UMB's BSN textbook list?

U.S.A. Maryland

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Hi,

I'm usually the kind of person who starts buying their textbooks online because it saves a lot of money. I can't seem to find book lists or anything anywhere. I know it's probably too soon but I was just wondering when you think I'll be able to find out what books are needed.

Also, I came across this girl who is trying to sell all her material. She apparently dropped out 3 weeks into the semester. I want to buy it from her but I don't know if the textbooks have changed?

This is the stuff she's offering...

1. UMB Nursing Labcoat, with UMB SON patch sewn on left sleeve -$20

2. UMB Nursing Student white scrub top (with patch) and khaki scrub pants (XS top, XSP pants). Both- $30.

^Is this a good deal? How much do they normally go for? Do I need this for the first year of school?

books:

1. Mosby's Diagnostic and Laboratory Test Reference 8th ed. by Pagana (brand new, never used) $40

2. 2008 Mosby's Nursing Drug Reference 21st ed. (brand new, never used) $35

3. Mosby's Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions 7th ed. (brand new, never used) $28

^I can probably figure out the pricing of the books online. But I was just wondering if these books are necessary since they're all reference books, technically not the actual textbooks. Or are they actually required?

Thanks in advance! Any input is appreciated. :D

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Hi,

I'm usually the kind of person who starts buying their textbooks online because it saves a lot of money. I can't seem to find book lists or anything anywhere. I know it's probably too soon but I was just wondering when you think I'll be able to find out what books are needed.

Also, I came across this girl who is trying to sell all her material. She apparently dropped out 3 weeks into the semester. I want to buy it from her but I don't know if the textbooks have changed?

This is the stuff she's offering...

1. UMB Nursing Labcoat, with UMB SON patch sewn on left sleeve -$20

2. UMB Nursing Student white scrub top (with patch) and khaki scrub pants (XS top, XSP pants). Both- $30.

^Is this a good deal? How much do they normally go for? Do I need this for the first year of school?

books:

1. Mosby's Diagnostic and Laboratory Test Reference 8th ed. by Pagana (brand new, never used) $40

2. 2008 Mosby's Nursing Drug Reference 21st ed. (brand new, never used) $35

3. Mosby's Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions 7th ed. (brand new, never used) $28

^I can probably figure out the pricing of the books online. But I was just wondering if these books are necessary since they're all reference books, technically not the actual textbooks. Or are they actually required?

Thanks in advance! Any input is appreciated. :D

I graduated from there in December.

Books, lab coats and uniforms are sold at the bookstore. They list the books online once decisions have been made.

Those prices look OK to me, but not great. Make sure the uniform fits. You can buy any white lab coat, khaki pants and white scrub top - then buy the patch from the bookstore and sew/iron it on the top. You NEED a lab coat the very first week and will use it a lot, so make sure you like the style, etc.

Also, they tell you to have white shoes but this is definitely not enforced.

I went through three lab coats in school, due to ruining them with ink, etc... The last time I never got around to putting the school patch on, and nobody ever said anything.

Those reference books are standard. The dictionary is nice to have, but I have to say that I've only used mine a couple times and everything in it is available online. You will have to have the lab test book and the drug book, though you won't use them that much first semester. If you can get 2008 editions, used, try that, because you might want 2009 edition (for the drug book, anyway) when you start real clinicals in the spring.

Good luck.

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Specializes in Peri-op/Sub-Acute ANP.

The lab jacket with patch, and scrub top with patch sound like a reasonable deal since the patches separately cost $10.00 I think (and then you have the pain of sewing the thing on). Like the above poster said, you really need to be sure whatever you but fits - the sizes run a little strange with them, so don't assume if you are one size generally that this uniform will fit.

I would pass on the pants though. I bought the exact same pants from a uniform store for $10.00.

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While looking around UMB's website, I clicked the link for the bookstore and saw that you can input your courses for the semester then they will give you a list of the required and recommended books. It was a pretty hefty list, but it does give you an idea of how much you'd end up spending if you bought the books from the bookstore.

