Books I should read before school starts?

[healthy12]

Hey Im Adam. I just got accepted into Nursing school this fall and was wondering are there any good books or text books I should read before school starts? Also any tips advice etc for a prospective student?

Thanks!

[Red35]

I recommend you use the time you have to relax and get organized....I would sleep! I had my spring break this last week....I haven't slept so much in my life:nailbiting:

Okay maybe read your A & P book if you want...

Good luck-

[zoe92]

Okay, so I start nursing school in the fall. I love reading & spend my breaks doing so. To prepare for school, I am getting some success books. I'm not saying they will make nursing school super easy, but I would like to know the sort of mindset/organization/time management to have when I start in August. I also really don't want te NCLEX & critical thinking stuff to be a huge shock. The books I am thinking about purchasing to read at some point this summer are:

Dosage Calculations by Gloria D. Pickar

Getting the Most from Nursing School by Robert Atkins

Mosby's Tour Guide to Nursing School by Melodie Chenevert

Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment by Rosalinda Alfaro-Lefevre

I hope this helps!!

[i♥words]

I start in the fall too. My top priority is to organize my living space. At the end of every semester everything is out of place and disorganized, and I have no idea at this point where I'll put all of my new books and binders and general paraphernalia. This might take me the entire summer.

But, we're talking about books. I bought Fluids & Electrolyes Made Incredibly Easy to read this summer, and I will hopefully be getting my nursing textbooks early to start looking through those. I may or may not buy some of the helps like the Reviews & Rationales series, and I'll probably go ahead and get an NCLEX-RN review book. (I don't know, I think the well will be running dry after the required textbook purchases.)

Other than that, I think I'm going to read a lot of fiction. :)

[donk]

I agree with enjoying your time off!! Set up a study space, make sure you spend time with your friends and family, and get your supports in place! The time to read comes soon enough and then you'll spend every waking moment buried under your textbooks

[Trenata]

I am not in nursing school yet, but one thing I have seen mentioned over and over here on Allnurses is critical thinking skills. My plan once I get accepted is to read through and NCLEX-RN book to familiarize myself with critical thinking skills applicable to nursing, and possibly some of the Incredibly Easy Series or Success Series.

[ImKosher]

Like others have said enjoy your break. If you need to read something, read something you like. Maintain your sanity before school starts, because you will lose it when you start school.

[Azuteor]

Edit: As far as books go, I used Saunder's NCLEX-RN and kept it with me.

1) The first few things you'll learn once you get in there is the importance of vital signs (bp, pulse, temp, O2 sats, respirations, and pain), how to take them, and their normal values. Familiarize yourself with the stethoscope and learn to get the radial pulse. I consider this my basic skills, which will then lead to your assessment skills and most importantly, critical thinking.

You can skim into the med-surg, patho, and pharm aspects, but don't study them extensively because you won't know how your nursing program will be. Over your 2 1/2 years in nursing--not including the 2 years of pre-reqs--you'll realize that everything runs together and must stick with you throughout your career or even your entire being. Lol.

2) Go on Youtube and watch videos about the nursing field and vlogs made by nursing students. Look up nursing on Tumblr and you'll find a plethora of journal entries, pictures, and helpful tips. This step helped me get excited for nursing as well as understand what I'll be getting into.

Do what I said above and your first month in nursing will be fine!! A majority of the time you should be having fun with your family and friends!

However, the real experience of being a nursing student won't happen obviously until your Fall, Spring, or Summer terms. It'll come as a shock to you, you may even question yourself, maybe you'll fail your first exam, some people will drop out, you might fail out your first semester, etc. Know for sure that nursing is what you want to do and remember to never give up. If you fall hard, find a way, come back harder, and kick nursing school in the ***. There are plenty of working single parents who are able to do it. There are people who start from the bottom and came up top. There are nurses who failed the first time and became very successful the second time. You do what you need to do and it'll be worth it!!

[RamblingSN]

My personal suggestions are getting comfortable with Maslow's Hierarchy and organizing your life, study area, etc., but also take the time to do things you enjoy! Nursing school can be all consuming.

[Lennonninja, MSN, APRN, NP]

Don't read ANYTHING nursing related. Just read fun books because you won't be reading for pleasure for a long time!!

[Malorymug]

Nurse's Story by Tilda Shalof was suggested in another forum. And Congratulations. I'm still waiting to hear on my acceptance.

[Feistn]

The ones you like. Seriously, they will tell you what to learn and how to learn it. If you try and read your textbooks early, you'll just be chasing your tail. The things you should brush up on are med terminology, CNA skills because they won't teach this and will assume you will be comfortable doing all of them, and med dosages, because there will be a test that you have to pass with 100% or risk losing your spot in the program. Beyond that, just enjoy your summer. You could start looking at NCLEX books mainly for the test strategies. But like I said... read the stuff you like, because you won't have much time for fun reading when school is in session!