How to Juggle Life, Work, and Nursing School

Difficulty balancing life, work, and school

It’s no secret that nursing school requires a significant time commitment. For some, nursing is a second career; they may be parents and caregivers or working full-time. Students can quickly start to feel stretched thin between prerequisites to enter nursing school, coursework once in the program, clinical rotations, and studying for the NCLEX. Here are some ways to adjust the competing priorities of school, work, and life:

• Create a schedule:?A daily and weekly schedule will allow you to visualize your projects and tasks.?A schedule will also allow you to plan time to devote to school, work, and family commitments. Developing good time management skills now will help you navigate nursing school and benefit you tremendously once you become a nurse. If you’re interested in learning more about time management, be sure to check out more information from NurseHub?here.?
• Set realistic goals:?Setting realistic goals is a great way to keep yourself on task and motivated. Once you accomplish these goals, tasks will be completed, and your self-esteem and confidence can improve! When setting your goals, focus on creating specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely goals.?
• Stay Organized:?Organization is key to maintaining balance while adjusting to the heavy demands of nursing school. Stay organized by creating a quiet, organized workspace in your home that is devoted to studying. Keep books, your laptop, notes, pens, and paper nearby for easy access. You can also invest in a simple schedule planner and note binders to keep notes organized for your classes.?
• Practice self-care:?Besides balancing school, work, and life, set aside time consistently for self-care. Use this time to do things meaningful and special to you, such as reading, enjoying hobbies, or even pampering yourself with a pedicure. Make sure to check out NurseHub’s blog about self-care?here.?

Learning a Fast and Varied Curriculum

While in school, you’ll be learning lots…and I mean lots of valuable information. You’ll learn about anatomy & physiology, pharmacology, critical care, labor and delivery, and even geriatric nursing, which can seem daunting for some. Understand that as a nurse, you’ll be a career learner, meaning that as you transition throughout your career, you’ll learn many different and unique skill sets. While you’re in school, make sure to set aside dedicated study time consistently. It may also be helpful to create a study group of a few classmates while in school. It will give you a chance to share study styles and help you form a support network that can help encourage each other.?

In addition, understanding your adult learning style will also help ease any anxieties you may have about learning so much new content. Understanding how you best learn will allow you to develop successful study habits.???

Read the rest of the blog here: https://nursehub.com/common-challenges-nursing-students-face-in-nursing-school/