Do I need this for nursing school? - Page 2

I'm not saying I'd recommend them but there are detailed descriptions if you search for 'human skeleton' on ebay. They say they are numbered with over 200 parts.

I didn't need a skeleton, clipboard, etc Nothing fancy here. I'm using a computer that is 5 years old. Don't even have a smart phone. My basic supplies are pens, highlighters, binders, and loose leaf paper. Nothing much more is needed. However, I would have never done as well if not for my NCLEX study guides -- I have Kaplan, which goes over more of the strategy of test taking, and Saunders, which has more content review.

I waited until 4th semester to get it which I should have done earlier, but the clipboard that is plastic and opens up was extremely helpful during my Senior Practicum. Especially to put handouts in and various other things.

LOL- All joking aside... about the starbucks things... Thats all I asked for Christmas and my birthday. For my birthday I got $250 for starbucks.... its didnt even last the semester. My study group LIVED there this past semester! I hope they dont go out of business with us gone for the semester! :-p

You don't need any of that junk.

I manage to get through rotations with my pen, a folded up piece of typing paper that I jot things down on and trash on my way out, my phone which has ePocrates (drug guide) on it, the penlight (which is actually an LED light I bought to clean guns with), and stethoscope.

For classes I buy only the required textbooks. I don't get the workbooks, guides, or any of the extras although last semester I was conned into getting the Lippincott Nursing Manual although I snagged a new one for like 30 bucks so it wasn't that painful.


How do you not have to take anatomy and physiology courses? Lame! Those are like the best part.

Just get a book on anatomy & physiology, or better yet take A&P 1 and 2 at your local community college. If you want to continue your nursing education beyond whatever degree you're getting, A&P 1 and 2 are always pre-reqs. So the time taking those classes wouldn't go to waste.

Besides my books I purchased for class, the main thing I really needed so far (I'm in my first semester) was a small notebook to take notes during clinical, stethoscope, bp cuff, penlight, and a COMPUTER! I spend basically half of my waking hours online doing Evolve & ATI modules lol.

I'm not sure how your school works, but ours provided a list of everything we absolutely needed to get, and they gave us several things as well. I was told to get all this fancy stuff and extra books for nursing school, and they're still in their original packaging in storage. If you really want to know what would be helpful for your class, it's best to ask someone who has been through yours.

At the beginning of our first semester we were able to talk with the second year nursing students and learn from them what to get, what worked, what didn't, and why. Now I am a second year student and in a month we get to help our first year students prepare. Asking someone who has been through YOUR course is the best way to find out what you should get.

Taking A&P courses, or at the least, getting a book would help. You're going to be expected to know landmarks and basically how to navigate the body, and understand how it works. I can't imagine not having this as a requirement for any nursing course. As for the bones, well a detailed picture in a library book will provide more information and learning than an expensive model that you'll likely rarely use. Besides, the course and books alone will break the bank, so there's no sense to get a head start on that.

As for the NCLEX books, I'd hold off on them until you're nearing the end of your program. Books supply good general understanding, but can differ greatly in the detail, and that will only confuse you even more if you're learning something one way, and the books you're using for the course say something else. This is all a moot point as well if all of you're already overloaded with reading assignments. Wait until you're close to graduation, then you can get the most up-to-date information, and you may get some recommendations and/or hand-me-downs from graduate students.

I don't think you need any of that stuff. The clipboard is just one more thing you will need to keep track of in clinicals- it is far easier to just fold up a piece of paper and keep it in your pocket. I didn't need a calculator- the computer tells you what med dosage you need for the most part, and when it doesn't and you need to calculate, there is a calculator on the computer; it is yet another thing to lose in clinicals. I certainly didn't need any anatomical charts or anything during clinicals, and I don't know why you would need a skeleton. You don't. I took A&P 1 years ago, and IIRC, the bones were the easy part. I did get a medical dictionary, and would regret it if I had spent money on it (a friend gave it to me.) I NEVER use it. I look in my text glossary if there is a word I don't know, or I google it. But I also have about 12 years of clinical healthcare experience, so maybe someone new to the field would be well-served by a Taber's.

You probably shouldn't need the NCLEX book(s) either, but that being said, I LOVE my NCLEX books and wish I had bought them sooner. The info is much more concise than the 8 million textbooks I was told I had to purchase, and I like to work through the practice questions on the content I am studying before a quiz or a test. The general information underlying the concepts is the same in the texts and NCLEX books, and I am able to see how well I know the material by doing the questions and reading through all the rationales.

Honestly, I would probably wait until at least a week or two into school to go buy anything you aren't absolutely required to buy. I got all caught up in the excitement of nursing school and bought a bunch of junk I didn't need and haven't yet used. Unless you have cash burning a hole it your pocket, it might be wise to wait and actually see what you need or what will make your life easier. (The one thing I went right out and bought after school started was something to lug all those books around because I work full time in addition to school and often need to take my texts to study elsewhere b/c of my long commute- I bought a square laundry basket b/c there was no way any bag was going to hold up and I can just toss the whole thing in the car and take out only what I want at the moment.)

Good luck!