As a nursing student there is a lot that goes on during senior year. There are quite a few things that you have to coordinate and things don’t get easier. They continue to get more challenging the closer you get to graduation. Here are some of my tips to staying off of the struggle bus during that last year.
1. Start working on your resume slowly throughout the year.That way whenever you start applying for jobs you won’t be faced with that daunting task. If you search “nursing resumes” on Pinterest, there are a lot of great examples.
2. Cultivate a good professional relationship with your clinical instructors, other nurses, and physicians you work with.
These become great references and they can give you some great advice.
3. When each semester starts, make a check list of every single exam, quiz, paper, and final. Then check each one off as you go.
It makes the mountain of work much easier to tackle.
4. Start looking for jobs in January.
This will get you familiar with the process before the heat is on later in the semester. Also, a lot of hospitals have new graduate residences with applications becoming available at the beginning of the year. New grad residences are AMAZING. Apply early! In the area that asks for your license number, just put “license pending”.
5. Figure out the process of actually obtaining your license in your state.
I didn’t do this early enough, so when I was trying to get my NCLEX scheduled and get all of that legal paper work together, I was stressed to the max. I went to school out of state, took my exam in another state, and practiced in another. (I know, I’m difficult.) Seriously, it was terrible because I didn’t plan ahead and do my research. Figure out a step-by-step checklist of what you need to do specifically before you graduate.
6. Manage your time appropriately so that you’re not cramming the night before.
If you follow my recommendation from point #3, you’ll be able to look at your semesters as a whole. Write on your calendar when you’re going to study, when you’re going to write your papers, and when you’re going to relax. If you’re not proactive about your time management, you’ll be super stressed because there is an absurd amount of things to complete in the last year. I know planning time to relax isn’t relaxing, but seriously, if you don’t plan for it, it won’t happen. And you need to find time away from nursing.
7. Don’t forget to take care of yourself.
Eat right, exercise, and get good sleep. You don’t want to feel terrible for the next two semesters! If you manage your nursey time appropriately and are disciplined enough, you should be able to find time to do these things.
8. Black out social media when you’re studying.
I know how it is. You have Facebook minimized, Twitter open on your phone, or Instagram notifications keep coming up. It’s super distracting when you’re trying to focus so you inevitably spend more time studying because you’re not being efficient. Turn your notifications off, close out everything on your browser, turn off Netflix, and focus. 30 minutes of intensely focused studying is much better than 2 hours of studying while you’re half paying attention and shifting your focus every 3 minutes. You retain more knowledge with focused studying. Be intentional with your time!
9. Keep your head up.
It will be over soon, I promise. Soon you’ll be able to go to work, come home and not worry about studying. You can get to all of those DIY projects and recipes you’ve pinned on Pinterest. Seriously, it’s the best.
Speaking of that, I’m going to go make a frozen vanilla bean latte from a recipe I found off of Pinterest. Oh, and I have the next three days off because nursey schedules are awesome. The nurse life is awesome. And you’re almost there!