Help with books

daynuhRN · Dec 8, 2010

I start my RN program in 4 weeks too and I'm buying all my books. if you can afford it, its probably the best idea because you'll always have them and you can use them to brush up on things before you take the NCLEX. I did the same thing with my A&P, nutrition, and math for meds so I'll have them if I need to look back. Congrats on getting into your program I'm sure your supper excited just like I am!

soushee · Dec 8, 2010

I plan on keeping all of my books, at least until I graduate (and I figure by then they'll be too old to get rid of anyway... that's how it goes with textbooks, last semester's stuff is old news). With how my program works, we use the same books over the course of the 4 semesters, so it would be hard to rent them anyway. So that's something you might want to check into before jumping into renting.

One piece of advice I can give is avoid the college bookstore! They're always overpriced. Instead, take your textbook list and go on barnes and noble's site (bn.com) or textbooks.com Those are the two sites I buy my books from. I've purchased several of my large two volume sets used from textbooks.com for half the price the college bookstore wanted, and the books looked brand new, even though they were marked used. They also do free shipping. One of the books I need for next semester is $160 new from the college bookstore, and $82 brand new fron Barnes and Noble, so it's really obvious to see how much money you can end up saving by shopping around. Also, you can try your local craigslist for former students getting rid of their stuff, and sometimes ebay has some good finds.

Good luck!

Hospice Nurse LPN, BSN, RN · Dec 8, 2010

At my school, we rent most of our books. The ones I've had to buy I got from Amazon.com. Free shipping for orders over $25.

Ninja Nurse, ASN · Dec 9, 2010

Wow, I never thought that I may use them over the course of semesters. Thank you! I'll have to ask them. That would be nice though, considering it's $1000 just for first semester books. Or maybe they're expecting me to read all 14 books in 5 months???? I can do it:)) lol

daynuhRN · Dec 9, 2010

its probably most of your books for the whole program. Thats how mine is. There's only like Maternity and Peds that we'll have to buy in our second year.

soushee · Dec 9, 2010

its probably most of your books for the whole program. Thats how mine is. There's only like Maternity and Peds that we'll have to buy in our second year.

Same with me... just gotta buy a maternity book for next semester and a few cheapy case study books. Then I think after that I just need a psychiatric book for 3rd or 4th semester.

Ninja Nurse, ASN · Dec 11, 2010

Yeah, I found out today that we'll be using most of them throughout the program. We were also told to be wary of used books simply because they don't contain the cd's and/or codes needed which we will be using. Dang. lol

sch1109 · Dec 12, 2010

Your major books like fundamentals or Med Surge I would definitely not rent but there are a few that I would if I could go back. We barely used our drug calculations book and then there are other books that you could actually buy a previous edition of and be fine. I have a previous edition of a nursing care plan book and a drug dosage book that I got for $5 each on Amazon and they have not hindered me in the slightest. Then there are other books that we had to buy that I never did and I never felt like I was missing anything like a medical dictionary, a current year reference for lab and diagnostic tests and a current year charting reference guide. If I were you I would also try to talk to students who are maybe a year ahead of you and see what books they used and what they didn't.

ImThatGuy, BSN, RN · Dec 13, 2010

I just finished my first semester of a BSN program. Three more semesters to go. I completed all of the prereqs, other than nutrition, with my first degree. I have three A&P books that I've accumulated over the years because I like reading them from time to time. I have the book I used as a student, a book that I taught from, and an abbreviated version that makes a handy refresher book.

It was "recommended" that we keep all of our texts to reference in the future, but I guarantee I'm not doing that so I sold them all back. I kept the Davis Drug Guide which I never use, and I kept our pharmacology book because it was an interesting read (science is what interests me), and I thought the value of it in bathroom reading material exceeded what the bookstore was going to buy it back for. I also kept Lippincott because it was so unexpectedly cheap for its gigantic size. I bought it used, but it's quite obvious that the previous student never even opened it. It looks nice on a shelf or coffee table, but the size of it makes it less than useful. Also, don't buy workbooks, or student guides as I think nursing calls them, unless you know for sure you're going to have assignments in them that will be graded. In fact I would ask that if I were you, and I will be asking that question in January. We had to buy three of those and only used one. I made copies of the three or so pages that we had to use out of the one, and sold them all back in new condition yet they were only worth about four bucks each.

I spent $950 this past fall on books and got about ten percent of that back, but the principle of not getting stuck with more old college books was my motivator in getting rid of them. I have no where in my house anymore for more books, plus with electronic reference sources and internet who needs a shelf full of books to reference?

iPink, BSN, RN · Dec 13, 2010

Wished my 17 books were for the entire program (15 months in length), but it's only for the first semester. Is there any way you can go to the school and look at the boards to see how much students are reselling their books for? In addition, speak to them if all books were required. I asked several students that same question and all said all 17 books are definitely needed.

Congrats by the way.

Ninja Nurse, ASN · Nov 25, 2012

And 2 years later...... I have to tell anyone that is still subscribed or happens to stumble upon this thread again like I just did that I got through nursing school WITHOUT ANY OF THE REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS.

True Story. Buy NCLEX books only. They will shape your mind and prepare you for the true "test" at the end. And don't forget you have the world literally at your fingertips, meaning nursing care for pancreatis is nursing care for pancreatis, no matter where you read it :-) So if you really must get that required text, look for the e-version or see if you can make copies from a borrowed book.

All in the name of being broke, Good luck, you can do it! I did. Ask me how I also did it without Flashcards.....