Life after nursing school: did you keep your "stuff"

Nurses General Nursing

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 Is there really a need to try to find room to squeeze my soon-to-be outdated books somewhere?!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

Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

I kept it for about 2 years then got rid of most of it. You can find almost everything you need on the internet anyway. When I graduated in '78 there was no internet.

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Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.
THe first thing I did after graduation was sell what I could and threw out the rest. I took a subscription to Nursing '77 which really helped me learn things about specialties I had not been exposed to. Just recently I came across my old Med-Surg book, written in 1975 :uhoh3: Heavy emphasis on syphilis, no mention of herpes or HPV and HIV had not been discovered. There were extensive directions on how to set up chest tubes with glass bottles and rubber hoses. Controlling diabetes by peeing on a stick and injecting insulin to cover (scary!) Breast cancer was positively prehistoric--no lumpectomies, all radical mastectomy. Childhood leukemia...you don't want to go there. I suppose I should have kept it just for laughs, but I tossed it. It was just sad. Almost all info is so hopelessly out of date NO ONE could use it.

I kept my textbooks from nursing school (like Poodles, I also went to school in the late seventies) but stored them at my parents' house so I wouldn't have to lug them around, LOL! I find it fascinating to look back at them simply for the sake of nursing history, to remember what practice was like then and how it has changed. It's kind of developed into a bit of a hobby for me and I have bought even older nursing books on eBay.

But then again, I admit I am queen of the nerds....

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Specializes in Psych, EMS.

Sold/donated/tossed it all and never looked back!

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Pass on your books to a needy student. That's what I did, no regrets at all. Books become outdated so fast. You can find just about anything you want online for free...

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Specializes in None.

I plan to Burn my Med-Surg book upon successful completion of my NCLEX:lol2:

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Specializes in Pediatrics, ICU, ED.

I graduated from LVN school last year and plan on attending LPN-BSN school next year. I am a big time hoarder and I know it sooo right after I graduated...

1. I threw away all of my notes in the recycling bin. All of the info I need is online and if it isn't there's always the library where I can check out books for free.

2. I sold all of LVN book on half.com EXCEPT my Nursing Care Plan book. I felt this book will come in handy during BSN school. I figured the books I sold would be outdated soon. That's how publishers make their money. And besides, I'm going to be getting new books from the BSN program to replace them. Oh and I am unemployed and really realy needed the money.

3. I still have my LVN school scrubs. I was going to burn them BUT, I might need them for clinicals for my LPN-BSN program. I don't want to spend money on new scrubs. Again, I have no money and trying to save as much as possible.

Any books which I have left, I plan on donating or giving away to a needy student.

Trying to live the "less is more" lifestyle and saving money. :D

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