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Thank you all for your responses! It was all very helpful.

I'm looking at the bookstore's website right now. 4 classes requiring 24 books is kind of scaring me right now.:eek:

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Specializes in Peri-op/Sub-Acute ANP.

I know money is always an issue, but my advice to you would be to hold on to the following texts:

NURS 333 Health Assessment

NURS 304 Intro to Professional Nursing Practice

NURS 315 Pathopharmacology

NURS 320 Science & Research for Nursing Practice (second semester)

You will refer back to these constantly, and I think you will regret letting them go (I know some people in my class actually had to re-purchase them when they realized how many times they would need them during 2nd and 3rd semester).

If you can't afford not to sell your books back, I would suggest teaming up with another student who you perhaps study with and sharing the burden so that you each keep two of these.

Good luck.

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Thank you so much.

Last question! I promise (I think:p), do you think the study guides are worth getting? Esp. for psychophysiology and pharmacology. I know those are definitely the toughest subjects but I never used any of the study guides in the past. Except for math courses because it shows the calculations and answers. Pharmacology has a lot of dosage calculations, does the study guide offer step by step answers?

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Specializes in Peri-op/Sub-Acute ANP.

OK, pathopharm is tough, but don't fall into the trap of studying this subject at the expense of the other courses in your first semester. I know of at least two students who went nuts on pathopharm (got an A and a just-missed A) only to fail in physical assessment and get held back. I also know of at least one person who again passed patho only to fail Intro to Professional Nursing.

I know it will be hard in your first semester, but you cannot get caught up in the patho hysteria!

I did not get the study guide for patho. The slides for that course are very good, and if you use them as a study guide you will do OK.

I did get the study guide for Health Assessment, and I found that it really did help me to get an A in that course (I know many other people struggled with that class, because it is our first introduction to NCLEX-type questions). The study guide will help you with that.

I encourage you to spend as much time in the open labs as possible going over clinical skills and physical assessment. Everything in the first semester comes at you really fast - don't be one of those students who tries to cram doing a 20-minute full physical 15 minutes before you are tested out in it. Way too much stress, you want to go in there with confidence and know your stuff!

Interestingly, you will not be doing dose calculations in pathopharm - you will need to test out in calc skills in NURS304 though and EVERY other clinical-based course thereafter (except for psych clinical) at 100% so (on top of everything else, I know), keep your hand in with calcs even though you won't use them very much during your clinicals.

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I did not use the study guides. Got all A's first semester except pathopharm - just missed an A.

I agree that you need to keep your books. The first semester is by far the worst for book expense.

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You might need the study guide for Health Assessment, because you might need to rip off some pages, but don't buy the study guides. Just buy a good nclex review book, which you can use for the rest of your classes.

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Specializes in ICU.

I just graduated from UMB Shady Grove campus. My advice is buy on amazon.com or barnes and noble. Buy used where you can even if it is the edition before the one the professor wants...I didn't do this my first year but did in my second after watching some do it the first year. I had no problem because of the difference in editions and saved a boatload of $$$. I didn't bother buying recommended books either after the second semester.

Good Luck! It is a great program! And they provide slides for everything so you really don't wind up reading as much as you think you would...at least I didn't (except Med/Surge) gotta read all of that. Get Saunders NCLEX book when you do Med Surge...it helped people.

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I just graduated from UMB Shady Grove campus. My advice is buy on amazon.com or barnes and noble. Buy used where you can even if it is the edition before the one the professor wants...I didn't do this my first year but did in my second after watching some do it the first year. I had no problem because of the difference in editions and saved a boatload of $$$. I didn't bother buying recommended books either after the second semester.

Good Luck! It is a great program! And they provide slides for everything so you really don't wind up reading as much as you think you would...at least I didn't (except Med/Surge) gotta read all of that. Get Saunders NCLEX book when you do Med Surge...it helped people.

I second getting the Saunders book - the one with the individual chapters by subject, not the one that is just questions. You can use it from the very beginning, really. You will recognize test questions from all the NCLEX review books, actually.

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