Keeping textbooks for reference?

Nurses General Nursing

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So I graduated in May and recently passed my NCLEX and am starting my RN job next month. I am also moving to another state and am in the process of downsizing everything I own. That being said, part of me wants to hold onto my two medsurg textbooks. I keep thinking I might need to reference it if I'm unsure of something at work and as a reference with continuing education. Granted, nursing information is always changing and research is always being added, so is that even worth it? I'm starting in a graduate nurse program, so I know there will be resources...

Basically, my question is to all of you working nurses, did you keep your textbooks and ever reference them when you started working?

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Specializes in ED.

Ditch 'em! You can always google anything you want to know.

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Specializes in PMHNP.

I go back and forth about that too. My textbooks would be worth a couple hundred dollars online. But because I want to go back for the BSN I think about keeping them to reference for papers.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

Sell or donate them.

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As a new nurse 10 yes ago, I kept them and read them almost every night during my first few months of working.

Now the only ones I ever read are my pharmacology book to review new meds and study up on older meds.

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I'm keeping mine so that years from now I can laugh about all the crazy stuff we used to do in medicine in the dark ages. ;) Or something like that. I paid a king's ransom for them. They make excellent doorstops and any visitors being nosy and looking at our bookshelves think we're super duper smart. Bonus.

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Specializes in school nurse.

Some things don't change, like A & P; if your book you had to get was good- keep it! My pharmacology book from school was great. I buy the updated edition every few years. Online sources can be quick and easy, but often cursory and too brief.

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I say get rid of them. Nursing is always changing, (new drugs, new procedures, and EBP)...it will be outdated in a few years anyway. As an LPN, when I went back to RN school I was SHOOKED when they said we don't aspirate IM injections anymore! :eek:

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I am curious if you have online access to the books or not? If yes, sell them before a new edition comes out. In any case, all nursing books become obsolete in 5 years and you will be referring to wrong information if you are still using.Some basics, however don't change and they can be referred to online.

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

Not only did I not keep any of the ones from 1st go round, for subsequent degrees, I have rented most of my books. Much cheaper

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Specializes in Psych, Peds, Education, Infection Control.
I'm keeping mine so that years from now I can laugh about all the crazy stuff we used to do in medicine in the dark ages. ;) Or something like that. I paid a king's ransom for them. They make excellent doorstops and any visitors being nosy and looking at our bookshelves think we're super duper smart. Bonus.

I keep my mom's 1970's medical dictionary from HER nursing school days for exactly that reason. We found it in the basement, had a good chuckle over it, and now it lives on my living room bookshelf because aesthetic. I originally kept all of my nursing textbooks, but they were lost in a move...now that I'm going back for my MSN, I've decided to keep the textbooks that I actually USE frequently, at least until I'm done with the program...the ones I rarely touch or ONLY use for class assignments, I'm selling after the term is over.

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Specializes in Psych, Peds, Education, Infection Control.
Not only did I not keep any of the ones from 1st go round, for subsequent degrees, I have rented most of my books. Much cheaper

This is definitely something I'm considering while doing my RN-MSN bridge. I've bought the books for the foundation classes or the ones I think I'm going to really enjoy (like my humanities elective, which has some really beautiful art in the textbook)...but as I progress, I'm definitely considering renting books I doubt I'll ever open again. Is there any one site you rent from, or do you just shop around? I've seen the rental option on Amazon, but I haven't looked into it too deeply yet.

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