Welcome to Episode 30 of Navigating Nursing School with Your Nursing Tutor. Today, youâll be hearing from Nurse Esther, the author of âNursing Audio NCLEX-RN Review Seriesâ.
Esther will be on the show to tell you her absolute best hack for how to maximize your study time…especially when you spend a lot of time âon-the-goâ while commuting, driving kids to soccer practice, washing dishes, walking dogs, or other âreal lifeâ activities.
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FIRST EXPERT TIP #1 – Start at the beginning
NEXT EXPERT TIP #6: How to save time and brain space in nursing school!
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Some links below may be referral linksâŠpurchases made from referral links donât cost you any extra, but may provide a commission that helps support Your Nursing Tutorâs free content, so thank you!
Links from Episode 30:
Esther’s NCLEX RN Review Audiobook: https://amzn.to/3B3D2y6
Esther’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/NCLEXaudio
“Demon under the Microscope” Audio Book: https://amzn.to/3zGTW5f
VIP Tutoring Membership: www.YourNursingTutor.com/VIP
Transcript for Episode 30
Before Esther shares her tip, I wanted to let you know that this is the fifth in a series of expert tips for new nursing students. Although honestly, most of the tips in this series can be used all throughout nursing school, and many even after youâre a new grad working your first nursing job, too.
So make sure that you subscribe to the podcast to be notified when each new tip is available, and make sure to listen to all the experts from the beginning of the series if you havenât already, because you definitely donât want to miss them.
By the way, if you donât already know me, my name is Nicole Whitworth, and Iâm a Registered Nurse who earned her BSN through an Accelerated 2nd Degree Program. Iâm also a professional nursing tutor with over 12+ years experience helping nursing students learn how to study in a way that teaches you to think like a nurse WHILE youâre still in nursing school, so that you can spend less time studying, get better grades, and feel confident when it comes time to take NCLEX and start your first nursing job.
Now let me introduce you to my guest expert for today, Nurse Esther.
Esther decided to go to nursing school as a supplement to her first career in Social Work and Hospital Administration. As a busy, working Mom, time management was essential to her success. She wanted a way to efficiently study while “on-the-go”, and promised herself that she would create a comprehensive audio resource for nursing students one day.
Esther knows that time is our most precious commodity and that your years in nursing school should not just be âwritten offâ like a lot of people will tell you to do. Instead, she insists that you should be able to spend quality time with your family, take care of yourself, eat well, and even exercise DESPITE being in nursing school. After graduating and getting some clinical experience, Esther decided to finally create the resource that she had wished for back in nursing school.
Earlier this year, her dream came true as she published an audio study guide for nursing students that would not only serve as a legacy for herself and her kids, but also help other busy nursing students live their best life while still in nursing school.
Her Audiobook “Nursing Audio NCLEX-RN Review Series”” is available on Amazon and Audible so that you can learn while you live, and I’ve got a direct link to it near the top of this page.
Here is Estherâs tip:
âThank you for having me on the show. This is Esther Beyderman, author of Nursing NCLEX RN Review Series.
When I started nursing school, somehow the world did not get the memo that I have just added 1000 more responsibilities to my already extremely busy day. I still had to keep working. And back then, most of us did not work from home. I had long drives to work. I also had to take care of the kids, my husband, and so many foster dogs…we currently have four.
What did all of that mean, in terms of my time? It meant I had a lot of driving to do: to work, from work, kids drop off, kids pick up, multiple dog walks. It also meant that I could not sit in front of the computer or carry textbooks in front of me.
I needed a way to utilize that space in my day. That space is the time that you spend doing chores, driving, walking your dog or any other mindless activities. I was desperate to fill it with study time. Back then there was nothing on the market to help me. So I would transcribe YouTube nursing lectures to audio to listen in the car.
It’s not very efficient.
So my advice for you is not to work hard. But to work smart.
Fill your day with small increments of study time, instead of cramming for hours in front of the computer. Learn while you live. That is your most precious commodity. I want you to live your fullest. I want you to live your best life.
The nursing school journey is not short. Don’t say goodbye to those years. Enjoy your life but at the same time, learn.â
Thank you, Esther, for your encouraging tip about how to continue living your life even during nursing school, while still maximizing your useful study time.
Now Iâd like to add a few thoughts of my own about Estherâs tips that she shared today.
I had a similar experience as she did in nursing school, with a long-ish commute to and from school. Some of my clinical sites were over an hour away from my house. So even though I didn’t have kids yet to run around to soccer practice, and the little dog that we had at the time didn’t require walks…I still found myself spending a LOT of time in the car. And I definitely agree with Esther…it felt like WASTED time.
So this is definitely good advice, and I did it back when I was in nursing school, too! I went to nursing school before Esther, and back then, I DID find an audio review book by a different author that I liked. I used to recommend it to nursing students for the exact reasons that Esther mentioned in her tip, and it definitely helped me have more free time to spend with my husband when we were both at home.
But the audiobook that I used hasnât been updated since I was in nursing school, and that was a looooong time ago. You can still get it, but itâs hard to find, expensive, and out-of-date…so whatâs the point, really? And itâs why I stopped recommending that particular one.
