[karen230]

I am just curious as to what "program related equipment" your school required you to purchase and did you have to purchase it through the school or could you get it on your own?

I am looking at a Fall 08 start and was told that books and supplies would cost about $1000 the first semester. I can see $500-$600 on books since medical books are not cheap but a couple hundred on "program related equipment"??? They have not said what the equipment is but I'm sure a stethoscope is there but what else would I need as a student besides a uniform? I'm just trying to figure out what the equipment is and why it seems so expensive when I have peeked in that Tafford Uniforms site and equipment doesn't seem that expensive there.

[2bRnKim]

Originally Posted by karen230

I am just curious as to what "program related equipment" your school required you to purchase and did you have to purchase it through the school or could you get it on your own?

I am looking at a Fall 08 start and was told that books and supplies would cost about $1000 the first semester. I can see $500-$600 on books since medical books are not cheap but a couple hundred on "program related equipment"??? They have not said what the equipment is but I'm sure a stethoscope is there but what else would I need as a student besides a uniform? I'm just trying to figure out what the equipment is and why it seems so expensive when I have peeked in that Tafford Uniforms site and equipment doesn't seem that expensive there.

Well, this is my first semester and I have spent about a couple hundred on school stuff so far. The uniforms ( two sets) were about $100. I had to buy them at the specified shoppe and have the school name embroiderd on, $60 for shoes, $45 for steth, $ 4 for bandage scissors, and $5 for hemostats. I need to get a pen light which is about $5 and I think that is all they told us for this first semester. The books were around $600. (not counting any extras like NCLEX, drug book, nursing care plan- of which I have not purchased any of those yet.) SO, start up costs are kinda big- but some of the books you will use throughout your nursng program. Hope this helps.


Kim

[MB37]

My books were $850 this semester. It was mostly textbooks that will only be for this semester, but also included a few references that we will use throughout the program (care plan book, medical dictionary, a skills book that we use for all our labs). I bought two sets of all white scrubs, plus a lab coat, at a scrubs store by school ($95). I bought all white sneakers ($50). I bought some new white and nude conservative underwear/bras ($35). My stethoscope was $77, and we had to buy a "lab kit" that we haven't used yet for $35. A BP cuff was recommended (not required) so we can practice at home, and I paid $27 for that. Throw in a conservative estimate of $100 for regular school supplies - notebooks, binders, dividers, printer ink and paper, etc., and we're looking at...$1269. And this is my SECOND semester of NS - last semester was just classes, no clinicals, and I spent about $600 on books, including NCLEX books and a drug guide that I'll use throughout the program.

You can save a little if your program allows used books - mine doesn't, we need the access code to get on blackboard. You can buy a cheaper steth, but you might regret it. Maybe you can print for free at school - we could last semester, but now we aren't allowed to print at all in the library due to budget cuts. We have to buy our books at the bookstore, because they package them all together and won't give you a list of ISBNs so you can even check online prices, but when I have checked (NCLEX books, etc.), the bookstore price is always the same/cheaper than the new price on amazon, and there's no shipping to pay. Everything else I bought off campus, except the stethoscope since again, the deal at school was about the same as online plus shipping. Oh, and the lab kit we had to buy from student council. Nursing school is REALLY expensive. And I haven't gone out and bought a laptop or a PDA, even though they do make your life easier.

[Jessy_RN]

Not including books, we were offered a very affordable "nursing tote bag" that had all supplied. It had a steth, BP cuff, mallet, etc. It also had gauze, diff. sterile kits, etc.

I paid 50 bucks for this kit. Later, I wanted a better steth and BP cuff so I got those as X-mas gifts.

Books were 1100 (I got a loan), uniform tops were 17 bucks, I got a pair of cheap white shoes @ 15 bucks.

I was/am on a very limited income. I paid my schooling through student loans. I recently graduated and am thankful I was able to do that.

[MikeyJ]

Required Items:
.Stethoscope - $80
.PDA - $299 (my partner paid for that one)
.PDA Software - $113
.Books - ~$400
.Scrubs and white coat - $125
.White Shoes - Already had some
.School name tag for clinicals - $12

Those were the only required items, as I recall anyway.

[samclaug]

Besides textbooks, uniforms, steth, BP cuff and other little things we had to purchase from the bookstore our clinical bag which is actually for lab. It has all the supplies that we will need to practice our skills like IV bags, bottles of sodium chloride, cath kits, syringes, sterile dressing trays, and then some basics like gloves and tape. Its packed full and cost about $100. I still need to purchase shoes and support hose so my final cost for books and supplies is probably about $1300. The good thing is there isnt that much to buy for future semesters.
Hope this helps!!

[miss_smartie]

Required:

Palm TX (was added to Fall tuition bill)
2 pairs plain white scrub pants, 2 plain white polo shirts
White lab coat with school patch
Navy blue school cobbler with school patch
White nursing shoes/sneakers
Stethoscope
Penlight
Bandage scissors
1 Textbook

...just a few things

[JenM]

Books: $904
Shoes: $109
Stethescope: $100 (my MIL paid for it!)
Skills bag ( contained catheter, gloves, penlight, PPE, lab glasses): $50
Paper, binders, pens, pencils, etc. $55
Digital recorder: $200
Rolling scrapbook bag (for books) $130
tuition: $4,500
uniform (they made us by a specific brand/color: $124.95
Patches for uniform: $15.00
Fingerprinting: $70
Liability Ins.: $30
Health Physical/ Adult Immunizations: $325
Sports bra for assessment lab: $12.00

I could go on, but really I have come to realize (and I am only in my first trimester) that Nursing School is very EXPENSIVE!!!

[Freedom42]

I like my public university program more each and every day: It supplies all equipment for use in labs except for a watch with a secondhand. Books cost me about $400 for the semester; some I'll use throughout the program. We can buy them new in bundles (with CDs and a medical dictionary thrown in) to qualify for discounts, but students can also buy them separately and/or used. All of the CDs are also available for viewing in the nursing lab for students who don't want to buy them. We can buy stethoscopes and BP cuffs at a school-negotiated discount if we want our own equipment, but our adviser urged us not to do that.

We can buy scrubs anywhere we want, so long as they're in the school's color and the school's insignia patch is attached. We're given the names of places that will give us 15% off with student ID. (A lot of recent grads pass their scrubs and shoes down to incoming students.) We do have to buy white shoes, but there are few restrictions.

My husband picked up a terrific rolling backpack at Wal-Mart for only $23; one year after rolling through mud and snow, it's as good as new. I spent $40 on a digital recorder and head phones. I contemplated buying a laptop, but instead opted for a travel drive ($40) that I can use in the university's computer lab or on my PC at home -- an ounce on a lanyard around my neck beats 5 more pounds in that backpack.

[karen230]

Thanks for the input everyone. Sounds like the person at the school was very close when he said around $1000 the first semester. I guess I plan on the high end and make sure to save at least $1500. I will just get whatever they tell me to and hope that I have a choice with a steth, if not, hopefully that is sold seperately that way I can just go get one of my choice.