[miMOMMYof3]

I start Nursing School the end of August (YEAH!) Is there any good books- that will be informative and/or help. I having a lot of time to read on my job, so I would love to learn something about nursing before I start classes. If I only learn one thing that would give me a heads up- that would be Great... And advice from current nursing students or nurses...... would be greatly appreciated!
thanks in advance.

[MySimplePlan]

There are several "Nursing Made Easy...." books that are set up in the "_____ for Dummies" style. They might be a good intro into nursing concepts, as you haven't read any texts yet.

Flip through one at your college or local bookstore and see if they might be of interest to you at this stage of your progression.

Personally, I'd get the new Harlen Coben mystery, as you will have zero time for pleasurable reading after August. Congratulations and good luck to you!

[Bx_RN2B]

Originally Posted by MySimplePlan

There are several "Nursing Made Easy...." books that are set up in the "_____ for Dummies" style. They might be a good intro into nursing concepts, as you haven't read any texts yet.

Flip through one at your college or local bookstore and see if they might be of interest to you at this stage of your progression.

Personally, I'd get the new Harlen Coben mystery, as you will have zero time for pleasurable reading after August. Congratulations and good luck to you!

Ugh, I want so badly to have time to read something for fun.

[carolinapooh]

Before I started NS, I read nursing/medical related books. I love true stories from real people

I liked BURN UNIT: SAVING LIVES AFTER THE FLAMES by Barbara Ravage (all true), which only served to strengthen my commitment to NEVER work in a burn unit (but it was quite interesting nonetheless). Thanks to this book, I knew the answer to a recent question posed in my adult health class by our guest lecturer, a ten year burn unit RN

THE SPIRIT CATCHES YOU AND YOU FALL DOWN, by a doctor who treated a Hmong child and the cultural barriers encountered between their traditional culture and what we believe is "right" with Western medicine. Makes you think twice about what "culturally competent care" (I personally despise that phrase - it oversimplifies the concept) REALLY involves.

TRAUMA JUNKIE: MEMOIRS OF A FLIGHT NURSE - some humor here as well. When I was in the UK over our fall break about a month ago I ended up with a British title called BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEA, by a National Health Service ambulance driver/ex Casualty (our ED) RN in London. He actually had an Internet blog, which is where much of that book came from. Read it over break as a distraction from my Pharm and Psych Nursing textbooks.

THE WOMAN WITH A WORM IN HER HEAD - very interesting book written by an infectious disease doctor, again, all true. This is actually one of my favorites and it annoys me that I lent this out and NEVER got it back. I'm currently looking for a hardback copy. I can only remember her first name - Pam - and what I liked about this was in many ways, she is a real-life House (although hopefully less of an a*s). I'm fascinated with diagnostic medicine. The title case was a bit frightening, given the amount of foreign travel I do. I actually got a topic for a Micro paper from this book, a little bug from our southwest known as Cocci for short...I also was one of only a few in my first nursing class who knew what an Ommaya reservoir was, or that amphotericin B is known as Amphoterrible - and why it's called that.

JUST HERE TRYING TO SAVE A FEW LIVES - interesting insights and stories from an ED doc who has also worked with Doctors Without Borders - her description of the birth she worked through as a resident is scary, humorous (one RN in particular, as well as her descriptions of the stoned mother), and thought-provoking all at the same time. Her story of her time in the (I think it was Indian) TB clinic is also incredible. She's also been all over Africa. Very vivid descriptions. Another big fave of mine.

And for (graveyard) humor and a bit of unusual insight:
STIFF: THE CURIOUS LIVES OF HUMAN CADAVERS by Mary Roach (her search for the Thai body snatchers is almost hilarious). I actually took the dust cover off this book when I would take it with me to dinner because I didn't want people to see me laughing while reading a book with a photo of a foot with a toe tag on it on the cover.

For a bit of distraction, I recommend BROTHEL, by a medical student who spent several months researching the prostitutes at the (in)famous Mustang Ranch before its closure. What did it do for me and my practice? It changes the way you look at certain groups of people - not just those who may be sex workers, either - folks like drug users and others labeled as "undesirables". People end up in situations for more reasons than us more fortunate folks could imagine.

