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Amidst COVID-19, many changes have taken place around the world. This is also true regarding nursing programs. Some nursing programs have stopped their courses completely until further notice. Some have switched from in-person courses to online and clinical hours taking place inside the hospital have been halted until further notice. Although we all understand these changes have been made not only for our own safety but for the safety of everyone else, these changes can leave nursing students wondering how to go about these adjustments. I may just be one of many nursing students, but one thing I know for certain is that as long as you have the determination, self-discipline, organization, and time management skills, this bump in the road will only prepare us to become even stronger nurses someday. 

When I began researching different accelerated nursing programs, I was torn between programs that were online versus in person. I ultimately took a leap of faith and chose an online-based program which I am even more grateful for with the current circumstances and since COVID-19 has created so many changes for those in traditional nursing programs. While others were left feeling uncertain after being switched from in-person lectures to online, all I’ve wanted to do was tell these students how this change will not alter their ability to still become great nurses. There are many ways to power through and make the most out of your nursing program, even if it is online.   

The first key to success with an online nursing program is determination. Just because you are not meeting in person for the time being does not mean that you can lose sight of your end goals. Staying determined to keep turning in all your assignments on time, writing out your own notes, answering practice questions, working ahead instead of falling behind, and so on, will continue to keep setting you up to reach your goals. 

Self-discipline, time management, and organization with an online-based nursing program are all HUGE. Since you are not always meeting up with your classmates, professors, or instructors, it is solely up to you and you alone to hold yourself accountable. Get a planner, dry erase board, notebook, or whatever you will put to good use in order to keep tabs on what you need to be getting done on a daily and weekly basis for your classes. I tend to treat my days like an actual “workday” where I will work on my courses from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  I will develop a set plan of attack beforehand that could consist of me working on one class from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., take a lunch break, and then finish the day with another class from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.   

Within those set timeframes for each class, I listen to the lectures online while simultaneously viewing the PowerPoint presentation and look up anything in the book that I may still be struggling with. Once I am finished with the lectures and readings, I make sure to write out my own notes and/or type out topics that are helpful towards a study guide. Finally, I ALWAYS finish up with Elsevier Adaptive Quizzing (EAQ).  

When I say that EAQs have been a game changer for my success in my nursing program, I truly mean it. The more exposure I get to the material in a question format, the better understanding I begin to have overall. Being able to have rationales for every question, whether you get the question correct or not, adds even more learning. I always strive to do at least 20-30 EAQ questions a day, which can end up being hundreds of practice questions by the time of my exam!  Anyone can make 20-30 EAQ questions a day happen no matter how busy they are – do them while you’re on the couch watching TV, when you’re lying in bed before you go to sleep, do 5-10 at a time in between assignments, etc.  I promise you that it is doable, helpful, and there’s truly NO excuse to not take full advantage of these Elsevier resources! 

In the end, it’s important to remind ourselves that all these changes will not last forever. These changes may have created a bit of chaos in the beginning, but in the end how we choose to handle this phase of our nursing programs will play a large role in our actual nursing careers. Keep pushing forward, friends! No matter what, we will all be amazing nurses someday.