Best Drug guide?

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What do you think would be the best Drug guide to get, i will be starting nursing school next week.

thanks all

Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care, Gero, dementia.
I'm a Davis kind of guy myself. I have the PDA/electronic version, and used it ALL the time in clinical this past summer- very handy. I have to say, the guide is very well-organized and easy to use as well. Plus, if you have the electronic version, you can get free updates (quarterly, I think) from the publisher- so that you don't have to buy a new edition every year. All you do is hot-sync your PDA and the software downloads the updates from publisher's website. The skills lab at my school has both Davis and Mosby, and most everyone in my class prefers Davis hands down- you don't have to go fishing for specific info on a drug once you find the monograph.

Oh yeah- one other thing. Some of my classmates found that buying the Davis guide in "drug card" format was helpful because they could just select the drugs they were going to give that day (in clinical) and not have to lug the whole guide around. I, however, decided against getting that format, because I probably would have lost some of those cards anyways.

Actually, the updates are only good for a year. If you want to continue to get updates you have to buy a new edition one year from your last purchase date.

That said, I got my first davis drug guide for PDA back as a student and continue to use and update it. The "bookmark" feature is nice when you're a student. If you're able to look up all your assignet pt's meds the night before and bookmark it it goes a lot faster.

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Specializes in med-surg.

Thanks for all the recommendations!

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i got davis's drug guide on my pda and i like it

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I love Saunders Nursing Drug Handbook.It is straight to the point and easy to use.My fellow classmate borrow it all the time.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Derm, OB.

I have to say from the ones I've looked at I like Davis the most. That said my school asked for the: Prentice Hall Drug book, comes w/free PDA download. Guess I will have to try it and decide.

Question though, all of you who have the drug guide on PDA, I am considering the Palm T/X b/c of memory and SD card option what PDA do you like ? and how fast is the drug book lookup on your PDA?

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Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.

I use the Davis's, and have a TX. No regrets with either.

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