Do you still use your old nursing school textbooks??

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Specializes in Pediatric Oncology/BMT.

Hi all,

I was just wondering if any RN's out there are using their textbooks from nursing school after licensure? I'm planning on keeping my med/surg, critical care, and pharm books. Maybe my psych too??

I've looked up a couple other threads on this topic, and have a good idea of what texts people think are good to hold onto. I'm curious to hear if anyone actually USES them down the line, and if so how much and which ones?? (I'm notorious for holding onto textbooks, and then not using them nearly as much as I thought I would...)

Thanks!

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I've used mine, but actually not enough to warrant letting them take up space. I've actually had more use from them when I was looking things up out of curiosity or just reading up on something before falling asleep. In that respect, they are useful to have around.

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They are so hard to let go especially after you spend a pretty penny on them. At the end you end up using none. They have internet and apps for everything now. I keep them for the pictures :). I like my psych books. It's good to read every so often why people act a certain way and why.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

I keep all of my books these days. Half of them they won't buy back, since they are switching to a new edition. The other half isn't worth getting rid of to get back 5% of what I paid for them.

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Specializes in Home Health Care.

I've used my lab and drug handbooks on more than one occasion since I graduated in 07'.

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Truthfully, I have kept about everyone of my books, and never use them. If I want to look something up...Internet. So they are mostly taking up space

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Oncology, telemetry/stepdown.

I just sold a bunch of mine on Ebay...it was very difficult to part with them, but I needed room on my bookshelves!

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I kept them too long probably more for sentimental reasons that anything practical, and finally got rid of them. But by then they were woefully out of date. I wish I had kept the anatomy book. I still have some of my grandmother's nursing textbooks - fascinating differences.

Now it is too easy to find information on line.

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.

Most of mine came with electronic versions (Evolve) which I find more useful. I've also found electronic copies of other books online. My Fundamentals book (Potter and Perry) is awful and not work keeping; Med-Surg book (Iggy) is OK; Critical Care book (Thelan's) is the only one - except for the lab book - which I spend any time reading.

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Specializes in Trauma Surgical ICU.

So funny you asked this question.. Today I had a bonfire and watched them and all my notes etc turn to ash.. I did keep my med/surg, pharm, assessment and lab values book. I don't know if I will ever look at them or not but just in case :)

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I have all my nursing books and I will keep them forever even if I don't ever use them. I am sure that I am going to open them one day to review or look something up.

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sun0408

"... today i had a bonfire and watched them and all my notes etc turn to ash.. " lol - i can relate!

op - i have been debating about this, and i have decided not to keep them (other than anatomy & the drug book, as others said) because the information ages so quickly, and the internet is handier than 247 pounds of books. i have dl'd the e-versions when possible, since i plan to upgrade my phone very soon, or maybe even get a kindle. (sidebar rant - why don't they put any of these effing books on kindle?? the stupid thing is $400 or something, but i think it might have been worth it and even still pay the regular book price just to avoid having to schlep those tree-killers all over creation!)

anyway...

for a while, i thought i might save them all for the dh - he will be starting nursing program (!) next august, but i think it's very likely they will have gone to newer editions by then. i just found out though: our sna has a lend/loan program, so i think i will donate them to the next batch of newbies starting on monday. i could make a few bucks if i unload them at buyback, but i think i'll take the karma & pay it forward.

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