When I started nursing school, we received this 3-day orientation in which we HAD to buy about $3,000 worth of textbooks and materials. I say "had to" because we had to show the receipts as proof of purchase. These books then made their home in my garage where they just collected dust for the next 3 years. Instead of using these books, I found other resources that were cheaper and way more useful. So here are the top 5 resources that will save you some money and help you pass those exams!
1. Quizlet. Quizlet. Quizlet.
This is such a great and free resource for both pre-nursing and nursing students. You can either take your own notes and convert them into flashcards if that's your study method. Or... you can do what most of my classmates and I did. You know those NCLEX style questions that come with each book but are only available for teachers? Well, Quizlet has some/all of those! After you've studied and if you feel prepared to be tested on the material, search for the chapter(s) with/without the book name on Quizlet. You'll probably find multiple decks of flashcards pertaining to the information you'll be tested on. There were a couple times when I saw the same questions that I had studied on Quizlet appear on the exam. Fair warning though... don't go into your exams after just glancing at these flashcards without really understanding the material. You may pass the exam but you will still need to know the material for the NCLEX and as practicing RNs.
2. Saunders Comprehensive Review for NCLEX-RN
I know... you may be in your 1st semester and the last thing you want to think about is the NCLEX. But, this book honestly saved me and helped me get better at answering those dreaded NCLEX style questions. The information is extremely condensed and to-the-point. There are even questions to assess your understanding of the material at the end of each chapter! The entire book is divided into sections that will pertain to what you're studying in your semester (i.e. Fundamentals, Pediatrics). If you're having trouble grasping the main concepts or just need more resources to help with studying, I would definitely check out this book here. Plus, you can always use this as a resource when studying for the actual NCLEX.
3. YouTube
YouTube is great for everything and social media can be your friend, sometimes. Most of the channels I utilized on YouTube were: RegisteredNurseRN, Osmosis, Khan Academy and... Nurse Blake (because you need some humor to get through the rough times). I mostly used Osmosis during my pediatrics rotation. They have a website as well but why pay when you can watch their limited videos for free? I found their videos to be extremely helpful because they broke down every diagnosis, symptoms, and interventions in a very-easy-to-understand kind of way. As for RegisteredNurseRN, I passed my critical care exams solely because of her! I didn't even look at my powerpoint notes for that class because my professor was all over the place. With RegisteredNurseRN, she breaks down each topic (i.e. COPD) down to the T and explains everything including nursing diagnosis, treatments, and nursing interventions. There are certainly more channels so just feel free to search whatever you're looking for!
4. ATI
Ah, the dreaded ATI. Anyone else get major anxiety from taking those ATI Proctored exams as much as I did? 🙋 But, now that I look back, ATI was extremely helpful. We were given ATI as part of that 3 grand package so I utilized it as much as I could. To prepare for the proctored exams, I studied mostly from their mini-quizzes/assessments and practice proctored exams. I would only read more about the questions I missed instead of reading the entire book from front to back. I even ended up using ATI while studying for the NCLEX.
5. My Notes
It seems like a no brainer, right? But, I used my notes a bit differently. I used my notes in a 2-step process. I would have the powerpoints up in front of me during the lecture and I'd scribble the most important information stated by the professor (like when they would say "this is going to be on your exam"). After coming home, I'd condense my notes into this Q&A format. If I found corresponding Quizlet flashcards, I would even include those in my notes (as shown in the first 2 questions) so I could get repeated exposure to the NCLEX style questions. I've been studying with this method for about 5 years and it has been working really well for me! RachelP on YouTube has done a video on how she used a similar method to study during nursing school so definitely check it out!
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