Module 3Test Anxiety

Study Techniques 1

• Test Anxiety• Learning Styles• Study environment• Using A&P

• Where does it come from?

• Where does it come from?– Our negative thoughts!

• “I can’t do this”• “It’s too much information”• “The teachers never taught this to me, how can I be

expected to know it?”

• Where does it come from?– Our negative thoughts!

• “I can’t do this”• “It’s too much information”• “The teachers never taught this to me, how can I be

expected to know it”

•“I’ll never pass!”•“And I’ll never become an RN!”

• How does our Test Anxiety influence us?

• How much time do you spend on negative thoughts about nursing school?

• How much time do you spend on positive thoughts about nursing school?

• Reduce Test Anxiety using the 3 R’s:– Realize your negative thoughts– Remove your negative thoughts– Replace with positive thoughts

• Step 1: Thought Stopping– Rubber band technique

• Step 2: Thought Replacing– Replace negative thoughts with positive, realistic thoughts

• Repeat positive phrase Morning and Night• Post-it Notes• Mirror Message• Lunch Message

• Week One– Same number of thoughts, Less time spent on

them

• Week Two– Less number of thoughts, AND Less time spent

on them!

Beck et al. 2001

• Tactile (Kinesthetic)• Auditory• Visual

• Tactile (Kinesthetic)– Walking/moving hands while reviewing– Drawing/Modeling– Feeling (on yourself, or a willing friend)

• Auditory• Visual

• Tactile (Kinesthetic)• Auditory

– Vango Notes– Talking out loud (or just moving your lips)– Read textbook (voice in head…)– Recording– Lecture

• Visual

• Tactile (Kinesthetic)• Auditory• Visual

– Draw pictures/diagrams– Read text, look at pictures– Create charts

• Environment• Distractions• Study tools

• Environment• Distractions• Study tools

If you Fail to Plan, you Plan to Fail!

• Lighting• Noise level• Comfort• Distractions• Resources

• What gets YOU?– Email– Texting– Phone calls– Kids– Being tired– Being hungry (or eating too much junk!)

• What gets YOU?– Email– Texting– Phone calls– Kids– Being tired– Being hungry (or eating too much junk!)

• What can you do about it?– Remember Tyranny of the Urgent?

• What do you need to study?

• Textbooks– (Anatomy & Physiology)– Medical-Surgical– Maternity– Pediatrics– Psychiatric– Fundamentals– Drug Guide– Medical Dictionary– Nursing Diagnosis Handbook– Manual of Diagnostic and Lab Tests– ONE NCLEX Review Book (not 10!)

• Textbooks– (Anatomy & Physiology)– Medical-Surgical– Maternity– Pediatrics– Psychiatric– Fundamentals– Drug Guide– Medical Dictionary– Nursing Diagnosis Handbook– Manual of Diagnostic and Lab Tests– ONE NCLEX Review Book (not 10!)

• Textbooks– (Anatomy & Physiology)– Medical-Surgical– Maternity– Pediatrics– Psychiatric– Fundamentals– Drug Guide– Medical Dictionary– Nursing Diagnosis Handbook– Manual of Diagnostic and Lab Tests– ONE NCLEX Review Book (not 10!)

• Textbooks– (Anatomy & Physiology)– Medical-Surgical– Maternity– Pediatrics– Psychiatric– Fundamentals– Drug Guide– Medical Dictionary– Nursing Diagnosis Handbook– Manual of Diagnostic and Lab Tests– ONE NCLEX Review Book (not 10!)

• Textbooks– (Anatomy & Physiology)– Medical-Surgical– Maternity– Pediatrics– Psychiatric– Fundamentals– Drug Guide– Medical Dictionary– Nursing Diagnosis Handbook– Manual of Diagnostic and Lab Tests– ONE NCLEX Review Book (not 10!)

• How do I know if I need to review?• When is the best time to review?• How much or how long should I review?

• How do I know if I need to review?– Can you explain the anatomy to a classmate?

• How about a non-nursing student?

– Are you fuzzy on the secretions of that system?– Has it been a looooong time since you thought

about it?– Can you make an educated guess as to what

would happen if that organ stopped working?

• When is the best time to review?– At the beginning of a new unit

• During Med-Surg when you cover your first GI disorder

• When you start GI in Pediatrics

– When you come across something you don’t understand OR don’t have an obvious explanation for

• WHY does that problem cause that symptom?• i.e. Why do you see weight loss in Crohn’s disease,

but not in Ulcerative Colitis?

• How much or how long should I review?– Start with an overview of the system

• Reminds you of what you don’t know

– Identify the functions– Identify secretions (hormones, enzymes, etc)– Spend short amount of time at beginning of each study session (15 minutes)

• Also refer back while studying disease• Continue until you are confident teaching the A&P

to someone else!

• How to Review– Sketch system “flow”– Identify/label major parts– Explain function of each part– Memorize major secretions (hormones,

proteins, enzymes, etc)• Memorize their function

– Relate organ to multiple systems