Great question.
Many nursing students are forced, required, and asked to use ATI through nursing school including end-of-semester ATI exams ( that have nothing to do with what they are taught BTW).
Obviously, we know how valuable NURSING.com is for the student using ATI, but when Erin (a nursing student and member of NURSING.com) reached out back in 2018, to tell us she scored level 3 on EVERY ATI exam using NURSING.com . . . I asked her to share her story and tips.
But first . . . check out her ATI scores after using NURSING.com.
Iâd say scoring ALL LEVEL 3s calls for a victory dance
So, Iâm gonna let Erin take it over from here . . .
I began my Nursing journey in Jan 2018. We started with Skills Lab, Fundamentals, Med Surg 1, and Clinicals for Med Surg.
We also were introduced to ATI and informed that by the end of the semester we would be taking our first ATI Proctored Exam for Fundamentals.
I found NURSING.com mid-way into fundamentals, I did the trial and decided to subscribe. I first began with the cheat sheets. I will admit, I didnât really delve too much into NURSING.com because I was so overwhelmed with the program as a whole to begin with.
I used ATI for the practice tests in the beginning.
The quizzes that were available for me by my school in the Learn tab, the Orientation and Nurse Logic videos and practice questions to begin with ATI also. We had to have 90% on both Practice A and B before taking the final. At the proctored exam I saw a LOT of things that I had not studied. I realized that I was not good at dissecting the question, I could definitely use work in my test taking abilities. I ended up with an 80% (96th Percentile) but ended with a level 2.
After I took that exam, I realized that I needed to begin intentionally using NURSING.com. The summer semester was Med Surg 2, Pharmacology, and Med Surg 2 Clinicals.
I began with the Test taking Course on NURSING.com. This my friends was the MVP for me. Especially the Note taking , what is NCLEX, and Test taking strategies lessons.
After doing this course, I began to kick myself for not utilizing this in first semester.
The Pharm course I started before taking pharm. I downloaded cheat sheets and once I got the syllabus I began to mark what parts of the pharm course would coincide with my syllabus. The videos on med administration for NG tube, injections, and crushing/cutting were very helpful for Clinicals also. The video worksheets are definitely a bonus. There is so much information and finally learning how to navigate it all and applying it I felt a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders!
By learning good time management and developing a plan, I felt for the first time confident!
Using ATI, we again had to have Pharm A and B with 90% or higher to be able to take the final. We are able to take these exams over and over until we reach the 90 or higher.
The first time I take the exam, I donât use my ATI book or texts. I give first chance to see how well I do. Once I have the first score, I open up the report to see all of my problem areas. I make a list of everything that I missed using that report and then I went back to NURSING.com to see where those topics were found in the pharm course.
I looked for videos, podcasts, cheat sheets all that related to the topics I missed in ATI. I did this for both test a and b. I used my ATI quizzes for pharm under the learn tab. There was also an ATI pharm flashcard set for $15 that I decided to buy and utilize for each section of meds that we were going over.
At the end of the semester I took the Pharm ATI Proctor and was the only person in my class to score Level 3 with a 76% (97th percentile).
This is where I had my Ah-Ha moment that NURSING.com with ATI works!
Now in my final semester with Peds/OB; Med Surg 3, and a brief Mental Health section, along with 2 clinicals and capstone this was my most difficult semester!
For our last semester, we had to do mental health, med surg, comprehensive, peds, and ob both A and B tests all with 90% or above in order to take the proctored for each one.
Our last proctored exam for ATI is the PN Comprehensive for finals. I started doing the exact same thing as before. Doing the practice tests on ATI, doing the focused review and using those topics to find in NURSING.com. Then find the cheat sheets, podcasts, videos, etc to begin to review what I had missed.
Through lectures in each class I used the Note taking technique to begin doing outlines â and began to record lectures to help fill in my outlines at a later time. The Peds milestones outlines were a huge help to fill in during lecture. There are a few things different between PN and RN courses, but I was very thankful to find all that I needed. I just didnât focus on the extra stuff or information that did not pertain to PN. I didnât want to overwhelm myself with information that I didnât need to know yet.
With each disease process that I didnât understand fully, I looked at patho, care plans, mnemonics, cheat sheets to get additional information on that. Using the info from each topic from NURSING.com, I found the same topics in my ATI. Using them both of them together, I was able to grasp and retain information so much better.
