Seniors

A Message to the Class of 2012

Dear Fellow Senior Nursing Students:

Class of 2012!!!!! Woohoo!!!!

Yay!!!! Junior year is over!!! I know you have all heard that junior year is the hardest year and in many ways it is. Junior year in Nursing at Felician is when everything comes together and you start to apply the many skills you have learned in Clinical. Senior year is no different, you just continue to apply and enforce the skills you have developed. I remember at the start of my Senior year, I felt somewhat relieved I expected the year to be easier. My recommendation is to continue to take great care of yourself and do not get fooled into thinking you can sit back and relax. Senior year is as challenging as any other year at Felician.

As a Senior Nursing student you have developed skills that will make you a stronger student. You also have developed a sense of community within Felician as a nursing student. Remember to stick together, we all have different strengths and weaknesses, and you learn when you help teach within a study group. Just remember you come together to study not socialize, complain, and bring each other down. Stay positive, and be sure you take care of your own anxiety by getting plenty of sleep, exercising, and eating right.

In addition to these general bits of advice, I recommend using the nursing resource center. There are great videos available there that help you focus on information that is important. I really recommend using the Judith Miller Review Videos. The Miller videos are broken down by topic so it is easy to focus in on a really good review. Read, Read, Read, I know you hear this all the time, but that is because it works also do tons of practice questions. The NCLEX 4000 is great and is available in the Resource Center as well, be sure to read the rationales. Use the Hesi Review book to help you focus in on the reading material. I would for example look over the Pediatric section of the Hesi book before an exam and read areas in the text book that correspond to better understand what was reviewed in the hesi book. For clinical I recommend buying the small pocket guides for RN. It was a quick and easy way to reference information when I got confused. Also during clinical or lecture if I hear something I did not understand, I would jot it down and make sure I looked it up as soon as I got home. Lastly, use You Tube to watch really great assessment videos. I found it easier to study when I mixed things up. If you just read you will get bored and frustrated. We all learn better when we try different things.

Stay organized so that when you study for an exam your notes are not all over the place. It is hard to study if you are rummaging through paperwork just to find your notes. Also try your very best to stay ahead with written assignments. When you stay ahead that leaves you more time to study and read before exam. Lastly ask for help, from your professors and your fellow classmates. As nurses we need to depend on each other, teamwork is crucial, so stick together and you will get the another tough year.

I know how hard it is to stay focused and positive when you are juggling clinical, classes, assignments, and a home life. So get down on your knees if you have to, take deeps breaths, and smile. An article written by me would not be complete if I didn’t mention Lavender Oil. I would always carry a small bottle of Lavender oil and distribute it to my classmates before exams. It really works to calm you down, rub it into your hand, massage your temples and take deep breaths. Go for a massage if you really feel overwhelmed. Stay Positive!!! Write little notes to yourself as a reminder that you are doing great, and that you will get through. You are all closer than you know to watching your dreams come true!!! I wish you all the best during your senior year, and I am sure I will be working with some of you in the near future. If you have any questions or need suggestions please email me @ celinapolkowski@nurseiam.com and I will try to help you my best to help you. Good Luck and Stick Together!!!!

Kind Regards,

Celina Polkowski, RN, BSN
Graduate 2011 - Felician College