Life after nursing school: did you keep your "stuff"

[carajoy]

Hello! Well, I graduated in December and passed the NCLEX. I am waiting to hear on some interviews so am enjoying this free-time cleaning out my tiny house (with minimal storage). I am back and forth on the dilemma about my nursing-school notes and books and clinical paperwork. Do I get rid of the stuff that I worked so hard on, knowing that the likelihood of referencing any of it in my future is small? It's more likely for me to go to a reputable internet source...and we all know that they are constantly revising nursing resources. Is there really a need to try to find room to squeeze my soon-to-be outdated books somewhere?! I just wanted to see what everyone else did with their "stuff" after nursing school, and if anyone had any regrets either way.

[PAERRN20]

I tossed notes, powerpoints, handouts, etc. I kept a drug reference, medical dictionary, med-surg book, psych book, and OB/peds book. I refer to the med-surg book often. I kept the OB/peds book because I plan on using it as a reference when I am pregnant some day. If you can get money via a buyback for these books, I would do it. However, I do recommend you at least keep your med-surg book and drug reference book.

[jschut, BSN, RN]

Definitely kept "some" books. Tossed notes, cept a project report that an instructor wrote a very nice comment on...

Memory things? I kept.

I have a "memory box" for all my doo-dads from nursing school. Just a small tote, but one that maybe my daughter or her children can go thru someday.....

[April, RN, BSN, RN]

The only thing I have ever referenced since nursing school is my med-surg book. I've never regretting throwing out my notes or getting rid of my other books. As you mentioned, I usually use reputable internet sources.

[FrogKissingNurse]

I'm graduating in May and I'm only planning on keeping a few books:

Med-surg

Drug book

Medical Dictionary

Anatomy and Physiology

EZ ECG

Critical Care book

Procedure Check list book- this way I can reference it until I get used to these procedures that I might not have seen in a while

I think that after I decide what area I'm going to stay in for a while I'll probably get rid of more of these books. I think everyone should keep a med surg and drug book for sure. The rest you can probably get away with not having

[caliotter3]

Look over what you kept after five years and you will probably toss the rest of it also in favor of more updated references. About every five to seven years, I get a new med book which I use in home health. Although I take my 'puter, the med book is more convenient to look up stuff in the home.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I kept (and still use) the textbooks.

I threw all of my notes, papers, handouts, etc. into a large plastic locker. Most of the contents are already in my computer in one way, shape or form, and I planned to keep the hard copies until I passed the NCLEX. But that day came and passed...the locker's buried under a stack of boxes and I don't really feel like digging it out now :)

[Natkat, BSN, MSN, RN]

I tossed everything and sold all the books that were sellable. I don't regret it and have never needed any of it.

[Tait, MSN, RN]

Kept a drug book and lab value book and gave the rest of my stash to a deserving nursing student :)

Tait

[mustlovepoodles, RN]

THe first thing I did after graduation was sell what I could and threw out the rest. I took a subscription to Nursing '77 which really helped me learn things about specialties I had not been exposed to. Just recently I came across my old Med-Surg book, written in 1975 Heavy emphasis on syphilis, no mention of herpes or HPV and HIV had not been discovered. There were extensive directions on how to set up chest tubes with glass bottles and rubber hoses. Controlling diabetes by peeing on a stick and injecting insulin to cover (scary!) Breast cancer was positively prehistoric--no lumpectomies, all radical mastectomy. Childhood leukemia...you don't want to go there. I suppose I should have kept it just for laughs, but I tossed it. It was just sad. Almost all info is so hopelessly out of date NO ONE could use it.

[Jokerhill]

I remembered how broke I was when I started nursing school so I found a deserving student and gave her a great head start, boxes and boxes of it. She already had some so she gave the duplicates to a classmate.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

After I graduated I used my drug book, medical dictionary, A&P book and medsurg text. I kept a lot more than that, but those are the only ones I used.