pathophysiology about the medical diagnosis
c. The patient's medications!!!!!!! This is a biggie-don't just memorize the medication, dosages and side effects. Learn why this specific patient is on this specific medication. For example a patient with congestive heart failure is on a diuretic to decreased workload on the heart; a patient with hypertension is on a diuretic to decrease their blood pressure (which then decreases workload on the heart!)

2. ASSESS, ASSESS, ASSESS
It is likely you had an assessment class in your first semester/quarter/term of nursing school. This is to prepare you to provide safer care. Use everything you learned in that class, don't sell back that book and don't burn your notes or powerpoints (even though you might want to!). Your faculty is going to want to know what your patient's heart and lungs sound like, if they have bowel sounds and peripheral pulses (HINT: if you patient has pedal pulses, their circulation is good all the way down!)

3. Look professional
While we don't have white uniforms, stockings, and caps anymore (thank heaven!!!) it is still important to look professional-wear your school uniform if you have one, and keep it clean (most of our students have two sets of tops and pants-no dresses at our university). HINT: do not wear your stethoscope around your neck-patients can pull on it, it can get caught on things-either way you can have neck damage-keep it in your pocket until you are ready to use it

1. Treat your faculty member as you would like to be treated
While this seems like a no-brainer you would be surprised at what I have run across in my years of teaching. Many faculty like to be addressed as Professor, Dr. or Mrs/Ms/Mr. Find that out the first week of class and follow that

2. Your tuition does NOT pay the faculty salary.
I honestly don't know about private universities, but at state universities, it is the people of the state who are paying the faculty salaries. Therefore the faculty's primary responsibility is to the people of your state. For you that means, the faculty will help you become a competent and safe practitioner to care for the people of your state (and others should you wish to travel)