Taking Quality Notes in Nursing School

Do your nursing classes make you feel like you're trying to drink from a fire hose? Do you leave class wondering if and how you will remember everything you heard? One of the secrets to long-term retention is taking quality notes while in class. Here are my top 5 tips for doing just that.

1. Get the PowerPoint ahead of time if possible.

If your teacher uses PowerPoint, see if you can get a copy of the presentation before class and print it out. I usually print mine out with two slides per page and room for notes. This allows you to focus on what the teacher is teaching, rather than copying down every word from the slide. You can also simply work from the PowerPoint on your computer and take notes directly in PowerPoint.

2. Don't write down every word the teacher says.

Listen for key ideas and summarize in your mind as you take notes. This helps you to process the information rather than simply recording it. Pay attention for phrases like "in summary, most importantly, first, next, causes" etc.

3. Use different colors to organize information.

Maybe the lecture covers various respiratory conditions: use a different color for each new condition. Maybe the lecture is all about the immune system: use a different color for each type of white blood cell. Maybe the lecture discusses medications: use a different color for the route, purpose, side effects, etc.

4. Draw pictures and use arrows, numbered lists, etc. to organize information.

Be creative! If cartoons help you think through information, draw a quick cartoon to illustrate a disease process. Nursing is so much more about processes rather than straight facts, so use arrows and lists to show how different factors affect others. Blood flow through the heart, endocrine glands and hormones, immune response: all of these things are more easily drawn than written out. 

5. Review your notes as soon as possible. 

Repetition = Remembering. After your class, go back through your notes. Don't wait until the night before the next test. Read through your notes and review them. The more you expose yourself to the information, the more familiar it will become and the more you will remember. 


Cheering you on,

Laura, RN

If I can help you with anything in your nursing journey, feel free to reach out!
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