Nurses do you use any reference books and if so which one you recommend?

Every facility has procedures that are written and available on the unit. Review your unit's policies and procedures. Regarding books, you might consider getting pocket sized med book and lab book.

What kind of floor/facility are you at? I love "The ICU Book" -- however, it wouldn't be of much help in a podiatrist's office..*grin*

I love my Taber's. It's an excellent reference book.

Medical-Surgical Nursing, 7th Edition - Assessment and Management of Clinical Problems, 2-Volume Set

By Sharon L. Lewis, RN, PhD, FAAN, Margaret M. Heitkemper, RN, PhD, FAAN, Shannon Ruff Dirksen, RN, PhD, Patricia Graber O'Brien, APRN BC, BSN, MA, MSN and Linda Bucher, DNSc, RN

2144 pages

Trim size 8 1/2 X 10 7/8 in

Copyright 2007

$125.00, Hardcover

This is the only book I ever needed post grad...however now I have moved on and use evidenced based research online...As a new grad though this text was invaluable to me....and I still use it sometimes when researching for my Masters. Good luck in your career!

http://www.amazon.com/Daviss-Comprehensive-Handbook-Laboratory-Diagnostic/dp/0803614640/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252099445&sr=8-3

I've always had great luck with Davis books, and I love this book for labs and other diagnostic tests. It's got definitions, explanations, examples of conditions in which certain lab values would be elevated, how the results would affect your nursing care, etc. Go to this link and click on the image of the book to view some of the actual pages of the book!

I'm starting an accelerated BSN program in January '10, and I've heard that during 1st semester in the program, Pathophysiology is the weed-out course. I'd like to get a head start (I'm only taking 22 credits of pre-reqs this semester, so I have plenty of spare time for something new) on Patho.

Can anyone recommend a book I should read on Patho, that might be a useful reference later on as well?

Thanks,

- Alex