Nursing School Must Haves??

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I am potentially starting Nursing school Fall2010 (God willing) and was wondering what are essentials that you all have that you would reccomend to others?? Things for organization, or whatever...Thanks!! :)

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I plan to use every bit of this

Thank you for this post..i passed the LPN test and now am waiting for the interview. If i pass the interview i will be starting classes in July. I love this post and will be purchasing some things each month.

Specializes in Dialysis.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned epocrates for Ipod before...it's free and you can download it right onto your Ipod touch. I use this in my daily practice as a RN to look up meds my patients take, and it would have been infinitely helpful as a student. Small and portable, you can easily look stuff up on your downtime. I also found another free app called "med calc" for Ipod that I use frequently for work. i'm not sure how helpful it would be for clinicals but it never hurts to have another tool in the toolbox. Be careful with the touch, though, because people may think you are just playing on your phone or texting.

On a lower tech note, a small notebook is very helpful for equations, passwords, combinations, and information about your pts. Pair this with a clicky pen (so as not to stain your beautiful school uniform) and you are set to go!

Shoes: I have been wearing Sketchers sneaks off and on with Dr. Scholl's clogs. I think the clogs may be on their last legs (after about 8 months of wear) but they've been comfortable. I think they only come in black though, so for regular clinicals you may be out of luck. I wore them to our community health clinical with black scrub bottoms and felt well-dressed.

You'll find what works for you. Best of luck on this exciting journey!

I'm not sure if I've mentioned epocrates for Ipod before...it's free and you can download it right onto your Ipod touch. I use this in my daily practice as a RN to look up meds my patients take, and it would have been infinitely helpful as a student. Small and portable, you can easily look stuff up on your downtime. I also found another free app called "med calc" for Ipod that I use frequently for work. i'm not sure how helpful it would be for clinicals but it never hurts to have another tool in the toolbox. Be careful with the touch, though, because people may think you are just playing on your phone or texting.

On a lower tech note, a small notebook is very helpful for equations, passwords, combinations, and information about your pts. Pair this with a clicky pen (so as not to stain your beautiful school uniform) and you are set to go!

Shoes: I have been wearing Sketchers sneaks off and on with Dr. Scholl's clogs. I think the clogs may be on their last legs (after about 8 months of wear) but they've been comfortable. I think they only come in black though, so for regular clinicals you may be out of luck. I wore them to our community health clinical with black scrub bottoms and felt well-dressed.

You'll find what works for you. Best of luck on this exciting journey!

I was looking into getting the Ipod Touch..and i think i'm going to get it..It seems like its worth buying for nursing school!

I was looking into getting the Ipod Touch..and i think i'm going to get it..It seems like its worth buying for nursing school!

It might be worth double checking with your instructors about if/when you will be able to use it during your program. I know many on here have talked about having them for using during clinicals, because schools allow, and some even require (and purchase) the ipod touch. They do have many useful apps (as does the android market for those with an android phone if phones are allowed...such as the epocrates app) and would be a valuble tool IF it is allowed. However some schools, or maybe even the hospitals holding the clinicals, may not allow such a devise to be used. Would not be useful if you can not use it. I know I was tempted to get one myself, with the usefulness during nursing school as validation for it, however after I thought about it I don't think it is allowed in my schools clinicals, so until I verify that it is allowed, it is not a good validation for me to get it. Not trying to be discourging, just saying to double check before you put that money out.

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To hold off the Dementors?! LOL! (Sorry if you didn't mean that post as a joke, but it looked like gallows humor to me.) :D

Specializes in Cardiac Critical Care.

I know this post is old, but I have a question for those of you who said your ipod touch got you through clinicals - if students did bring books to clinicals, are you literally lugging them around on your person for 12 hours, or bringing them and leaving them at the nurses' station? Just wondering!

I brought only my drug book and lab book and usually kept them at either the nurses station or by a computer somewhere in the hall. Never had a problem with anyone taking them!

We are not allowed to bring any electrical device to clinicals due to privacy policy. They r worried about us taking pictures and want us to use the drug carts, computers and pharmacy for questions.

I saw alot of posters say they use a PDA with skyscape on it which sounds like a really good idea. What kind of PDA device are you using for it? How do you like it and how much did it cost you? Ive been researching PDA's and the choices are so vast and the cost range so wide, I am kind of lost as to which one is best to choose. So which one have you been using? Make/model?:D

Our program is a bit behind the times as far as technology. I would love to see them go more technology based w/ lecture outlines available online to print and things of that nature. We are very book and disc dependent ...well they SAY we are but I honestly do not like their book choices. But that's just me...I actually have used my books as a $200 doorstop. My medsurg books are literally holding my closet door open and have been for over 4 months.

I am very much an internet person...so I look everything up (usually use a .gov website to be sure I'm getting pretty accurate info).

The must haves are good shoes. Price isn't important. Comfort is.

Postit flags: I used them constantly. but I'm pretty organized.

Zipper binder. I take it to every class...add my notes that I write in a separate notebook . I remove stuff after every test and put it in a giant 3in binder for that particular semester. Keeps things organized.

I have an android phone. Love the apps but don't use it as much as the younger students. I'm an older student...and I like to have regular books...within reason. No book needs to have soo many pages it's divided into two volumes and weighs a total of 10lbs! I used google search constantly.

A tiny medical dictionary. I have a pocket size...I use it all the time.

I use my phone for my calendar too.

One thing you should NOT do....buy your books early. I know your tempted but DON'T. We found that the materials they are using for lecture and testing is a few years old...so...we don't NEED the most current or 'recomended' version of the book on the syllabus. I found out after I spent $200 on my 'doorstops'. I could have gotten an older version for less than $40! Wait and see.

Sometimes the recomended list is far from what you really need.

We were told we could use any medical dictionary, any dosage calculation book, any pharmacology book, any drug book. AFTER we had bought them!!!! I could have saved well over $300 by buying the 2009 or 10 versions!

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