Date Published: August 18, 2022
You have just begun an incredible new chapter in your professional healthcare journey – getting accepted into nursing school! Along with excitement, this chapter can bring feelings of stress from the unknown. It is important to remember that you are not alone, and everyone is feeling this way.
Here are a few tips that will help prepare you as you begin your nursing school career.
Create a schedule.
Nursing students are busy, so using your time efficiently will improve your overall experience throughout nursing school. It is important to use the time you are most alert to complete school-related tasks, and to find time to wind down with self-care. Keeping a schedule will help you reduce stress while making sure you get all of the things you need to do, done.
Related read: Self-Care: 7 New Tips on Stress, Coping, and Wellness in Uncertain Times
Establish a sleep routine
Getting the correct amount of sleep not only will make you feel brighter and more alert, it can also positively affect your reaction times, irritability, anxiety, and other health issues. Sleep is one of the most important things to maintain throughout your nursing school career to stay healthy and focused on your school performance.
Get familiar with medical terminology
Getting a head start on the day-to-day terminology you will hear can help make the transition into nursing school a bit easier. There’s no need to make a bunch of flash cards just yet, but keep an eye out for articles or posts that you come across that mention nursing terms and make sure you are familiar with them.
Related read: Clinicals, Internships, Residencies – Oh My! What’s the Difference?
Take time to understand your studying needs
It is important to understand the way in which you learn best to study more effectively. Being able to identify your studying needs will help you eliminate anxiety, stress, and waste less time to make each and every study session more valuable.
Related read: Creating Your Ideal Studying Atmosphere
These small changes will help you build a strong foundation as you enter nursing school. From prioritizing your mental health to setting up healthy studying habits, taking steps to create a more positive nursing school experience from the very beginning can make all the difference.