I have to read THE RED TENT for my OB section this summer. We're supposed to read THE SPIRIT CATCHES YOU AND YOU FALL DOWN for Peds as well, but I've already read it so I'm one up! I also bought a book (when you're ordering texts from Barnes and Noble, ten more bucks just doesn't seem to matter) called MAMA MIGHT BE BETTER OFF DEAD, about trying to get health care in urban America. I'm interested in primary care of underrepresented populations, and I thought I'd check this one out.

Sorry for all the suggestions - I'm a huge bookworm myself. I can sit down with a book and sometimes finish it in a day or two, if I have time to commit to it. My intent with these books was to give myself some "medical exposure" and keep me focused and distracted as I waited for school to start, and to possibly pick up some stuff along the way. As you can see, these books accomplished that for me. I've seen many of these on the shelf at used bookstores and occasionally thrift stores as well.

Happy reading! Let us know which ones you pick of all the suggestions I'm sure you'll get!

[Cherish]

Haven't started NS yet but how about just getting Nursing Magazines for now. I think we will have enough reading in the next couple of months when we start. Try Nursing 2007, RN, or Nursing Made Incredibly Easy.

I have these 3 subscriptions and you can get the student rate on these magazines. Don't think you need to get really indepth with nursing theory right now but you can get familiar just by reading these magazines. Google them so you can get the best rates. I got mine from Magsonthenet.com. Hope that helps.

You may want to get the book Nursing Student Success its an Incredibly Easy serie book. It's basically about the studying style tips for student nurses (most vital part for me) and NCLEX cd questions. I read this book 3 times so far.

For fun reads just check out Echo Heron books at your library.

[SmetRN2008]

How to survive and possible even love nursing school! It's a pretty good book, can't remember the author's name. But, really I would take the advice of the previous poster and read something fun. Because you won't have time once you start NS. Good luck to you! It's an adventure and well worth it in the end. You'll learn LOTS and may at times want to pull your hair out, but the important thing to remember is to take time out for yourself and do something fun when things get to be too much.

[allthingsbright]

I like Echo Heron's Books--they are kind of older now but have some great stories about nursing school and ICU nursing! They got me excited abut the field back when I started my pre-reqs. You can get them REALLY cheap on half.com. I love to read..this summer I am gonna read a TON of fun books!

[Daytonite]

Here's two older posts listing articles and books about nursing and nurses. Personally, I'd read a good novel because you'll be so immersed in nursing that by the winter holidays you'll be screaming for something other than a nursing book to read. Personally, I can't wait for the next installment of Harry Potter which is coming out in July. Be prepared for Pottermania in July because the next movie is being released one week before the book. She killed off Dumbledore and revealed that Snape was on Valdemort's side all along in the last book and I can't wait to see what she's got in store for this next installment. She and her publisher have had two years to plot it out.

http://allnurses.com/forums/f50/recommended-readings-lists-159175.html
http://allnurses.com/forums/f198/helpful-books-nursing-studies-135816.html

If you absolutely want to learn something about nursing try getting a head start on some of the more difficult concepts that confound students. You'll see sticky threads on a lot of them on this and the Nursing Student Assistance Forum. Stuff like fluids and electrolyte (metabolic/respiratory acidosis and alkalosis), ABGs (arterial blood gasses) and what the different readings mean, how to do drug dosage calculations, the difference between Type I and Type II diabetes and their treatment, how to do a physical assessment of a patient and my favorite which is the nursing process and care planning. You might also want to spend some time beefing up and bookmarking weblinks to helpful websites you will need when you get into your nursing classes. Knowing how to look for something on the Internet is just as important as knowing what to look for. Like any other skill, you need to practice it to perfect it.

[guy_nurse2b]

ANYTHING on Fluids and electrolytes, and start looking (memorizing) at normal lab values.

[carolinapooh]

Originally Posted by malestudentnurse

ANYTHING on Fluids and electrolytes, and start looking (memorizing) at normal lab values.

Good advice, but you'll be doing this in school. Ad nauseaum.

I wouldn't bury myself in schoolwork just yet.