Question on What to buy for school!

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I start the nursing program in August and my mind is racing with questions. I am wondering if I need to buy a hand held, like a black berry or a palm? I heard that there are programs that you can buy to assist you with the program. Also things like shoes, scrubs, stethoscopes, backpack(one on wheels). I am sure we all have the same questions but I am wondering if anyone who has finished there first semester cares to share any secrets.

Thanks so much,

Hi! I am starting my 2nd semester in August. Here is my 2 cents!!

Stethoscope - I love my UltraScope from www.ultrascope.com - they have tons of different ones to choose from and they will paint a custom one for you. I have nurses come up to me all the time for a look. You can also get a smaller head for peds. I have a little monkey eating a banana for peds and my 1973 VW Thing on the other! No one will ever mix mine up. You get such great sound from them that you can hear your joints creak if you aren't still!!

PDA - LOVE IT!!! A group of us in my class have them, most don't though. Those who don't end up carrying their drug book around, looking up this or that. With the PDA you just type in a few letters and waaalaaa there is your info. So quick even your instructor will love it. You can also get other programs on it - maternity, lab values, drug calculator, etc. LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT!!!!!

Backpack - I have a rolling one as do most in our school. By the time you toss in pens, money, snacks, lotion, tampons, books, paper, gum, etc you are loaded down. Save your back, you'll need it at clinicals!

Other than that, I'd wait and see what they say at orientation. I know it seems like forever, but that way you'll know exactly what you can and can't have. GOOD LUCK!!!

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Specializes in CVICU, CPCU, Cath Lab/IR.

what kind of pda do you have?

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Specializes in ICU.

I used a backpack w/ wheels during my prerequisites & during my accel BSN program. Yes, it was bulky, but so were all the books! I highly recommend ebags.com as a supplier of these things.

For penlights, I like a LED based light - they burn for hours & hours & hours & hours!

Good luck!

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I have a Palm T/X. I got mine from Best Buy because I wanted to get an extended warranty.

I also got my rolling bag from eBags.com.

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Specializes in ICU.

Yup - I also love my Palm TX. I bought the Nursing Central software package, and used the meds/lab tests + Tabers a lot during clinicals.

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Specializes in CVICU, CPCU, Cath Lab/IR.

one more question for you. What type of stethoscope do you have? I went to that website to take a look see, because I would love to have one with designs but it just gave me other website to choose from.

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I'm sorry...it's www.ultrascopes.com! I'm a dork!!! I have the "duo" - it comes with 1 tube, 2 connectors and 2 heads of your choice. I chose an adult size and a peds size. I have no complaints about it.

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I did not get an expensive Stethoscope, and it works awesome in my opinion!! Even my teacher said so (I did email her with the link before I got it and she said that was fine). It was only like $25. Here is a link to it... http://www.allheart.com/ahdst0500blk.html I don't believe you have to get a littmann right now, but that is just me...that I'll get when I actually get out of school I guess.

I do have a palm pilot, but it is not necessary. I love that I have a lot of information electronically at my fingertips with it though...does come in handy, but if there is no money for it, don't worry! I get my software from www.skyscape.com and love it!

Check with your school to see what they require for a uniform. We had to go to a uniform shop for ours and get the smock with the school patch on it. Then we have white scrub pants and white shoes.

Watch with a 2nd hand will be necessary.

I do have a rolling backpack, but I guess it really depends on what you have to bring to class. I prefer the rolling backpack...no doubt about it! Less strain on my back - even if you are only carrying a few books - those books are heavy! I wouldn't go to class without one now that I have it!

Then I just got obvious things...pads of paper, pens (black & red), highlighters, flags so I could flag pages in my books, stuff like that. Flash cards. You'll figure out what you need when you start other than just the basics...but I can't think of much more that I got than those things.

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You definately will need a good watch. I wear one thas a rubber band and is waterproof. It also has military time that we were required to use in in classes and clinicals.

As far as unifroms and shoes wait until you find out from school what you can wear.

Other than that make sure you have plenty of regular school supplies such as pens and highlighters. I also use tons of notecards and buy the ring binders to keep them together.

Other than that remember to enjoy yourself, its an acomplishment just making in to nursing school!

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Specializes in Adult and Peds ED, Forensic Nursing.

If you look up to the Sticky threads at the top of the main "General Nursing Student Discussion", there is a locked one called "Check here first -- Sticky Threads of ongoing interest located here"

There is one called "What are the items you need most for nursing school" that is an exhaustive list of everything you could think of. I loved that thread last year, that is where I got the idea to have my giant fundamentals book unbound (which really saved my back). It is too bad those sticky threads are hidden away in another post, I don't even look there anymore. There is also a great thread called "So, you're observing in the OR" which will be useful in the future.

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