Student Guide to Success at the UTMB School of Nursing

1. Student Guide to Successat the UTMB School of Nursing UTMB School of Nursing Trish Richard, RN, PhD, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Program and Education Technology

2. Overview • Welcome to UTMB School of Nursing • Undergraduate, Master’s & Doctoral Programs and Courses • Helpful Hints and Tips for Success

3. SON Programs • BSN Traditional • BSN Accelerated BACC2 • RN-BSN Track Baccalaureate Program • Clinical Nurse Leader • Family Nurse Practitioner & Post Master’s • Adult Gerontological Nurse Practitioner Program & Post Master’s • Neonatal Nurse Practitioner & Post Master’s • Executive Nursing Leadership • Nurse Educator with Clinical Concentration • Doctor of Nursing Practice • Nursing PhD Program

4. Student Centered Learning • SON focuses on student centered rather than instructor/teacher centered learning. • You are responsible for your learning • The instructor: • essential guide • professional resource • will assist you as you move through the content

5. Digital/Virtual Resources • Adobe Connect Presenter • Voice Thread • Voice over Powerpoint • Microsoft Lync • Virual meetings/tutoring, audio & video, etc. • Tegrity • Classroom lecture capture, replay from Blackboard • Smarthinking • Online tutoring, writing lab, etc. • Turn-It-In • Plagiarism detection resource

6. Characteristics of a Successful School of Nursing Learner • Successful learners at the SON are: • highly motivated • independent • active learners • self-starters and self-directed • Possess good organizational and time management skills • Make school the priority for the duration of the program

7. Characteristics of a Successful School of Nursing Learner • Have discipline to study without external reminders • Can adapt to new learning environments • Have an ability to prioritize • Have good stress management skills • Competent regarding computer skills (word processing, email, etc.)

8. Planning to Study • Set times with your family and others so you can work on your courses • Divide up chores with other family members to free up time for study • Organize your schedule to include planned study time • Try to capitalize on your high energy times of day • Plan family activities each week to give them the attention they deserve

9. Develop a Study Plan • Look over the course requirements and assignments • Look at how you can minimize your commitments • Decide on a study schedule for each week. . . and then stick to it • Reading assignments • Reviewing presentations • Working on projects

10. Environment • Create a Study Environment • Find a quiet, convenient workspace • Inform your family of your goals and your study schedule, and ask that you not be disturbed while studying • Try to avoid interruptions and distractions while you're "in class" or doing homework • Reward yourself periodically for completing study tasks

13. Hints & Tips • Take advantage of the course orientation at the beginning of the semester. • Classroom: • Course review content • Clarify expectations • Online: • Digital & virtual resources • Provides course content review • Post messages to discussion board for clarification as needed

14. Hints & Tips • On-line activities • Provide flexibility • Provide additional resources • Be committed: willing and able to commit 3 hours per credit hour a week per course. • Prioritize: you will need to make some life choices. • Take the program and yourself seriously

15. Hints & Tips • Plan in advance - avoid last minute assignments • Plan in advance for exams • For off campus online exams: setup proctor and make arrangements in advance. • Plan to take the first exam when technical support is available (Monday-Thursday, 8:00-6:00)

16. Communication • Clear and concise online or email communication is a challenge • Adhere to online/email netiquette recommendations

17. O U O NO SHOUTING!!!!! U O U

18. MMMM NO FLAMING!!! MMMM

19. Communication • Questions: • Post to • Discussion Board: • course related issues • discussion that would benefit classmates • Private email or phone call: • questions of a personal nature • Do Not Post: • Information on social networking sites

20. Study Partners • Some tasks are best done alone, however… • Partners can: • generate additional ideas • suggest improvements • share the work • explain things from a different perspective for better understanding • help to keep you motivated and on track • Take advantage of the ability to connect with other students. • Be a good team member!

21. Apply What You're Learning • Look for ways to relate and apply the knowledge you are gaining • helps you put the theory into practice • helps you understand how it relates to the real world • Develop your clinical reasoning and critical thinking skills

22. Apply What You're Learning • Use clinical time to: • become comfortable in the setting • develop communication skills with other professionals and patients • develop your decision making skills by assimilating data and discussing with nurses and faculty • Share experiences with your classmates and instructor • You all can learn from each other!

23. Speak Up! • Take responsibility: • to ask questions • get clarifications • to let the instructor know when something isn't working for you • Technology should be a tool not a frustration 

24. Experiencing technical difficulty? • ASK FOR HELP! • Contact information is provided: • in the syllabus of each course • Don’t wait until you get frustrated to ask for assistance. • username and password issues – call helpdesk at 409-772-5200, 281-554-1577 or 1-888-898-2401 • other technical issues – use the technical support Discussion Board or email course secretary

25. Technical Support • Test your computer system and Internet access prior to the first week of the semester. • SON technical support available during normal working hours (Monday through Friday, 8-6) • Helpdesk available 24/7 • Local: (409) 772-5200, • (281)-554-1577 • Toll free: 1-888-898-2401

26. UTMB School of NursingStudent Resources • UTMB School of Nursing: http://nursing.utmb.edu/ • UTMB Website: http://www.utmb.edu • UTMB Intranet: http://intranet.utmb.edu/iutmb/ • Blackboard: https://eclass.utmb.edu/ • eCamp: http://son.utmb.edu/currentstudents/technology/ecamp.cshtml • Information Services: http://www.utmb.edu/is/ • Username and password issues – • ISHelp@utmb.edu • helpdesk call 409-772-5200 or • 281-554-1577 or 1-888-898-2401

27. Good Luck! And Enjoy the Journey!