New worry...Supplies?

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

As a mother of three, money is not abundant. Therefore, can anyone please give me an idea as to the type of supplies I will need so I can get them a little at a time until school starts (or try to catch good sales in the Sunday circulars). I know the four initial textbooks, the Tabers (sp?), and the two uniforms/two pairs white sneakers; but can anyone give me an idea as to the other things I will need? Please keep in mind I am in an eleven month LPN program, not a full two year ADN program of four year BSN.

Thanks in advance to all who reply! :)

My best advice would be to hold off on buying books (except for the theory textbook) unless you're 100% sure you'll need them. Truth is that some of the books on the booklist you'll never use, and others you might be able to borrow from the library for the one or two times that you'll actually use them. Where possible, buy the books used from sites like half.com.

You're going to need a stethoscope, a penlight, a hemostat, a tubex, and the box of nursing supplies which includes the stuff you'll be practicing with (scissors, catheters, sterile gloves, bandages, tape, etc.).

Specializes in CCU (Coronary Care); Clinical Research.

I agree with holding out on most books (except mabye large textbooks that the whole class is based around... do look for them at half.com or another cheaper place first!) Tony is right--some texts you will never use (but you will use all the big texts, at least I did...) Buy the normal school stuff: notecards (if you use them), pens, paper, notebooks, etc...I'm sure you know the drill.

QUOTE TONY

You're going to need a stethoscope, a penlight, a hemostat, a tubex, and the box of nursing supplies which includes the stuff you'll be practicing with (scissors, catheters, sterile gloves, bandages, tape, etc.).

I would suggest only buying a stethoscope right off the bat (put your name on it asap!). Penlights are fairly easy to come by...our hospital has they all over the place and our lab in school also had them. I never used hemostats while I was in lab at school...our hospital also had prepackaged hemostats, so I just used theirs. I don't even know what a tubex is so I wouldn't buy that either. All the other stuff tony listed was provided for practice at our school lab. I would look at the school list and slowly buy the mandatory stuff...but I would try to wait and talk with others and get a feel for the class to see what you really will need first...

I have been and RN for two years the only thing that I own in a good quality stethoscope. I don't even own a watch!. I also use the hemostats pretty frequently (but as I said, I just get a clean one from work...) Everything else is provided...Good Luck!!!

As a mother of three, money is not abundant. Therefore, can anyone please give me an idea as to the type of supplies I will need so I can get them a little at a time until school starts (or try to catch good sales in the Sunday circulars). I know the four initial textbooks, the Tabers (sp?), and the two uniforms/two pairs white sneakers; but can anyone give me an idea as to the other things I will need? Please keep in mind I am in an eleven month LPN program, not a full two year ADN program of four year BSN.

Thanks in advance to all who reply! :)

I don't know what state you live in...but there are usually programs through the workforce or the unemployment office who will help anyone interested in job training, including nursing programs. Programs like these will cover the cost of your supplies and uniforms, plus books and tuition. Look into something like that asap. There is usually a short waiting list for things like this, but it is definately a list worth waiting on. :)

Something I have learned this past year in school was that a good nurse always has her pen, bandage scissors, and kelly forceps, and penlight on hand:)

Specializes in Emergency Dept, M/S.

My school gave me a list of supplies when they gave me my uniform requirements. I could have ordered all of my supplies through the uniform people, but their prices were................too pricey!

I needed tape scissors, stethoscope (recommended 2 different Littman styles, and I found a great deal online - much cheaper than the uniform place), Kelly clamp, watch w/second hand and recommended a few different kind of nursing shoes.

If you can get a list of needed supplies (like I know some people need their own B/P cuff, I didn't, but got a great deal on a set w/Stethoscope and name tag on eBay), you should have time to shop around. My advice is to check around. I'm an avid eBayer, and have gotten MANY great deals on there. I'm a mom of 4, so I know money issues also! :chuckle

I remember seeing someone mention that maybe you can buy a past student's text and/or uniform. That may save a bit of money also.

When i was in nursing school (a hundred years ago), we sold our used student uniforms to the incoming students when we graduated.

Buying used textbooks is always a good idea for saving money, but be sure that you're getting the right edition of the textbook, and not an older (too old, that is), outdated one ...

The cheapest basic stethoscope you can find will do you just fine for school -- you can always get a more expensive one later if you feel like you really need one (or request one as a graduation gift from family/friends!) :) Best wishes --

Specializes in Pediatrics.

Thank you everyone! What do you use to organize? One subject notebook for each class or a two five subject notebooks? Three ring binder with dividers or seperate folders? Colored pencils, markers? It's been three years since I've been in school, but by viewing the threads it is apparent that nursing school is a whole seperate animal from community college!

Organizing all depends on your own personality unfortunately.

I started out with spiral notebooks-a 3 subject for each class-and ended up with an individual binder for each class since there were SO many handouts. Wound up with 2 3" binders for one class.

That was RN school, but I'll bet a lot of the classes won't be so very different for LPN school.

Highlighters. Little arrow stickies and markers from Post-it to make looking things up easier. Pens. A pencil or two. A backpack to carry everything in...but you usually don't need to take books to class with you. At least we didnt'. If you do need to take books, try to find a roller pack. They get HEAVY.

Insulated lunch box and big water bottle. I saw some bottle at Walmart that have a feezable center for like $1.50 each. Keeps things cold without diluting everything.

The most comfortable shoes you can get your hands on.

As far as organizing I buy the huge 3" 3 ring binder. I use tabs that divide my syllabus, each different instructors lecture notes, loose paper, and a misc. section for my tests grades and homework assignments. I have 1 highlighter in every color, pens in every color, sheet protectors, a mini stapler, ruled notecards in both sizes, a 3 hole punch, a mini calculator ( put it in my pocket and use it when the instructor is not lookin on clinical to figure out my meds). These are the things that are in my book bag. As far as the clinical setting I have a cheap $13.00 steth (Littman will be my graduation present), penlight, bandage scissors, watch with second hand, hemestats, RN notes, and I think thats about it.

I got a large binder with inside pockets to carry my syllabuses in, separating each one with one of those transparent separater thingees with tabs. Get a pack of black non-eraseable ink pens, a few #2 pencils for exams, some of those tabs you can get at Wal-Mart to put in your textbook unit chapters to help you find them quickly, one color highlighter (don't go colorful....rainbow syndrome), thick notebooks (just rip out those yellow subject separaters), index cards.

Like everyone else said, a stethoscope...might want to get your own blood pressure kit too. Bandage scissors, measuring tape, penlight...Some if not most of this you should be able to get via financial aid and/or Pell Grant. Btw, this also pays for supplies from the school bookstore. http://www.fafsa.gov

Best of luck to you!

I have a 3 ring binder with dividers with pockets, and I always have eversharp pencils ( the kind with little tips you take out the used one and put in the top and it pushes another one down) and a highligter, loose leaf paper. I also bought one of those mini staplers and the little erasers that you put on the ends of pencils. cheap cheap black pens ( we are not allowed to use gel pencils on charts) and I found that the index cards at the dollar store work great to make note cards ( the pens are ok also) I bought a stethoscope on EBAy a very good Littman ( i hate cheap ones I can't hear out of them) Our school provides all the lab supplies but your school should give you a list if you need things for labs and MOST OF ALL don't buy all the books I have two I have only opened once and one was 85 bucks Good luck Rhonda

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