That’s why I was SOOO excited to discover Esther’s audiobook review, âNursing Audio NCLEX-RN Review Seriesâ. It’s very affordable, and available both through Amazon OR with an Audible membership. So you can either buy it one and done, or you can join Audible and maybe even get it for free because they usually have a deal where you can sign up for a Audible trial and download your first audiobook for free.
But I WILL say that if you go with the audible membership, I did that back in my nursing school days, so I have another really good book recommendation for you, too. I remember listening to this really interesting book called âThe Demon Under the Microscopeâ, which was about the history of sulfa drug, which was the first antibiotic medication. It was fascinating, and knowing that history still influences the way that I think about and view modern medical developments today. So I definitely recommend that book as well. But back to todayâs tip…
One thing I love about Estherâs audio book is that it has a very similar focus to the Silver Bullet Study System that I train my tutoring students to use in my VIP Tutoring Membership. Thatâs because it mimics the way that experienced nurses think, which helps you build your foundational level of knowledge before going on to review more advanced concepts (OR it helps you figure out where you need to go back and review, in a lot of cases too).
That way when you go on to try to understand the pathophysiology, symptoms, and nursing interventions, you can clearly tie them back to the normal Anatomy and Physiology. Studying this way helps you understand WHY everything happens, AND will help you retain it for the long-term, too.
I also like that Esther chose to organize the chapters in her book by body system, with additional chapters for Maternity, Pediatric, Psychiatric, and Pharmacology, so it’s a perfect supplement to help you review for your nursing classes while you’re on-the-go. Just listen to the chapter that your next test is on.
Plus, each chapter is narrated by a different teacher, so if you ever DO start to lose focus (not that that would EVER happen, of courseâŠ), then the voice change will signal you to get back to paying attention.
Nursing students get told ALL the time to âsay goodbyeâ to your friends and family during nursing school, and it really shouldnât have to be that way. Yes, there will be sacrifices involved, but you shouldnât have to put your entire life on hold for the 2 or more years that it takes to complete your nursing curriculum.
Especially if you’ve got a significant other or kids in the mix. Because kids grow up so fast, and you don’t want to completely miss that. Which is why it’s SOOO important to be intentional and smart with your study time, and take advantage of every moment you can.
Actually, another way to be intentional and smart with your study time so that you can be more efficient AND get better grades AND feel more confident in nursing school, is to join the Your Nursing Tutor VIP Tutoring Membership, too.
Itâs my affordable membership that gives you direct access to ask me your questions, and get all the benefits of MY 12+ years of experience as a professional nursing tutor. So not only can Estherâs audio review book help you make the most of your studying âdown-timeâ, but I can help you make the most of your ACTIVE study time by making sure youâre studying the right things in the right ways. Then you can get done and move on to other important priorities in your life…like your kids, your spouse, and even your job. You can get more information and sign-up by going to www.YourNursingTutor.com/vip
And again, if you want to connect more with Nurse Esther, youâll find a link to her Facebook page near the top of this page, and there’s also a link to where you can buy her audio Review Book on Amazon, or join the Audible membership to get it that way.
As I mentioned earlier, Estherâs tip is the fifth in a series of tips for new nursing students from over 2 dozen different experts…and in our next episode, Nurse Denetra, founder of the Nursing Education and Study Center, will be revealing where you can find some of the most important information in your textbook…even though most nursing students will completely overlook this.
So if youâd like to hear her tip along with other essential advice from experienced nurses and nursing students who have been in your shoes (and lived to tell the tale), then make sure to subscribe to this podcast to be notified when the next episode in this series goes live.
And while youâre subscribing, if you liked todayâs tip and are looking forward to the upcoming tips as well, please leave a rating and review on iTunes or your favorite podcast app to let me know! A 5-Star review with 1-2 sentences of your honest opinion goes a looong way towards helping other nursing students find these tips, AS WELL AS motivating me to create even more useful resources like this for you in the future.
One last thing…remember that I am available to help you work smarter, NOT harder when studying for nursing school. All you have to do is try the Your Nursing Tutor VIP Tutoring Membership for free to see if itâs a good fit for you. I USED to charge $75 PER HOUR for individual tutoring, so this membership is a MUCH more affordable way to get expert guidance from me on how to tackle nursing school in a way that will have you feeling confident instead of stressed. The tutoring Membership comes with curated resources youâll need to conquer all the common nursing school challenges, and also includes live tutoring sessions, trainings, and a private Facebook group so you can ask questions anytime.
That means no more crying because you just discovered that youâre basically expected to teach yourself everything in nursing school…instead, let me show you how to save time on your reading while still learning exactly what you need to know, by joining today at www.YourNursingTutor.com/vip
Until next time, good luck on your nursing journey!
Nicole Whitworth is the founder of Your Nursing Tutor. She has a BSN and an MA in Clinical Psychology, and has been a professional nursing tutor for over 12+ years. Nicole specializes in getting nursing students through school confidently and calmly so that everything finally “clicks”. She is also the creator of the Silver Bullet Study System, an easy-to-follow study method that automatically trains your brain to become a nurse at the same time that you study for your normal nursing classes.