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 Is there really a need to try to find room to squeeze my soon-to-be outdated books somewhere?!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.

[Mukfay]

You might offer the to someone attending an orientation for the first semester in your program. I've had a few requests from new students for my powerpoints, reading assignments, etc., and I'm only in the third semester.

Rgds,

Mukfay

[RN1913]

I graduated in 99, and I still have my med-surg book, drug books, and skills book. I also have my A&P book that I had in 95.

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

I kept my RN Notes, a drug guide, a pair of scrub pants, and my uniform patches.

[Indy, LPN, LVN]

Hm. I gave all the "study guide" things that were books in their own right, and almost as expensive as the books they went with, away the year I graduated, to a student a year behind me in the program. She used what she needed and gave the rest to her classmates. Also I had books on careplans and such that had been passed to me the same way, I passed those on as they were very helpful.

The nursing diagnosis books that helped me the most, I lent to at least three students in the last few years, two of them to use until they could buy their own, and one who graduated from excelsior and needed it for her last bit of omigosh paperwork. I lent my care plans to a neighbor so she could see how the directions for the papers translated into an actual paper. Those I got back and I intend to keep them. Someone was nice enough to do that for me and my group in first quarter and it was immensely helpful. We can do our own work, but you know how people's expectations aren't always crystal clear when they ask you to do papers- my program was no exception.

I resold my micro book and kept my speech book, what in the heck was wrong with me? Nobody wants the speech book! I gave away completely my older drug references and kept the fundamentals book, the medsurg book, anatomy and the OB and pediatrics books. Even if they go out of date, they may make nice antiques someday. The pharmacology book is the one I still use, at least once a month. My husband has used it, for his vet tech studies- it helps with the chemistry aspect. I finally gave away the shoes that killed my feet to goodwill. The hemostats, well I bent them in half trying to open floor stock tylenol bottles the first year.

[CLUVRN, MSN, RN]

When I got my nursing gigs, I moved out of my mom's house and left my books there. I never look at them when I come to visit. If I want to look up a disease or condition, I just refer to the internet.

[jlr820]

I'm sad to say that I still have almost all of my "stuff." I've been out of school for only 9 months, and there are still occasions that I will refer to the textbooks, drug guide, and lab values manual. I also occasionally reference my procedures text. I haven't looked at any of the paper materials, and hope to have a big "throwing out" party soon. I'll probably take all of that to be recycled. I work in a mixed population ED, so I still find that I reference stuff from med-surg, OB, and pediatrics.

[Hoozdo, ADN]

I kept my A&P book, microbiology, critical care book, and psych book. All of the rest I recycled to a needy nursing student.

I also used my white nursing school pants as guest towels in my bathroom for quite a long time. Was NEVER going to wear white pants again. And I haven't!

[hvsmile]

I graduated like 7 yrs ago & have all my books EXCEPT my nutrition... wished I'd kept that. I do have my critical care notes & journal articles from papers I wrote.

[kmarie724]

I graduated in Dec 2008. I got rid of my class notes, papers, etc. but held on to most of my textbooks. I use my drug guide and lab manual on a regular basis. I've looked up a few things in my med-surg book. I used my OB text as a reference when I was pregnant and I sometimes look up things in my peds text regarding my daughter. But I think I should have just sold them back for cash from the bookstore (except the drug guide and lab manual) because they are mostly just taking up space on my book shelf and the information I might need in there I can find elsewhere anyway.

[MB37]

If you can get a decent price, sell them. I'm a bit of a hoarder, especially when it comes to books, so I kept most of mine. I did give away my NCLEX books to classmates a semester behind as soon as I passed, and I sold all of my supplemental study guides (i.e. Med-surg made incredibly easy) at a used book store. I still have all of my textbooks, and I never refer to any of them. Instead, I use the new ones I bought to study for the CCRN, or just look online. I'm usually at work when I want to look something up, so I use the references that we have there.

[prinsessa]

I sold everything I could. I really needed the money since I have not been able to find a job yet. I do not regret selling my books since I never use them. The only book I sometimes look at is my med book.

[Cthulhu]

I kept all my books and notes.