Number seven in this series designed for nursing school students. This presentation gives you insight on the best methods to digest the educational material from the MULTIPLE AMOUNTS of books you must read, memorize, comprehend, and practice.

1. READING A TEXT BOOK
D. D. Millett, RN, BS

2. WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON TO READING A
TEXT BOOK?
 The main reason for reading a text book is to learn,
understand, and remember the subject matter which you
just read. If it is assigned, it is important, and will most
likely be on exam.
 For nursing students, it goes a few steps further…most
everything that you read in your text books MUST be
retained and understood. This is due to your choice of
becoming a nursing student; and then a wonderful and
wise nurse and your future COMPLETLEY DEPENDS on it.

3. SO, HOW DO YOU RETAIN AND LEARN ALL THE OF
INFORMATION IN YOUR TEXT BOOKS?
You must understand WHY you are required to read certain text books.
You must learn HOW to read in a specific and timely manner.
You must THINK outside of the box; WHAT is the best way to read?
You must learn WHERE are the several best places for you to read.
Youmust understand WHO you are and WHAT type of “reader” or “learner”
you are.

4.  KNOW WHAT YOUR READING ASSIGNMENTS ARE!
Make certain that you have ALL of the reading
material: text books, magazine articles, et cetera.
At the beginning of the course, double-check for
EXACTLY what ALL of the required reading is and that you
have complete access to it.
WARNING: If your reading assignment consists of library
material, these cannot be checked out and EVERY other student
will be looking for it as well. Make certain that you read and/or
obtain these items FIRST, weeks before the exam.

5. PREPARING TO READ
Write down, on a separate paper, exactly what ALL of
the chapters or pages you must read.
Be prepared with a notebook(s) (you can associate different
colors of notebooks for each individual class or subject).
Have a glass of water or something to drink by you, and
a watch to make certain you take 5 – 10 minute study
breaks.
MAKE CERTAIN YOU HAVE YOUR TABER’S MEDICAL DICTIONARY,
or another type, WITH YOU WHEN STUDYING!

7. PREPARING TO READ
Have several different colored pens (i.e. using red ink means
you have written down a question in order to quiz yourself later,
blue may be used for the bulk of your actual note taking, and
black may used for adding in additional notes that you may have
missed or for writing in explanations of issues for clarification).
Several colors of highlighters (i.e. for new or semi-
important things, for important things, and blue for
probable exam questions).
Keep your supplies in some sort of case for easy access.

9. PREPARING TO READ
Locate all of the chapters you must read. One way of keeping
track of the number of chapters and their length is to mark every
chapter’s beginning and its’ end with a paper clip.
Use colored, or larger paper clips, so that you can visualize your
progress as you are reading ~ providing you with a sense of
accomplishment and reaching your set goal. Even more, you can
differentiate the chapters by represented them with different colored
paper clips…and they are easy to move, change, or remove once you
have completed that section.

11. READING THE TEXT: WHERE TO BEGIN?
Once you have established the reading assignments and
gotten your text books, note books, pens, highlighters, and
paper clips, you are ready to read!

13. PREVIEW THE CHAPTER
§ Once you have the length of the chapter separated from the rest
of the text (AND this will assist you in assessing how long it will
take you to read and comprehend in order to PLAN and
ORGANIZE your time), review the chapter as a whole.
§ Read the bold section headings, the chapter summary, the
questions at the end of the chapter, and look at the diagrams
and pictures.

14. READING THE TEXT
 When reading the text, DO NOT HIGHLIGHT
EVERYTHING!
 Only highlight topics that seem to be important, are
under a different, bold heading, or are in the summary.
Reread your chapter highlights and answer the questions
at least once a day.

15. READING THE TEXT
As you reread each chapter, you may want to start with a different color
of highlighter. Then you can highlight over certain parts of what you
highlighted the previous day; and if you find that you still do not
understand the entire text completely, use the pink highlighter to
highlight over the yellow.
The reason for this is that you may now know certain parts of the section
that you highlighted in yellow, and you may not need to review those
sections again.
Therefore, by using your pink highlighter this time, you only need to
reread and review the parts the parts highlighted in pink the following
day. Thus, saving you time the next time you reread!

17. READING THE TEXT
If the information from the text seems important and/or it follows
the subject matter that you are studying, write a form of a test
question next to, in red ink for example.
This way, when you review the chapter, you cannot only reread
the text, but verbally or physically write down the answers to the
questions you posed for yourself the first time you read it.
Therefore you are reviewing and answering questions every single
day!
Write down ALL words that are unfamiliar to you in your separate
notebook right then, and using your Taber’s medical dictionary,
look up the meaning of the word and write it down.

18. VISUALIZE WHAT YOU ARE READING WHILE READING IT
While you are reading, VISUALIZE what you are reading and
make it REAL.
If it is about the cardiac system, actual picture the venous
blood in blue veins and the arterial blood in red arteries; picture
them flowing where and how they are doing so within your
body.
Understand the purpose of their path and why the blood
travel to certain places first, and then return there later.
COMPREHEND what you are reading the first time, then review
it at least daily. Then you will be ready for the exam!

20. VISUALIZE