A few questions from a newbie

U.S.A. Arizona

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I have a few q's for you experienced students. Where should I buy scrubs? How many sets did you buy? Did you buy the scrubs jacket? Do you wear your scrubs to class or just to clinicals? Do I need to buy my own stethoscope? If so, which one is good? PDA?? I'm more than willing to buy one if it is really helpful. If you have one, which one do you have? I've heard a roller backpack is good. What do you think? What else am I forgetting??? Thanks for any answers. :)

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Specializes in Cardiac.
I've heard a roller backpack is good. What do you think?

When I was in school, I took my books over to kinkos and had them de-binded. Then I would only palce what chapters that I needed for class. All of my studies, handouts, PPnotes, and school chapters fit in one nice 3 ring binder, and my back didn't break as a result...

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Specializes in Cardiac.

double post..argh!

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Specializes in Licensed Practical Nurse.

scrubs with a jacket is a good idea so that when you're finished with clinicals you can just take the jacket off, you know for sanitary reasons, hospitals are dirty places. the amount to buy is based on how many times you have clinical, i had clinical 2wks straight at some times and i had about 5 sets of scrubs, but it really depends on how often you have clinic. buy your own stethoscope, they get expensive or be really cheap, i forgot the name of a good brand - sorry. the one i had was like $90, i'll give you the name after-can't remember. good luck!

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Specializes in Maternity.

littman is the best stethoscope. danskos is the best nursing shoes and yes get a backpack with wheels good luck

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I have a few q's for you experienced students. Where should I buy scrubs? How many sets did you buy? Did you buy the scrubs jacket? Do you wear your scrubs to class or just to clinicals? Do I need to buy my own stethoscope? If so, which one is good? PDA?? I'm more than willing to buy one if it is really helpful. If you have one, which one do you have? I've heard a roller backpack is good. What do you think? What else am I forgetting??? Thanks for any answers. :)

For Maricopa community college nursing program... after you got orientation they will tell you when you have to buy your scrubs.. You are only allowed to buy there scrubs also you only wear them for clinicals. You have to buy your own stethoscope, and there is a book list of about 15 books u have to buy and a bunch arent cheap. You also have to buy a practice at home kit thing that is like 80 bucks. Have you gone to the orientation yet? they covered all this during that time.

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Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.

Trust me, you don't want to buy more than 2 pair of the white pants scrubs. You will never wear them again once school is done. :trout:

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I have a few q's for you experienced students. Where should I buy scrubs?

You will be told where to buy scrubs. The price is fixed. It is a racket. But the Landau scrubs are excellent quality and I got hooked - I use Landau for work now....

How many sets did you buy?

Clinicals usually 2x per week. Two sets worked for me. You will never wear them again.

Did you buy the scrubs jacket?

I think it is ugly and dorklike. Some of my classmates disagree. Do you want a lab coat? Just something else to wash.

Do you wear your scrubs to class or just to clinicals?

Usually just clinicals. Sometimes you are told to wear them to a class. That is rare and you are told waaaaayyyyy in advance.

Do I need to buy my own stethoscope? If so, which one is good?

Yes. A Littman Lightweight will set you back $50.00 at the AZ Mills Scrubs store. You can't go wrong. All the people in my cohort who (still in Block III) say "I'm lousy at listening to lungs" have cheap stethoscopes. If you can't hear anything - no wonder you suck at listening to lungs.

PDA?? I'm more than willing to buy one if it is really helpful. If you have one, which one do you have?

Yes. Yes. Yes. The single best purchase I made for the entire nursing program (besides my Dansko shoes). The Palm Tungsten E2 will set you back around $200.00 (it is the cheapest with an expandable memory card -essential for your nursing books). Load it with Davis Drug Guide for Nurses, Tabers Medical Encyclopedia, and maybe a lab manual such as Davis' Handbook of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests. You can find all sorts of package deals for this online (I used skyscape). Tabers and Davis' Drug Guide will answer 95% of all questions. I could not get by without them...if you get a PDA you will probably never need a rolling backpack anyway....

I've heard a roller backpack is good. What do you think?

Why not. But to be honest I have yet to read most of my books. If a teacher says "look at page 1093 in Lewis," I'm not dumb - I'll look at it. But otherwise, most of the books are an utter waste of time. My PDA suits me just find whether for class or picking a patient and doing care plans. In other words, I have no need for a rolling backpack since I don't usually bring the books with me nor read them in the first place.

What else am I forgetting???

Get the best shoes for your feet that you can afford. I love Danskos.

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Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.
I

Why not. But to be honest I have yet to read most of my books. If a teacher says "look at page 1093 in Lewis," I'm not dumb - I'll look at it. But otherwise, most of the books are an utter waste of time. My PDA suits me just find whether for class or picking a patient and doing care plans. In other words, I have no need for a rolling backpack since I don't usually bring the books with me nor read them in the first place.

Honestly, you never read your books??? :uhoh21:

At Glendale you had to read your books because test material was taken from the book that was never reviewed in class. Obscure test questions too. I would have flunked out if I never read the books :idea:

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If the teacher says "look at page ____" I definitely read it. But overall, no. I have found that maybe 1-2 test questions on a 20 question test come from obscure parts of the reading. Here is my thinking on that:

a) If it is an obscure part of the reading, I'd probably neglect to read/remember it anyway. My memory doesn't work well when I'm given 6 chapters to read in one night.

b) I can usually narrow-down every test question to two choices, even on stuff I don't know

c) So I can 1) spend lots of hours preparing for 2 obscure questions or 2) take a 50% shot at guessing the correct answer.

Choice 2 obviously gives me a better quality of life. And I have a 4.0 average to date in every class as of this point in Block III. Some of my classmates disagree and spend lots of time doing the readings.

At the end of the day, the profs stress critical thinking which if I recall correctly entails analyzing the data available, making a decision, and being accountable for that decision. I'm fully aware that maybe I will get blindsided with lots of obscure test questions one day - but I'll hold myself accountable if that happens. So it is a calculated risk to ignore most of the reading and really pay attention in class and take great notes.

As I said, some students in my cohort insist the reading is important. It is all a matter of your style, smarts, and what you seek in terms of quality of life.

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Thanks to all of you. You have provided a lot of great information. I'm sure I'll be asking more questions down the road!

Thanks again!

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