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Time Management Tips for Accelerated Nursing Programs

Key Takeaways

  • Effective time management is crucial for success in fast-paced, accelerated nursing programs.
  • Employ active learning techniques and spaced repetition to improve information retention.
  • Form study groups for collaborative learning and support.
  • Prioritize tasks using digital tools to manage your schedule effectively.

Perhaps more than anything else, accelerated nursing programs require outstanding time management skills from students. There simply isn’t any time to waste when trying to fit a nursing education into a condensed timeline – you need to make the most of every day in order to get it all done and make it through graduation on time.

Time management for accelerated nursing students might be challenging, but it doesn’t need to be impossible. There are plenty of strategies and techniques that can be used to get a lot done in a short amount of time. This page is going to present some effective study strategies for accelerated nursing so you can thrive in your program and be ready to hit the ground running when the time comes to apply for positions.

Related:

What is Expected in an Accelerated Nursing Program?

It’s important to know what you are getting into with an accelerated nursing program before the first day of school even arrives. As we already mentioned, the curriculum is demanding in these programs, and as a result, balancing life and accelerated nursing school can be quite difficult.

Ultimately, you are going to be expected to work through all of the coursework in this program within a range short timeframe of between 12 – 24 months. The exact timeline will depend on a few different factors, but you’ll be trying to get it all done in less than half the time provided in a traditional nursing program. This is why productivity tips for nursing students in these programs are so important. Without the right approach in place, you’ll likely fall behind and have trouble getting caught up.

In addition to having a lot of work to do and not much time to do it, that work is going to be challenging. Learning what you need to know to become a nurse in the real world takes focus, critical thinking, memorization, and more.

Building Some Great Habits

With an accelerated program, you don’t really have time to work your way into good study patterns. Instead, you need to hit the ground running and start with some solid habits in place right from day one. Good scheduling techniques for accelerated nursing programs will make sure you don’t fall behind and are able to maintain a comfortable pace that prevents burnout during this intense program.

As a starting point, consider implementing some or all of the following habits and techniques to master your study sessions.

  • Commit to active learning. If you just sit back and read everything that you are supposed to know, it’s going to be tough to retain much of that information to recall it later. Sure, some of it will stick, but a lot of it will be lost along the way. The answer to this problem is known as active learning. With active learning, you engage in the material in a variety of ways, including discussing it with others or even attempting to teach it to someone else. Find ways to be involved with the material, and you’ll be amazed at how much easier it becomes to remember it later.
  • Try spaced repetition. Countless students fall into the pattern of waiting until the last moment to “cram” for a test – and that plan rarely works out well. Instead, try scheduling spaced repetition sessions where you can study for a short period of time over and over again. So, maybe you set aside 20 minutes each night to study the same thing for a week. That first 20-minute session alone might not do much, but after doing it seven days in a row, you can be sure that you’ll have that material down pat.
  • Create a study group. Everything is easier when you work together with other people. As soon as school starts, work on building a study group that can get together – either physically or virtually – to study in a team environment where everyone is supportive and working towards the same goal.

Striking the Right Balance for Sustainability

There is no doubt about the value and importance of efficient study habits for nursing students. With that said, there is another element that is going to be critical throughout your program – finding balance in your life. At first, it’s easy to think that you’ll be able to just bear down and do nothing but work and study for the whole year – or two – that it takes to finish the program.

That kind of determination is admirable, but it rarely works out. Everyone needs balance in life, and managing the workload in accelerated nursing is just as important as it is in every other endeavor.

The best way to deal with this factor is to schedule your personal activities just like you schedule your classes, studying, work, and more. For example, if you want to keep up with fitness habits, schedule 30 – 45 minutes for a workout most days of the week. You need to respect those scheduled blocks just as much as you respect the time for studying, as they are critical to sustaining yourself. Time management skills in nursing education don’t just tie directly to the education itself, but also to how you care for yourself as a person.

It’s important to note that those personal times you schedule could include any of a number of different activities – it doesn’t have to be just exercise. It could be planning time to meet a friend for coffee, going for a walk at your favorite park, seeing a movie in a theater, etc. Make time for the things you love, and you’ll come back to your studies feeling refreshed and ready for more work.

Mastering the Art of Prioritization

There is going to be a lot to do in your program, and you’ll quickly realize when you get started that you can’t do it all at once. One of the best accelerated nursing program organization tips we can offer is to make sure to always prioritize the work that you do based on what is most urgent.

This is where some digital planning tools can come into play. Use a scheduling app or tool that allows you to lay out everything you are facing in a single interface so you can prioritize what needs to happen and when. Have an exam coming up on a particular topic? Schedule study time for that specific test so you aren’t caught off guard, and push some of your other work back a bit to make time.

It will stress you out to no end if you leave all of these things in your head and try to keep them organized. Using some type of system to see everything in front of you, and to be able to update the calendar as things change, will make it much easier to keep up and avoid that feeling of dread that comes with wondering if you have forgotten anything.

Leaning on the Available Support

Nursing school is not something that you should try to go through all on your own. Especially not an accelerated nursing program. Sure, it will be up to you to pass your tests, perform well in clinical placements, and ultimately earn your license, but plenty of support is available along the way.

No matter what program you are in, there should be resources available in that program that you can lean on to help you when times get tough. Those resources include academic advisors, study groups, and even peers – you might be surprised at how many people are willing and able to lend a hand. In return, you can do your best to help others when things are going well for you and others are struggling. Through working together, everyone will improve and the process will be more successful across the board.

Closing Thoughts

By making a plan for prioritizing tasks in nursing school and making the most of your time, you will give yourself the best possible chance for success. Make no mistake, this process is still going to be challenging even with the best time management system, but at least you’ll be positioning yourself properly to get things done and keep up with the pace of the program. We wish you the best of luck in this endeavor!