Ebooks in Nursing School?

Nursing Students General Students

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Hello all! Nursing school starts in a month and the school hasn't sent out acceptance letters yet, but I'm trying to be hopeful and prepare just in case--that's a lot of money to spend if you haven't budgeted for it ahead of time!

Has anyone used ebooks instead of regular hard-copy textbooks in nursing school? This wasn't an option when I was in college the first time, so I don't know anyone personally who has used them in lieu of regular books. I have a kindle, but I worry about it being more difficult to navigate in class or when studying, and I don't know if I would prefer to have a book that I can quickly flip through or not. I'm attracted to the fact that ebooks are cheaper though! I love my kindle, but I know page numbers will show up differently on my small screen as opposed to a large textbook, etc. Any suggestions or comments about your experience? Any advice is appreciated!

I use ebooks whenever I can for my nursing classes (there is not many available though). I use coursesmart.com for my ebooks though that way I can still go and print off as many pages as I want to and so I have it on my computer, phone, etc...

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i honestly think it's what works best for you...some can get with the ebook and some can't. imho...i like having a hard copy in front of me...but like i said that's what works for me...i wish i could get the same out of an ebook...much lighter.:yelclap:

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While I love to read for pleasure on my tablet, I don't like the textbooks in ebook format. I just like having it in front of me.

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Specializes in LTAC, ICU, ER, Informatics.

I use the ebooks exclusively. I love the portability and since I'm a computer geek I've been reading electronic versions of books forever. I am also not a highlighter-user, nor do I write in my books. If I did either of those, the ebooks wouldn't work for me.

I also find that on my desktop, having my reference books - Tabers, Davis, nursing care plan books, etc. is VERY helpful. All my research is right there on the screen and with the right clipping tools I can copy/paste into my papers.

I have however found that while it's handy to have my reference materials also on my iPod Touch, when I'm being grilled by the instructor is always when they freeze up or it takes me longer to find something than normal, so I'm about ready to start packing hard copies of my drug books at least along with me to clinical.

I think it's a highly personal thing, whether you like the online books/reference or not.

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I've never tried any of the ebook systems, but from what I've heard I don't think I would want to make my first attempt at it by using nursing books. Most of the textbooks we had to buy are fairly large (in excess of 2,000 pages) and I wouldn't want to think that I had to navigate them on an ebook device. Our school makes no mention of using ebooks, but I don't think it would be encouraged by our nursing instructors. I will admit that the books were pretty expensive, and I cringed as I paid for them, but I've gotten my money's worth out of them. These are books that you will use everyday, and you need to think about your own convenience first. If using an ebook is going to be an awkward, arduous, and time-consuming task, then stick with the regular hard copy. If you think that you can quickly navigate through an ebook, effectively study with one, and retain the information that you gained, then go with the cheaper ebook. It's all about what really works for you. Personally, I like to have the hard copy of the book in my hand. That way I can highlight, make copies of pages, jot down notes, and flag pages for reference. If you find that you have time to take a trip during nursing school (which would be a miracle), and you wanted to study on the go, then the ebook would be your best bet. One of the major downsides to having all the large hard copy books is that you can't carry them anywhere. I can't take them to the lobby of the doctor's office while I wait for my check-up, I can't take them on a long car trip, I can't take them to the bedside of a hospitalized family member, etc. They are too bulky, too heavy, and too large to feasibly carry anywhere besides class. The decision really comes down to personal preference, and you will have to decide for yourself. You know how you learn, you know what works and doesn't work, and you know if you can manage the ebook. If you think the ebook will be an easy tool to use, and you feel like you can learn with it, then use it. If you feel that it will be frustrating to use, or that you will not retain the information, then bite the bullet and buy the original copies of the texts you will be using.

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Another thing about ebooks: I don't like the idea of paying for an ebook. If I am going to hand over money for something, I want to hold that something in my hand. I do feel like electronic copies of books should cost only a small fraction of what the paper version costs. For my tablet, I download ebooks from a public library.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Flight.

I can't access them :( can u update the link.? Thanks!

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It's saved in Google Docs so it will open your Google stuff.

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I just hopped on that, Thanks BeatRocka! How did you get these into pdf's?

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Wow that's a pretty good collection. Thanks for sharing!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Flight.

got it! :) thank you!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Flight.

ya i did and all the other stuff too:)

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