The large, thick, expensive textbooks are an icon of the nursing school experience. There will be plenty of late nights spent reading. Here are a few tips I picked up during my years in nursing to get the most out of your reading.
#1 Read before class
The reading assignments given during nursing school can become daunting and overwhelming. The student to keep on top of the required reading, it’s a good idea to finish the assigned reading before the topic is lectured. Sitting through the lecture after reading the section will give the subject a better foundation of knowledge. This will allow you to pick through the information from the text pertinent to the topic and form questions the reading may not have gone over. After the lecture more of the main ideas will be cemented in your mind and memory as you have already read, listened, and noted the details of the topic.
#2 Write down question when reading
When reading the material, question everything. If something is brought up in the text and doesn’t make sense have a notebook or sticky on hand to jot the question down. If you take notes when reading add these questions to the end. After finishing the whole section, go back to the items, if it was answered, add the answer to the notes. If the information was still not found I highly suggest one of two things, one if there is time see if you can search the answer online or in another reliable reference, or two, bring the question to class to be answered during the lecture. The important thing is for all your questions to be answered and for you the student and future nurse to be able to wrap your head around the topic and materials.
#3 Take notes only after reading a section
Some people do not like to take notes on reading, I am a big note taker. Part of the studying process is the act of taking notes I can remember things if I write them down. Outlines can quickly become out of hand, you want to remember not to rewrite what you are reading. Pay attention to anything that’s in bold or italic print, and graphs and charts. If it’s important to put down in a figure or table or even change the font, it’s important enough to note on. Read through the entire section before, whether it’s the subtopic of a chapter or a paragraph read through the article then summarize and write the other essential information. This will allow you to get the crucial ideas without rewriting the whole section.
#4 Before reading scan the reading
Initially, scan the chapter or part that is required for you to read. Look at the heading and subheadings. If you take notes in an outline form, this will help to guide the information. This will also give an idea to divide the reading material. Splitting the content and taking small breaks will improve your concentration, and allow you to get up, stretch, and go to the bathroom. Short breaks in the reading will enable you to read more, without exhausting your eyes or brain and retain more the information. You want to read and understand the material not just read and get through the subject.
What other tips and tricks have you found out or heard about when it comes to reading the assignments?