Nursing notes what to keep or discard

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Specializes in ER (new), Respitory/Med Surg floor.

I have a big problem. Well good in some ways but not in others. I'm a HUGE packrat. I graduated with my bsn 2 years ago and I still have every nursing book, general ed, phys ed class books and notes. So I have a big collection of stuff even from high school.

My question is how many kept their notes or what have others done after school?

I plan to keep my books. If I ever look anything up it's usually right in the book not hunting in my old notes. I'm taking out handy diagrams and handouts given by my professors but still feel like I have to keep my written notes. I really have to get rid of stuff but feel like if I throw it out may need it again. But as I said if I ever go back I look up the books. Anyone feel like this? Do most of you just throw out the notes or if you keep them use them or do they collect dust?

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I like to keep my notes, if only because I spent so much time writing them! For posterity. :p

I really just look back @ textbooks. I hate reading my messy handwriting.

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Specializes in ER (new), Respitory/Med Surg floor.
I like to keep my notes, if only because I spent so much time writing them! For posterity. :p

I really just look back @ textbooks. I hate reading my messy handwriting.

EXACTLY! I think that's why I keep them but I'd hate to have all this junk around me if I don't need it. Darn it all i think i'm going to throw out a bunch but I feel so guilty doing it for that reason or that if I do something will happen and i need them.

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Specializes in ER (new), Respitory/Med Surg floor.

Darnit all see I'm bad. I decided in less than 15 min to keep them again! I'm going to take all the loose leaf paper put them in a big pile and type them up when I get a chance now.....

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Darnit all see I'm bad. I decided in less than 15 min to keep them again! I'm going to take all the loose leaf paper put them in a big pile and type them up when I get a chance now.....

Aw, no. I wouldn't type them up. You're sounding like me. :p Not that I've done it, but I've thought of it.

What I've done is bought a nice filing cabinet with metal sides to the drawers (letter size), so that it can hold a lot of weight, and organized my old papers into subjects or grades (from when I was in public schools). That way, they're in the file cabinet--not spread out everywhere. And I know just where to look.

I ripped all my notes out of the spiral notebooks, and put them in 3-ring binders.

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Specializes in Homecare Peds, ICU, Trauma, CVICU.

Wow, and I thought I was bad. No way did I keep everything (although it did take me months after school ended to finally part with some of it). Took awhile to sort it out, but I trashed everything that could be looked up in a textbook, and stored the rest in 3 ring binders. Kept all the diagrams, CEU's, etc. All that stuff just took up too much space!

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I say GET RID OF THEM! Everything you would need to know is available online or at the library. You'll feel so much better without all that paper around.

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I say GET RID OF THEM! Everything you would need to know is available online or at the library. You'll feel so much better without all that paper around.

After reading this I'm going to throw away all my loose leaf papers. If its that important I will scan it onto a disk.

melissa

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Specializes in Telemetry, ICU, Resource Pool, Dialysis.

I kept all my books and research papers. I think I burned my notes. It was a freeing experience!!:chuckle

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Although I'd probably keep as much of my notes and texts I had space for, it would be nice at the end to have a bonfire and dance around it in jubilant celebration of my victory!

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One thing you have to consider about your notes: you probably didn't write down everything the prof had to tell you, so your notes are probably incomplete, and perhaps even difficult to understand because you may not have context.

OR, you may have written something down incorrectly.

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I have a big problem. Well good in some ways but not in others. I'm a HUGE packrat. I graduated with my bsn 2 years ago and I still have every nursing book, general ed, phys ed class books and notes. So I have a big collection of stuff even from high school.

My question is how many kept their notes or what have others done after school?

I plan to keep my books. If I ever look anything up it's usually right in the book not hunting in my old notes. I'm taking out handy diagrams and handouts given by my professors but still feel like I have to keep my written notes. I really have to get rid of stuff but feel like if I throw it out may need it again. But as I said if I ever go back I look up the books. Anyone feel like this? Do most of you just throw out the notes or if you keep them use them or do they collect dust?

I'd say just get rid of it all. I've yet to throw out my books (since I spent so much money for them) but I'm planning to do it. I've never looked anything up in them or my notes. The only thing I need is the Merck mannual, the lab test book and the drug book. I have those at home but they're usually going to be available at work to you too. All the other stuff just takes up space and it's much easier to look stuff up on-line these days. It's more valuable to me to regain some sanity by getting rid of clutter...

Cheers!

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