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:crying2:Hi, I will be starting my nursing program in September and I want to get a head start. Are there any books or anything that someone could tell me that I should be reading or looking at just to get a head start. I have my CNA license and I work in a nursing home and a place for people with developmental disorders, besides that is there any other way for me to get a headstart?

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Congratulations! I'd buy a cheap used NCLEX guide. Maybe look for Saunders on amazon.com etc. The soooner you get the hang of taking NCLEX style tests the better, imo. Good luck.

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Specializes in Cardiology, Oncology, Medsurge.

I agree with Jules A, get up to speed looking at NCLEX guides. I especially liked Saunders. We all have our biases when it comes to these guides. I liked that Saunders didn't cost an arm and a leg and to me the book mimicked perfectly what I saw on the realio truelio NCLEX exam. I encourage you to study the forward, this will give you strategies to answering NCLEX questions which form all of your nursing school exams will take.

For your leisure I would suggest reading Echo Heron's book Intensive Care. Perhaps in light of changes in technology this book may not be the most contemporary, however it will definitely shed you insight into the working nursing world as well as the triumphs, sorry tales and bravery of a nursing cadet: I speak of Heron herself, in nursing school. Good luck with everything! '-)

Personal note regarding Intensive Care. I lent this book to a prenursing student and she absolutely couldn't put the book down. Family complained. All is forgiven, she'll be a great nurse.

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My school already has the fall CID posted for each class...along with reading assignments we should have done before schools starts. There are lists of required texts as well as optional reference books. I would contact the school and see if you can get any of this information as it will give you a huge head start.

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Specializes in LTC/Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.

Relax and enjoy your summer before school starts! I agree with getting used to the style of questions, but it's not going to make a lot of sense until you start school. Seriously, I was eager the same way you were and tried to read a lot of the questions, etc, but ended up feeling totally overwhelmed because I didn't understand a lot of the terminology.

You could get your textbooks. If you really, really feel you need to get a headstart (BTW...you already have one working as a CNA, IMO, your comfort with patients will help in clinicals) start with your nursing fundamentals text.

Good luck!

:crying2:Hi, I will be starting my nursing program in September and I want to get a head start. Are there any books or anything that someone could tell me that I should be reading or looking at just to get a head start. I have my CNA license and I work in a nursing home and a place for people with developmental disorders, besides that is there any other way for me to get a headstart?
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I understand and admire your enthusiasm, but I agree with another poster who told you to relax over the summer.

The NCLEX book is a good idea, but at this point you may not understand any of it and it may be more frustrating than helpful. You are going to learn so much and it will make so much more sense then.

I suggest reading fun nursing books. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Tilda Shalof's books: A Nurse's Story and The Making of a Nurse. They are both incredible books that I read pre-nursing school and loved!! They are the stories of an ICU nurse in Canada- about her days and her life and her experiences... they are incredible. There are lots of others out there, see this post for more ideas:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/most-enjoyable-nursing-books-pleasure-films-309838.html.

God bless and get ready, you are beginning an amazing journey!!

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.
:crying2:Hi, I will be starting my nursing program in September and I want to get a head start. Are there any books or anything that someone could tell me that I should be reading or looking at just to get a head start. I have my CNA license and I work in a nursing home and a place for people with developmental disorders, besides that is there any other way for me to get a headstart?

No. Enjoy your summer now. It will be the last time for the next two years that you will be able to relax.

Good luck! :smokin:

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

I'm of the camp that you should just relax until school starts. Those NCLEX books really aren't going to make much sense to you until you learn the material and it's probably going to overwhelm you.

Life as you know it is going to completely change when you start school, why ruin today worrying about it. You can do it, we've all been there and done that, most of us without reading anything ahead of time.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Cardiology, Oncology, Medsurge.
I'm of the camp that you should just relax until school starts. Those NCLEX books really aren't going to make much sense to you until you learn the material and it's probably going to overwhelm you.

I think I am going to disavow my camp leanings from earlier in this discussion. '-) But seriously, this statement by Tweets is good advice! Get some fun out of life before you haven't any in nursing school. And please ignore my studious advice from earlier.

Good luck with everything. And please feel free to return to this forum and drop us a line regarding any question you might have under the sun about RNering.

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