Best Peds/PICU reference books???

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I'm a student graduating in June and about to do my preceptorship in a PICU. I really want to go into Peds and work in a PICU environment as a new grad or eventually. My 5-week Peds class in school has left me SO unprepared though, and I hate my textbook (Wong). I'm the type of person who likes to read all up on patho and stuff, and learn skills by doing.

Any suggestions on references that you really use/used when you were new? I assume I'll refer to my Brunner Med-Surg a lot, but anything Peds specific?

TY-I'm so nervous!

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

I like AACN's Core Curriculum for Pediatric Critical Care Nursing. It's not horrendously expensive and is worth its weight and then some in gold!

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Specializes in Obs.

Hi there, I'm just finishing up the classroom part of my PICU orientation. Like Jan said, the AACN Core Curriculum for Pediatric Critical Care Nursing is excellent and used a lot in my orientation, as is Hazinski's Manual of Pediatric Critical Care. I bought Hazinski's 1992 text really cheap online and it's wonderful. Good luck! I'm discovering that PICU nursing is worlds away from obs nursing, my home for almost nine years!

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Thanks a ton! I'll check those out on amazon

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Specializes in E.R. Peds, PICU, CCU,.

Hazinski was almost considered a bible at the PICU I worked at.

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Specializes in PICU, surgical post-op.

i second what others have said. my clinical instructors thought mary fran (hazinski) was purt near close to god themselves. (which is really saying something, since i went to a christian school! ;)) i just picked up the core curriculum the other day, since i've finally decided to start studying for my ccrn.

we used wong in school too. it's just not so hot on the icu stuff. consider also little skinny books, like ekg analysis etc. if you're working somewhere with cardiac kids, that can be really helpful.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

TY again. I'll get the Core Curriculum and Hazinski, and like you said probably an EKG interpretation book. Thanks. I knew it would be the case, but looks like I'll be studying tons more as a new grad than I did in school!

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Specializes in PICU, surgical post-op.
looks like I'll be studying tons more as a new grad than I did in school!

I'm getting my very own extern this summer, so I've definitely been hitting the books a bit more recently, making sure I'll be able to explain things to her when the time comes. I feel like I'm back in school all over again!

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Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.
looks like I'll be studying tons more as a new grad than I did in school!

I just got a job in the PICU as well but as a Nurse Partner not an RN (I'm still in nursing school) and I'm planning on studying a lot this summer as well--my position is set up like a preceptorship so I'm very excited but know I have soooo much to learn.

Our Peds class was only 8 weeks long and we read the whole Wong book. I don't feel like I learned anything at all because it was so crammed and fast and very very basic and we didn't have time to get very in depth so I'm looking for more resouces as well to read and study.

What about the Harriet Lang Pediatric book... I can't remember the whole title, is it a good resource as well?

Thanks :) Glad to be joining you all!

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

The Harriet Lane Handbook: A Manual for Pediatric House Officers gets really good reviews and it's from Johns Hopkins, so that reputation is solid. The only problem I'd have with it is that it's for physicians so the slant would be medical and not nursing.

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Critical Care Nursing of Infants and Children 2nd Ed. Curley Moloney-Harmon.

Our PICU Attending bought us this book for us because he thought it was the best one.

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