Professional degrees are preparing students to be able to perform a job with specific requirements and to be equipped with specific skills. Nursing is a professional degree as at the end of the three-year period students are expected to have acquired the skills and competences to access a professional path in the field of nursing. As a nurse you are expected to provide up-to-date, evidence-based information to your patients, simply put you are a lifelong learner. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Time management is one of the most complex study skills, so planning and finding what works best for each individual is known as the key to success. For nursing students, this key skill is not only important for their time at university, but also prepares them for practice. Managing workload in a safe and timely manner is critical for patients. Another key academic skill is note-taking. To achieve a purpose, they must be done strategically using the best technique that works for you. Taking notes might be a challenge for some students, and using a method like SQ3R might improve the learning process. The SQ3R for the simple reason because skimming the text first will save time in deciding whether the source will be useful. Free access to information allows people to always stay informed and up to date. All this freedom has consequences, and students should have the ability to question every piece of information they come across. Evidence-based practice is an academic skill that should be used to question the resources and methods used in practice, some of them may be outdated. For nursing students, this skill is fundamental and must be incorporated into all training programs. It is necessary to ensure the best care for patients, therefore it is necessary to use the best available evidence as it leads to clinical effectiveness. The Institute of Medicine aims for 90% of clinical decisions to be made based on up-to-date information by 2020 to achieve the best patient care. Another important academic skill that students have difficulty understanding is referencing. It is important to share with our community and facilitate the development and transmission of knowledge. Giving credit to those who have put a lot of effort into writing evidence-based materials is a courtesy and also gives others the opportunity to go and read further based on our references. Referencing is seen as a communication process and it is very important to ensure that they are referenced correctly. For a nursing career it is important to be able to support the thesis we support and provide adequate evidence because it is an element that indicates your professional training. The reference will also decrease the risk of being accused of plagiarism. Remember: this is just an example. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, for a lifelong learner and not only, it is very important to foster good academic skills that could be transferable to other contexts. This will also increase confidence, competence and self-esteem in students. Academic requirements can be demanding and overwhelming, and good time management is key.