Learning Success Guide: Strategies for Thinking, Learning, and Writing

This page includes valuable study, test-taking, and preparatory tips and resources specific to programs in Nursing, Physical Therapy, Dental, and other areas, including preparation for the TEAS for Nursing and PT. 

Remember, all knowledge you learn in your classes must be related to the Nursing Process (ADPIE model). Your textbooks are almost entirely organized so that you repeat the Nursing Process. Your tests are designed to see if you can link content knowledge to the Nursing Process. In other words, it would be wise to understand the Nursing Process as fast as you can, and to be able to study by fitting the content into that process.

SBAR Documentation Process

1. Situation
2. Background
3. Assessment
4. Recommendation

LaChance Library has plenty of study guides on hand to help you develop the skills and language of the health professions and nursing. Consider checking out these books that are on reserve or in the stacks.

ATI TEAS--Nursing Fundamentals

ATI Fundamentals book: Hardcopies are available for use in LaChance Library Rm H124 (Gardner) and L201 (Leominster).

• Fundamentals of Nursing Review Module 11e ($60; on reserve)
• Ernstmeyer, K. & Christman, E. (2020). Nursing Fundamentals. Open Textbook. Available Online, Ebook, PDF, ODF

Terminology

• NurseEdu. Learn Medical Terminology: Flashcard Activities, Instructional Videos, & Complete Guide to Master Medical Terms for Health Care Professionals (on reserve)
• Medical Terminology: A Quick & Easy Reference Book: Basics of Terminology, Anatomy and Abbreviations (on reserve)
• Austrim, M.G. & Austrim, H.R. Learning Medical Terminology: A Worktext (in stacks)

Dosage Calculations

• Morris, D.G. Calculate with Confidence (in stacks)

Other Links of Interest

• Visible Body - Virtual Anatomy to See Inside the Human Body
• GoodNotes | Best Note-Taking App for iPad

Module 6. Note-Taking Strategies

Nate-Taking Strategies Video

Module 7. Reading Test Questions

Below are some links and descriptions our consultants use with students to help them grasp the concepts of Biology. 

Wendy Riggs

https://www.youtube.com/@wendy-riggs

Wendy Riggs is a biology professor at College of the Redwoods in California. She has taught for many years both in person and online. Her lectures have many parts and are organized into playlists by topic. Each playlist represents a complete set of videos to replace one traditional lecture. The easiest way to access the content is through the playlists. Not only does Wendy teach at a level that is accessible to undergraduate level students, but she makes her lectures available in a format that allows students to pick and choose what specific information they want to access. Watch the whole lecture, or just the part you need. Either way, the repetition (you have your own professor’s lecture to attend!), is helpful for most students.

Patrick Kelley (Corporis)

https://www.youtube.com/corporis

Patrick Kelley, also known as Corporis, posts videos about anatomy, physiology, and health sciences. While he states, “Nothing I say should be used as medical advice or opinion. This is for fun and entertainment,” Kelley’s videos are more than entertaining-they’re filled with accessible and accurate information. His videos tend to have more ‘action’ in them, which is helpful for students who like to ‘do’ while learning.

Amoeba Sisters

https://www.youtube.com/@AmoebaSisters/featured

If you’re looking for a basic overview/review with a fun comic-like twist, then The Amoeba Sisters is a good site to try. Less formal and not as in-depth as other sites, The Amoeba Sisters are two sisters attempting to “demystify science with humor and relevance by creating videos, GIFs, comics, and resources.” Their content is geared toward high school level biology; however, much of the content is useful for intro biology and A&P courses at the college level as well.

Crash Course (home/playlists/A&P)

https://www.youtube.com/@crashcourse/featured    

https://www.youtube.com/@crashcourse/playlists

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtOAKed_MxxWBNaPno5h3Zs8

A little bit more advanced than Amoeba Sisters, Crash Course biology videos are roughly ten minutes long and cover the basics as well as more in-depth topics. Be prepared to “pause” the video (and/or re-watch) as they are fast-paced.  The videos serve as a good intro to, or a review of material your instructor may cover in class in an accessible format. The videos are numerous, so be sure to use the search function on their YouTube page to find the topic you want to view.

Sam Webster

https://www.youtube.com/@SamWebster

 Sam Webster is a British scientist (PhD) who teaches human anatomy (not physiology) at the university level.  His material is quirky and interesting (great mnemonics when he uses them); however, it is quite advanced and definitely geared to university level/medical students. If you’re wanting to do a deeper dive into your anatomy learning, this is a great resource. As Sam cautions in his bio, “Never use a single source of information for learning and assume it is free of errors. Use multiple sources and your own brain.”  

Do you need to take the TEAS Test? Here are some test prep options:

1. Visit the LaChance Library circulation desk to borrow a reserve copy of the TEAS Study Guide for self-paced study. Use this link to find our  holdings: https://catalog.cwmars.org/eg/opac/record/4680506?locg=79

2. Contact MWCC Continuing Education & Lifelong Learning to see the Ed2Go TEAS Prep course offering. 

Be sure to review the test-taking components of the Introductory Presentation above, and to review related materials on our testing page and the Testing Services page.