Advice for the soon-to-be nursing student

It is crazy to think that I graduated from nursing school seven or eight months ago! Time really does fly. Just the other day, I had a nursing student following me.

Luckily, it was their first clinical rotation so they were not able to do much. I simply just showed them how I complete my assessment and what I am looking for. 

My student was very nervous to even listen to my patient's bowel sounds. I can only imagine how shy I was and now I walk into my patient's rooms with complete confidence and making recommendations to the doctors on what my patients need. 

Here are some of my tips for the soon-to-be nursing students:

• Practice self-care now. Take a bubble bath, read a good book, or exercise at the gym. Learn how to nourish your own body now before you get sucked into the hole that is nursing school. Taking time to care for yourself will help you be more present with your patients.
  
• If you have a specialty in mind, consider joining a professional organization now. Most organizations will let students join for free while they are in school. Not only will keep you motivated, but it looks great on a resume!
  
• Focus on your foundation classes: assessment, fundamentals, pharm, and A&P. These classes will continue to haunt you through every aspect of nursing. The sooner you get a handle on it, the better you will understand difficult material.
  
• Consider your study habits and how you learn. Do not try to memorize every single thing in the textbook. It will not work. Skim the text before lecture to give you an idea of what is ahead, and then read more in depth following the lecture to help solve any muddy points.
  
• Invest in a NCLEX review now. My favorite is the Saunders Comprehensive Review Book. It is great to help clarify material and will get you use to how questions will be presented on the test.
  
• Treat every clinical day as a chance to learn. No matter how annoyed you are at life or how much the nurse does not want you. Ask questions. Get involved in your patient's care.

Hope these brief tips help!