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...)
I actually have used mine. Any time I have a specific condition I want some in-depth info on, I turn to them. Sure, I use the internet too, but I like my books because I can find exactly what I'm looking for quickly instead of browsing page after page online. I still love my pharm book. I use it along with my drug book. And occasionally I review specific sections when I have a patient to take care of with something I don't see very often. Not to mention, they are a great review of the material. It's amazing how much you forget in a short amount of time. And is it any wonder? The pace they throw it at you is maddening!
I have kept most of my books, but have thrown away all of my notes because of the clutter they were causing. I like having the books to refer to and, sometimes, to go to sleep while reading them as someone else stated!! LOL
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!
I actually use my reviews and rationales books because I took the excelsior college exams and needed them to study.
And sometimes my friends ask me medical questions about a disease and if I do not know-- I just look it up in my good old med/surg textbook
I look stuff up on the Internet and we have resources at work like Micromedex and Up-to-Date. And to be honest, the only time I'd need them would be when I'm at work and.....they're at home, sooooo....
I did keep my drug book and lab values book. (We have those at work too.) The drug book I've used. I have my Chemo book from my certification course and that I use as well. When I start my new job at a chemo clinic, I'll probably keep it at work.
I have used my A&P book a couple of times from grad school (2006) but in truth, the standards of care change so often that using a nursing book afterwards might give you wrong info.
I kept my physical assessment book, just because of the awesome pictures, and my med/surg behemoth, and my critical care book. That's it. Honestly, I look almost everything up online rather than trot upstairs to grab one off the shelf, so I may get rid of them, too.
I refer to my textbooks 2-3 times per week. Just this week I had a hemodynamically unstable patient urinating what looked like straight blood. He had a complicated renal history, and I went home and looked up his renal issues. A few days before that I looked up terminology from my advanced assessment textbook so I could chart strange lumpy things in a patient's injured elbow.
We cannot remember everything we learn in nursing school
So I vote for keeping most of your textbooks. I did sell my psych/L&D books though.
Sold anything that was worth something on Amazon as quickly as the course was done.
yourkyfankim
9 Posts
I actually have used mine. Any time I have a specific condition I want some in-depth info on, I turn to them. Sure, I use the internet too, but I like my books because I can find exactly what I'm looking for quickly instead of browsing page after page online. I still love my pharm book. I use it along with my drug book. And occasionally I review specific sections when I have a patient to take care of with something I don't see very often. Not to mention, they are a great review of the material. It's amazing how much you forget in a short amount of time. And is it any wonder? The pace they throw it at you is maddening!