7 Effective Study Strategies for Nurses

                                         7 Effective Study Strategies for Nurses

                                                    

You study to get into nursing school, you study while you’re there, and you’ll study for the NCLEX to get out and get a job. Nursing school is all about studying! While it’s no one’s favorite activity, effective study techniques are vital to your success as a nursing student and a working nurse. Instead of getting frustrated by the books, be kind to yourself and focus on healthy study habits.

1. Make a study plan.

Before diving into your books, make a plan. Review your class syllabi and mark each of your exam dates on your calendar. Keeping an updated planner is essential to staying on track with assignments. Be sure to spread out the work, and plan time each week to complete your readings and workload. Having a solid plan to follow can also help you avoid burnout.

Your future self will thank you!

2. Calendar your time.

Stick to your study plan and know how to manage your time. Set aside specific hours each day and week to focus solely on studying. When you’re studying, actually study. No more multitasking. When you have an end time set for your study session, it’s easier to focus and use that time wisely.

Your planner or calendar will keep you on track, but try to do a little studying every day, even if it’s just 15 minutes. This helps you form good habits and retain information. But most importantly, plan—yes, plan—your downtime. When your mind knows that a time for relaxation is ahead, it helps you stay focused when it’s needed most.

3. Form a study group.

Everyone studies differently, but everyone can also benefit from a study group. We all have different strengths, so instead of forming a group with just your best friends, mix it up. Make sure you have students with a variety of skills and expertise. Aside from the academic help, studying with others builds in encouragement and support. You’re all in this together. (Plus, the connections you make in nursing school will only benefit you in your future career.)

4. Know your learning style.

When sitting down on your own for some textbook learning, it’s important to know your personal learning style. How do you best retain information? Are you an auditory learner? A visual learner? Should you take notes as you read? Or highlight and revisit later? What about both? Hardly anyone learns just by reading the textbook once.

5. Forget memorizing, focus on comprehending.

Even if you’re a stellar student, recalling vast amounts of data can be difficult. Whether you’re keeping track of anatomy terms, a long list of symptoms, or medication side effects, brute force memorization often doesn’t cut it. Instead, focus on truly understanding the info. Ask yourself questions about it and try explaining it out loud. The key to learning is comprehension and association. This will serve you better in the long run, and help you more come exam time.

6. Reward yourself and take breaks.

As contrary as it sounds, study breaks can be just as important as studying. Your brain can’t take in too much information at once, especially when you’re stressed about a test tomorrow. Cut yourself some slack and add some balance back to your life. Did you finish that study guide? It’s time to take a break from the books and go have a snack.

7. Don’t forget about the patients.

No one goes into nursing because they want to study 24/7. But while you’re in school, it may feel like all you do is study and work. Fight nursing student burnout by focusing on why you’re becoming a nurse: to help the patients! Maintaining a positive mentality will keep you on track with your schoolwork while making it more enjoyable. None of your professors are trying to torture you, they’re just trying to prepare you for the real nursing world ahead.

For More Details About Advanced Nursing 2021, visit: https://nursing.nursingmeetings.com/

Study shows nurses' scrubs become contaminated with bacteria in hospitals

 Study shows nurses' scrubs become contaminated with bacteria in hospitals

Advanced Nursing 2021, Tokyo, Japan

Clothing worn by healthcare providers can become contaminated with bacteria, however having nurses wear scrubs with antimicrobial properties did not prevent this bacterial contamination from occurring, according to a study published online in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

As part of the Antimicrobial Scrub Contamination and Transmission (ASCOT) Trial, researchers from Duke University Hospital, followed 40 nurses who wore three different types of scrubs over three consecutive 12-hour shifts, taking a series of cultures from each nurses' clothing, patients, and the environment before and after each shift.

"Healthcare providers must understand that they can become contaminated by their patients and the environment near patients," said Deverick J. Anderson, MD, MPH, Director of the Center for Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infection Prevention at Duke University Medical Center and lead author of the study. "Although not effective, we looked to eliminate this risk for contamination by changing the material of nurses' scrubs."

In a random rotation, each nurse wore traditional cotton-polyester scrubs, scrubs that contained silver-alloy embedded in its fibers, or another type of scrub treated with a combination of antibacterial materials. The nurses did not know which scrubs they were wearing.

The researchers analyzed 2,919 cultures from bed rails, beds, and supply carts in each room and 2,185 cultures from the sleeve, abdomen and pocket of nurses' scrubs. No differences in contamination were found based on the type of scrubs worn.

Researchers identified new contamination during 33 percent, or 39 of 120 shifts. Scrubs became newly contaminated with bacteria during 16 percent, or 19 out of 120, shifts studied, including three cases of contamination of nurses' scrubs while caring for patients on contact precautions where patients were known to be infected with drug-resistant bacteria and personnel entering the room were required to put on gloves and gowns. The mostly commonly transmitted pathogen was Staphylococcus aureus including MRSA and methicillin susceptible S. aureus. The nurses in the study worked in medical and surgical intensive care units, caring for one to two patients per shift.

"There is no such thing as a sterile environment," said Anderson. "Bacteria and pathogens will always be in the environment. Hospitals need to create and use protocols for improved cleaning of the healthcare environment, and patients and family members should feel empowered to ask healthcare providers if they are doing everything they can to keep their loved one from being exposed to bacteria in the environment."

The authors note that the scrubs were likely ineffective at reducing pathogens because of the low-level disinfectant capabilities of the textiles, coupled with repeated exposure in a short timeframe. They suggest antimicrobial-impregnated textiles might be effective if used in bed linens and patient gowns, given the prolonged exposure to patients.

Given the findings, the authors recommend diligent hand hygiene following all patient room entries and exits and, when appropriate, use of gowns and gloves- even if no direct patient care is performed to reduce the risk of clothing contamination of healthcare providers.