What to Expect From Junior Year at Decker

Greta Marino

As a Decker student, sophomore to junior year is a big transition. You have completed your prerequisites, may be living off campus, and now all your classes are at Decker! You are finally getting into your nursing coursework, which I know is exciting but stressful at times :) Here is what to expect from your first semester at Decker and some tips for being successful!

During your junior fall semester, you will be taking a lot of introductory nursing coursework... NURS 321, NURS 320, NURS 322, and Pathophysiology! These courses will provide you with a solid foundation as you continue on in nursing school. There will be a lab/clinical component in NURS 321, where you will learn your assessment basics and prepare to begin your first clinical experience (halfway through the semester). NURS 320 will give you an introduction to the profession of nursing, ethical guidelines, care planning, and more. NURS 322 will cover health promotion and give you an understanding of each of the different factors that can interact to contribute to a patient's wellbeing. Lastly, Pathophysiology will build upon your knowledge from Anatomy & Physiology and cover disease processes and the basis for nursing interventions. These courses may seem overwhelming at first, but I truly believe that Decker sets you up for success and gives you resources to ensure that you are not in over your head! Here are my tips to help you succeed.

1. Get to know your peers!

   Many students in Decker get to know each other in prerequisite classes through their shared classes, but I also met so many people that I did not know before when I began my junior year! There are new students transferring in, and you might even talk to someone that you never interacted with in your first two years here. Personally, I met some of my close friends in my NURS 321 lab, where I got the chance to practice my skills hands on and really work closely with my peers :) However, everyone in Decker is a community, and we are all here to support each other as we are going through the same classes. I would recommend talking to as many people as you can as you begin your coursework, because it is great to have a network of people that you can study with and work alongside in the clinical setting!

   
   

2. Get to know your professors!

   Coming into Decker, I also noticed a big change in what my professors were like. Since they are all nurses themselves, they know what to prioritize and they focus your learning on your future nursing practice. Many of them are also clinical instructors, and they want to work closely with you to make sure you succeed! If you are proactive and go to their office hours or participate in class, you will find that they want to get to know you and give you the resources to be successful in their classes. They can also give you advice for your future in nursing and are just great resources in general.

   
   

3. Go into everything with an open mind and a growth mindset :)

   With a big transition like starting nursing school, you will probably feel overwhelmed at some points. There is a lot to learn, and everyone has their own strengths. Try to remember your "why" for going into nursing, and that even though there will be moments you will be frustrated or even burnt out in nursing school, there is a rationalle for each assignment you complete and requirement you have to meet. There is a reason you got into nursing school, and you are capable of anything you put your mind to!