Note: I was compensated for my review of this product / #Sponsored
Hello, I'm Nacole Riccaboni, and I'm just a nurse who loves nursing and loves helping others succeed in the nursing profession. Often, there is a particular topic or concept that just won't stick. I'm an acute care nurse practitioner and educator. I talk to numerous nursing students throughout the week, and many students struggle with retention. Retention isn't about intelligence, in my opinion. It is about finding the key that will open the door in your mind. One program I found helpful to students across the board is
Picmonic. Picmonic was created by students for students. It features short videos with incredible stories that tie information together. I have ADHD/GAD. I will read something over and over, with complete focus and determination. Yet, it falls out of my brain within a few hours. I've read and re-read 100 pages in one session and took an exam the following morning and failed it. It not effort-based or intelligent-based, its difficulty retaining the content. The key is creating a pathway for you to remember the information and apply it in the appropriate situation.
Cheat sheets and stories are how I remember things and Picmonic is a great platform that includes these options and much more. One feature Picmonic offers is the education mode. The style is viewing-based and has various topics from basic ECG to electrolytes made easy. The point of the education mode is to take a complex, distracting topic and break the content down, so you can absorb and understand the material. You ever purchase a book and read the first few pages and realized it doesn't 'speak' to you?
The information is there, but there is a disconnect. There is no one size fits all regarding education. You have to find what works for you, and the education mode is for learners who enjoy a presentation of information and want a passive learning experience. It's great because you can write notes, pause the video and rewind. You can even replay the video over and over. The education goes at your pace and is always available you. I saw a video on electrolytes and after watching it for the third time, I truly understood the intricate details of electrolyte imbalances.
Story modes are another excellent option Picmonic offers students. You aren't presented with the beta-blockers and given a simple list of drugs. You are shown a story that incorporates the drug's indications, actions, and side effects, along with education pearls. The story mode is short and sweet and provides you precisely what you need to know, without all the fluff. The story mode is your active learning component. You click through sections, learning as you go or going back to needed parts. Even as an acute care nurse practitioner, the beta-blocker story mode makes me smile as I'm able to picture the bluefish on the throne and the stopwatch.
The Picmonic team did an excellent job of finding ways to incorporate the crucial details into an unforgettable story for students to retain the content. Again, it's not a list of information. It's pictures and images that will stick and help you maintain the necessary information to make you successful in your program.
Now, you have completed the education mode, viewed the story mode, and here is where your comprehension will be tested. You are given quizzes following the story mode concepts. Picmonic isn't merely based on assuming you should know the information by a particular time frame. After each topic, you are tested on the knowledge and given a score. Nothing annoyed me more, as a nursing professional than studying yet not having a way to see if I truly understood the information. We can guess and hope, but without review, you lack knowing if you can or should move forward. Often, a student will tell me he or she 'understands' ventilation, for example. We cover the topic and move onto the disease process of COPD. The student struggles with understanding the disease process because the ventilation section wasn't initially properly discerned. The student is lacking core principles. The quizzes will help you in knowing you have sufficient understanding, and you can move forward. There is no doubt on whether you understand the concept. You have the reinforcement, and you can revisit the material if needed. But assessing your knowledge is a must for proper understanding.
Let's focus on how Picmonic differs from your classroom setting and textbook information. Spaced repetition is a fantastic concept that will allow you to maintain the information you spent learning on their platform. This feature works by sending you daily quizzes to track your knowledge base, with adjustments being made to improve any deficits you may have. Picmonic's spaced repetition algorithms automatically adjust your daily study queue to maximize retention. The goal to enhance learning and material retention. There will always be a 'forgetting curve' but Picmonic is there to assist you in this common student study trap. Spaced repetition gives you time, and that is unmeasurable. I have had days when I studied for 4 hours and ended up only retaining a few facts. My efforts weren't matching my output, and it was frustrating and took time away from me being present with my family.
As a nursing student, you will need a comprehensive educational plan. Some platforms only focus on pharmacology, neglecting other nursing concepts. Picmonic has a dynamic, trustworthy, user-friendly platform with tons of concepts and material covering all aspect of nursing education. Picmonic is a resource you can and will use throughout your nursing education, and it's well worth it. You won't have to pay $20 for one resource, then search online and pay another $15 per month for another platform. Picmonic will support and reinforce your nursing education with guidance and a clear plan. Learning should never be by chance. With Picmonic, you will learn, retain and support your current knowledge base. You will receive a well-round structured plan to offer your best chance of meeting your professional goals without delays.
Category: Fundamentals 