The last semester, although being my hardest semester, has been my best semester academically. I am proud to say that using NURSING.com along with ATI I passed my Med Surg with Level 3 (75.6% in the 92nd percentile). Mental health with level 3 (86% and 98th percentile). Maternal/Newborn with level 3 (80% 97th percentile). And Peds Level 3 (86.7% in the 99th percentile).
The tools that are available inside NURSING.com are amazing. This has been my best investment for my education hands down. The books, cheat sheets, must know meds, head to toe assessment ,and so much more! I donât think I would have made it this far had it not been for NURSING.com. Jon Haws is setting up Nursing students like myself for success!
This Works!!
With the only comprehensive ATI left to take, I am using the same methods for that as I used for the others. Also utilizing the RN mentor app from ATI, and NPQ w/ NURSING.com. Along with taking all the available quizzes that my school has open for me in ATI also. At the end of the program for me now, itâs questions, questions, questions. Learning how to break down the question, test taking strategies, and understanding the rationales.
Taking NCLEX in a couple weeks. *fingers crossed*
-Erin
I really want to thank Erin for taking the time to share and being vulnerable with her journey.
Our mission at NURSING.com is to end the nursing shortage. We want to help you!
If you are currently using ATI at your school. Get started with a NURSING.com Account and take the Test Taking Course which includes tips on passing the NCLEX as well as how to create study schedules, pass nursing school tests, and more . . . then let me know how it helps!
âThe biggest problem I am having with nursing school is the figure out a good study pattern.â
It seems that every nursing student is searching for the elusive âBest Nursing Studying Hackâ of all time, but does it exist or is it just a myth? Donât you wish there is a cheat sheet on what study pattern would work great for you? How come some nursing students seem to just slay their way through nursing school and some feel that theyâre being buried under tons of study material?
What I often tell new nursing students is that they must learn to view themselves the same way nurses ought to view their patients. Treat each and every person as an individual because only then will you be able to create an individualized care plan (or in your case, a study plan) that truly works!
I mean, look at this: how often have you tried a much raved-about product only to find out that it totally sucks? How many times did you go to a restaurant to sample some popular delicious dishes only to go home disappointed?
The thing is, what may work for one person may not work for another, so the best way to figure out a good study pattern is to have an in-depth assessment of your study habits, preferences, learning style, and personality type.
Yes, youâve read that right, weâll have to include your personality type to find out some good âole nursing study tips for you! Keep reading and find out why thatâs something you should consider when working out a study pattern that rocks!
You canât help it, like it or not, you do have your own preferences and learning style. The sooner you realize this and go for what you like versus what everyone else is doing, the better you can focus on just studying and actually figuring out a mode of action that works for you.
Sure, there are various learning styles depending on what reference or model you may refer to but the gist is that you are either visual or auditory in your preferences. Most people fall into one, along with a mix of kinesthetic learning and having to read or write something in order to remember it.
Chances are, you are already aware about what sort of material appeals the most to you. That should give you a clue in determining what type of learner you are. See below:
Learning style self-assessment may be one of the best favors youâll ever do for yourself. Just in case youâre still not sure what your learning style and preference is, then be sure to find out soon!
For the sake of making your life (and mine) easier, weâll just tackle extroverts and introverts for the personality types. The Myer-Briggs Personality Type Indicator or the MBTI is also cool, but ainât nobody got time for that!
I know, Iâm just kidding; but hey, discussing 16 personality types is a whole book in itself! So letâs go back to the introvert learner and the extrovert learner, shall we?
If you find that youâre much happier and more content doing things by yourself than with a group, then youâre most likely an introvert!
Sure you can be comfortable in a study hall surrounded by other students but if youâd really much rather listen to your audiobook or read your notes than participate in group projects or group studies, then embrace your introverted self and try to cultivate a study pattern that nurtures your strengths.
Youâd certainly do well:
If you find yourself getting psyched up for group projects and eagerly anticipating some âquietâ study time with your study buddy, then youâre mostly an extrovert!
Extrovert learners (such as yourself) do well-receiving feedback from someone else and/or receiving information from someone else in order to process data better. You live for the thrill of using flashcards, look forward to social opportunities for studying, and just feel that something is missing if the library just doesnât have âenoughâ people.
