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As a nursing student, the Fundamentals of Nursing is one of the first courses you’ll take, likely in your first year. The fundamentals of nursing are a set of core beliefs that nurses can use to guide their practice.
Nursing fundamentals courses provide nursing students with a foundation of knowledge and skills essential to their success as a nurse. It provides the basics of everyday nursing practice.
With the right strategy, you can pass your Nursing Fundamentals course with ease.
What are the Fundamentals of Nursing?
The fundamentals of nursing are based on the idea that nurses should be able to take care of patients in a respectful and compassionate way, while also being safe. It’s designed to give students a foundation in what it means to be a nurse, from the history of the profession, to its modern-day practice, to its future.
On one hand, this means that nurses must be comfortable with taking on responsibilities like assessing patients’ needs, monitoring data, and making decisions based on what they see and hear. And on the other hand, nurses must also be aware of their own needs as they relate to their profession, so they don’t burn out or become overwhelmed by their work.
The skills covered in this course typically include taking vital signs, administering medications, and administering IV treatments. You’ll also learn about infection control, prevention, and what to do in an emergency.
What’s Included in Nursing Fundamentals
- Safety
- Nursing process (assessment, planning, implementation, evaluating)
- Patient prioritization
- Scope of practice
- Patient assessment
- Writing care plans
- Nursing interventions
8 Tips for Studying Nursing Fundamentals
- Use flashcards to memorize key facts.
- Don’t cram the night before an exam. Cramming doesn’t allow for adequate time to comprehend new information into existing knowledge.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions, during or after lectures.
- Identify your strengths and weaknesses. This will help guide your studying strategy.
- Try different study methods. Not every study method is one-size-fits-all – find what helps you retain information the most effectively.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you’re struggling with something, your classmates are likely in the same boat. Reach out to your professor, too!
- Take practice tests. Taking practice tests can help you identify knowledge gaps, practice time management, build confidence, and measure progress.
- Leverage a nursing school studying tool. Utilizing a nursing-specific platform can help improve comprehension, memorization, and understanding of nursing topics while saving precious time.
- Apps can really help here. Check out some of the best apps for nursing students.
Cut Down on Study Hours with Us
Your Nursing Fundamentals will give you a baseline of what nursing practice entails. And to pass it, you’ll likely need to put in plenty of study hours.
Thankfully, SimpleNursing has everything you need to understand the fundamentals of nursing with question banks, study guides, adaptive exams, and more.
Check out one of the top nursing student resources here.
