Pre-Nursing "Reading List"

bananimal · Aug 28, 2009

Hmm I don't think studying any of that is going to help you-- you're not going to retain it because you aren't going to understand most of it yet, and it's going to be so long before you actually use the information you read. I am starting my nursing program in 2 weeks, and they gave us some summer reading-- and it's hard to really understand any of it until you also get a lecture and lab time and clinical time. Studying things like care plans and fundamentals are just going to confuse you. Especially if you get a book that isn't the book the nursing program you're entering uses-- because then it may be taught completely different. Who knows.

What would be helpful is to get a strong basis for medical terminology. Memorize the prefixes and suffixes and you will be able to decipher what most of the words you come across mean. Also, med math could present helpful too. Memorize the conversions and military time and maybe some equations.

There are also a few good books like Test Success and Fundamentals Success By Nugent/Vitale that would be worth checking out. They give you the tools to start critically thinking, and how to pass the tough nursing tests.

Otherwise-- Your prereqs and your nursing program will prepare you for everything you need to know. I wouldn't worry about getting a head start if I were you-- just enjoy your time before you start. Trust your instructors to give you what you need.

Lennonninja, MSN, APRN, NP · Aug 28, 2009

I've only just finished my first week of nursing school but I would say forget the reading, enjoy your free time! I spent this summer just working and enjoying life and I'm very grateful that I did since I won't have the free time to do just that for quite some time now! :)

But if I were to recommend anything, I would second the recommendation for the Test Success mentioned above, and maybe go over some Microbiology if you've taken that class. I've only had 1 day of Pharm so far, but a lot of it was review due to Micro class :)

MattiesMama · Aug 28, 2009

I would recommend 2 books to anyone starting nursing schoool:

http://www.echoheron.com/intensive_care__the_story_of_a_nurse_10998.htm

"Intensive Care: The story of a nurse" by Echo Heron...it's a semi-autobiographical account of her going through nursing school and becoming a nurse. It's "pleasure reading" that will also give you some insight into what nursing is all about and, as you said, how to think like one!

http://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Body-Discovering-Human-Spirit/dp/0679444076/ref=ed_oe_h

"The Wisdom of the Body" by Sherman Nuland...I don't know if this might be hard to find other than online. I have it because the man who wrote it performed a life-saving operation on my mom years ago and he gave it to our family but it's an amazingly written full rundown of how the body works, written in a way that makes it almost poetic and he weaves in real-life stories from his practice as a surgeon and from the history of medicine. I learned more from this book than I did from anything we studied in A&P. Another book he wrote "How we die" is great too.

Both were definately "pleasure reading" for me but I learned a lot by reading them.

Commanderzoom · Aug 28, 2009

Hmm I don't think studying any of that is going to help you-- you're not going to retain it because you aren't going to understand most of it yet, and it's going to be so long before you actually use the information you read. I am starting my nursing program in 2 weeks, and they gave us some summer reading-- and it's hard to really understand any of it until you also get a lecture and lab time and clinical time. Studying things like care plans and fundamentals are just going to confuse you.

Not all people are the same. Some people, like myself, are capable of understanding and retaining information perfectly well without a lecture and lab. There is nothing wrong with wanting to get a head start. I'm not trying to take issue with you, just pointing out that we don't all learn the same. I graduated from high school 10 years ago and still remember almost everything I learned in my science classes. It really comes in handy now that I'm taking my my RN pre-reqs.

bananimal · Aug 28, 2009

It's no issue to me. If that's your learning style, then that's wonderful, I wish I could be the same way (I guess I learn more from repetition from different sources of the same subjects). I wrote a post around the time I was accepted to my program about wanting to get ahead and what to read and what to do-- and about 99% of the responses told me not to worry about, not to read ahead-- I'm just simply passing on that advice.

Not all people are the same. Some people, like myself, are capable of understanding and retaining information perfectly well without a lecture and lab. There is nothing wrong with wanting to get a head start. I'm not trying to take issue with you, just pointing out that we don't all learn the same. I graduated from high school 10 years ago and still remember almost everything I learned in my science classes. It really comes in handy now that I'm taking my my RN pre-reqs.

amymina · Aug 29, 2009

I start nursing school in a few weeks and have also started reading some of the books required - my school was kind enough to give us a list so that we knew what we needed. Here are the ones the I have started on:

Fundamentals of nursing by Kozier and Erb - the book is detailed, and has lots of example of charts and graphics when needed. It is alot of information, and though I am a decent student, I am having trouble understanding everything - but it has lots of great information, and according to my friend who is a year ahead of my and uses the same book, it is great as a reference tool as you get further along. (http://product.half.ebay.com/Kozier-Erbs-Fundamentals-of-Nursing_W0QQprZ57168245QQtgZinfo)

How to Survive & Maybe Even Love Nursing School by Kelli Dunham - I have already read this book and found it full of great tips and information. Is also cover info on how the nclex exam is handle and what to look for in studying books for the nclex later on. You can get these pretty cheap off of ebay and can be informational (http://cgi.ebay.com/How-to-Survive-Maybe-Even-Love-Nursing-School-VSALE_W0QQitemZ110422198400QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Nonfiction_Book?hash=item19b5ad0880&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14)

For our AP book, we used Human Anatomy and Physiology by Marieb (http://www.amazon.com/Human-Anatomy-Physiology-Elaine-Marieb/dp/0805359095/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251512139&sr=8-2). It was a great book with good illistrations to show what they meant as well as overall pretty understandable. We used the 7th edition - though I see that there is a new one out but the information is most likely the same if you want to save some money.

Hope these help you out - and good luck!

Amy

jrwoodall79 · Aug 29, 2009

http://www.amazon.com/Survive-Maybe-Even-Nursing-School/dp/0803607997

How to Survive and Maybe Even Love Nursing School by Kelli Dunham is a wonderful book that I read right before I started nursing school last fall. I thoroughly recommend it!

http://www.amazon.com/Saunders-Student-Nurse-Planner-Success/dp/0721698778/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

this Student Nurse Planner is another good one. It has advice for school and clinicals, along with a planner.

Hope that helps!