Since you get energy from outside stimuli, youâd certainly learn more by:
Now that weâve gone through figuring out what type of learner you probably are, letâs take a look at what study pattern may suit you well plus some tips that may work with you!
Working Dog: Extrovert + Auditory/Reader-Writer/Visual
Plan your study sessions right after class or in between classes. Nothing gets your tail wagging as having someone or a group to provide some learning reinforcement. You just go to have feedback and youâll be as happy as a clam!
Tortoise All the Way: Introvert + Kinesthetic/Auditory
Plan your study sessions throughout the day, preferably repeating some things or going over your material twice. Slow and steady does it for you!
Curious Kitty Cat: Introvert + Visual/Auditory/Reader-Writer
Plan your study sessions on a quiet time and arm yourself with plenty of highlighters, post-its, and some colorful paper. Your roommates will most probably discover that youâre mostly engrossed in your studies late at night or early in the morning; oh, and on the internet forums!
Fast and Furious Hare: Extrovert + Visual/Kinesthetic
Plan your study sessions when youâre most active. Youâre always on the go, love studying apps, and are always on the lookout for studying hacks. Cramming may be your thing as long as you have someone to cram with!
You may have noticed the very deliberate use of the word YOU throughout this blog. That is because there is no such thing as one size fits all in life, more so when it comes to studying. The best study pattern is really just whatever works for you!
Try to read the blog again and identify what type of learner you are plus what your studying spirit animal is. Weâre not promising that the suggested study patterns above will work perfectly, but hey, it wonât hurt to try them right? No one wants to be crying when nursing school finals week comes!
Nursing school is a beast all its own. Learning how to study so that you can ace your classes can be a challenge. In this episode, I offer 5 study tips that I used to graduate with a 3.8 and secure Summa Cum Laude honors.
The 5 tips I discuss are:
Yes, nursing school is hard, but once you figure out the system and learn how to play the game you can make the entire journey much easier and insure that you pass the NCLEXÂź with ease.
At my first meeting in nursing school, the director of the school of nursing got up to speak in front of the new nursing class. She started her speech by saying:
âEveryone look to your left, now everyone look to your right. One of the people sitting next to you will not be here by the time you graduate. One in three students will fail out of this program.â
Then she paused for dramatic effect and proceeded to tell everyone how hard everything is going to be. Donât get me wrong, nursing school is hard, but be prepared for everyone to tell you just how hard it is. All.The.Time.
If number one didnât sufficiently warn you enough, I will re-iterate it here: nursing school is scary! You have no idea what you got yourself into.
They will try to tell you every extra fee ahead of time but inevitably there will be another fee for another thing that you absolutely must have.
The single best thing you can do for your education as a nurse and your nursing career.
Bathroom breaks, study times, meals, etc. Budgeting your time is a very important part of staying sane in nursing school.
Check them two, three, four, ten times.
Split the work up and meet together afterward to study. Each person takes a chapter, reads it, takes notes, then teaches it to the group. It helps make the workload less daunting if you are only responsible for thoroughly reading a chapter or two.
All those notes you take in class, any paper you write, any document at all, load it to your google drive. You can share it with people and most importantly have all your work with you no matter where you are. True story: I wrote a paper and when I went to turn it in I noticed a typo⊠Asked the professor if I could step out for just a minute, ran to the computer lab, pulled up my document from google drive to Microsoft word, fixed the typo, and turned in a perfect paper.
Iâm not talking about the handwritten flashcards, Iâm talking about one of the most useful apps Iâve ever spent my money on gFlash+, buy this app! Create a document in your google drive using âsheetsâ which is googles version of excel. In column A type all of your questions, in column B type all your answers. When in your gFlash+ app, download the spreadsheet and they automatically place themselves onto the front and back virtual flashcards that you can shuffle, split, or combine with any other set of flashcards you make. I like to do this as I read my chapters. If I came across any information I felt I should know I would turn it into a question and put it on a spreadsheet for that chapter.
So basically what I am trying to tell you is that Nursing School is intimidating and you will need to get ahead of the game. You can get ahead of the game if you organize, prepare, and work smarter not harder! Good luck with the new chapter you are writing in your life!