Once you become a nursing student you find yourself
amidst a number of lectures. Each of this lecture sessions requires you to keep
notes and this is a challenge itself. Nursing students have commonly reported
that it has happened to them quite frequently to get lost between these notes.
Thus, considering this issue and the impact it has on the overall learning
process, it’s important to focus on how to improve the notes management
process.
Keep simple notes
in an organised way.
Just like in any other field, organization is the core
component once you are taking notes that you want to use in the future learning
routine. It has been reported that those individuals who are able to correctly
take notes have shown greater abilities in terms of memorizing the information.
Usually, whilst taking notes, students strive to write
down everything they are hearing, and this is not the best method to be used.
The main point should be to write down the keywords. These keywords are the
ones that will trigger information in our head even after days have passed by.
Also, another thing to keep in mind is the terminology used whilst keeping
notes. It has been shown that if students keep notes using the professors’
exact words, they will not be able to recall the meaning of these notes in the
near future.
Nursing students should be focused and encouraged to
take notes in their own unique words and writing style.
Related: Benefits
to BSN
Methods to take the
best notes
- Write short
When you start taking notes you should be aware that
each of us is unique, thus even the style of taking notes differs from one
student to another. Yet, there is one common piece advice that applies to each
student. Keep your notes short! You may want to write everything down, but the
lecturer’s rhythm is faster than yours. In this case, you can set up your own
system of abbreviations. Nursing students might benefit a lot in this case taking
into consideration their curricula terminology. In case you want to emphasize a
particular section more than others, you can underline or highlight it at that
very moment. Plus, this will get you into the habit of abbreviating for when
you’re out on the field.
- Notes apps
Another approach is to take notes digitally, though
this simply does not work for everyone. As you might already be aware, there
are a number of apps that can be downloaded through your tablet’s app store.
These applications offer the possibility to use tags. This way, notes can be
divided as per the related categories, just as you would do in your notebook.
These categories might be topic based, date based or even chapter based.
Example of topic based:
|
Example of date based:
|
Example of chapter based:
|
✓
Biology
|
✓
12/12/2022
|
✓
Maths 1st chapter
|
✓
Chemistry
|
✓
12/11/2022
|
✓
Maths 2nd chapter
|
This digital approach is considered to be feasible. It
should be mentioned the fact that as all other applications it requires
dedication at the initial period of usage. Studies show that many people are
likely to better memorize things that are handwritten, rather than typed.
In terms of technological solutions, a nursing student
might as well use a recording device. You can record everything during the
lecture and once you are about to study that particular section, you can
re-listen to the recording.
Apart from these two types of solutions, a nursing
student might as well consider using his/ her laptop. The laptop will save
unnecessary time consumption in terms of keeping notes and organize them. By
using this method you can do everything at the same time from the same source
and you will just have to read and go through them once it is time to re-learn.
In case the lectures are involving slide presentations,
photos are considered to be a pro- active as well. Usually professors include
the core essence of the lesson in these photo slideshows. You can print these
as a visual studying aid.
Related: The
Top 10 Worries of Nurses
Non – Technological
methods for notes taking
Of course, there are several methods that can be
applied without the necessity of technological equipment. Not all nursing
students prefer a technological approach.
Here are some examples of how you can take notes,
traditionally with pen and paper:
o
Outlining Method
o
Cornell Method
o
Mapping Method
o
Charting Method
o Sentence
Method
Outlining Method –
This method is commonly found to be effective in cases of maths or other
science related lectures. This is an indenting based methodology. The most
known disadvantage of this method is the fact that it requires some planning
ahead during note-taking in terms of organizing the information. Still, it is
really effective in terms of outlining the prioritized information, and later
it will be easy to view.
Cornell Method –
Once you start taking notes in your notebook, you immediately tag this
information in the left side of the paragraph. This way you can get oriented
through the information even after several days. There are not recorded any
disadvantages of this method, considered it is a well-organized and clearly
structured way of information recording.
Mapping Method –
This method requires a considerable amount of concentration since it requires
the connection of every fact or attribute mentioned in the lecture with other
facts or attributes previously mentioned or to be mentioned. This methods
disadvantage is the fact that a nursing student might lose his or her focus
while trying to make a connection between the facts that have been already
mentioned.
Charting Method –
This method involves information categorizing through columns. As a matter of
fact, this method is best when you are dealing with the chronological type of
notes. It might fit with history classes.
Sentence Method –
This method is used when dealing with voluminous information. A nursing student
might fit into this category for some courses. You might take note of the main
sentence or idea of that specific fragment and then mention the page or the
section related to it in the book.
This method is found appropriate to manage large
quantities of information whilst in the class.
You know how difficult it is for a nursing student to
deal with incoming information on a daily basis. It may be necessary to seek
out some supportive information and tools that prove to be helpful during
lecture time. Keeping notes is really crucial to the proper ongoing studies
considering that each of us has our own individual approach towards new
information.
Related: Why do we have a Nursing Shortage?
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