Personal Information Management for Nurses Returning to School

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Information Management
• Academic Productivity

Background:

• Registered nurses (RNs) with associate's degrees or diplomas often pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
• Transitioning to a BSN program requires a shift from clinical practice to academic coursework, necessitating effective digital information management.
• Students need efficient systems to handle assignments, research, and other academic materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce personal information management (PIM) strategies tailored for nursing students.
• To provide practical methods for organizing and managing electronic academic information.
• To enhance time use, task management, and overall productivity for students in BSN programs.

Main Methods:

• Nesting: Creating a hierarchical system of folders for storing and retrieving electronic documents.
• Meaningful Naming: Assigning unique and descriptive names to folders, subfolders, and documents.
• Numbering: Utilizing version control to manage multiple drafts of academic papers while preserving originals.

Main Results:

• Implementation of PIM strategies can lead to reduced computer clutter.
• Effective organization enhances the ability to retrieve academic documents efficiently.
• Improved time management and task completion are potential outcomes of using PIM.

Conclusions:

• Personal information management (PIM) offers valuable strategies for nursing students to navigate academic demands.
• Adopting organizational techniques like nesting and proper naming conventions supports academic success.
• These PIM skills can benefit RNs throughout their educational journey and potentially their professional careers.