"Must have's" for school and clinical

upstateRN · Nov 7, 2008

I am almost finished with my didactics. One of the best tools that has helped me through these classes a digital recorder plug-in for my Ipod. After you record it, you can sync it to I-tunes and it will import it. I have all of my lectures since I started school saved on my Ipod.

I enjoy reading all the tips and suggestions for the road ahead. I think this is an awesome idea. I used a digital recorder to get through my nursing program. It sure helped to always have the lectures available electronically for ease of access and use.

srna2008 · Nov 7, 2008

I got pre-punched paper, seems really simple, but it will save you some time when printing out all that material

MerrittSRNA · Nov 7, 2008

I am in my first semester. My program is front loaded, the entire first semester is didactic. So, my recommendations are limited to the nonclinical arena:

-I wouldn't waste time on a recorder, you probably won't have the time to listen to it again.

-Alot of my classmates use laptops to take notes in class, but you had better be a FAST typer. This isn't undergrad anymore, the prof isn't going to wait.

-Stoelting and Morgan and Mikhail are good suggestions, as well.

-Secrets of anesthesia by Duke has been a god send for me

-Check your ego at the door

-Use whatever study aids helped you in undergrad....you know what works for you, now's not the time to experiment

-Caffeine!!!!!!!!

-The ultimate must have: An understanding between you and your spouse/partner/family as to what life is going to look like when you start! You have to talk about this, because LIFE WILL CHANGE!

FLAreN · Nov 9, 2008

For clinicals, I can't live without my Nurse Anesthesia Pocket guide and my Uniball Signo 0.38 extra fine tip pen for clear charting. :-)

Everyone else pretty much covered all the other stuff. I do have a Palm for the moments when I actually have time to look up non-anesthesia meds in the patient history but I don't do that too often. I have all the anesthesia programs as well but you can't look at your phone in the OR and you don't have enough time in between cases to look up anything either so if you don't get a PDA fine, if you do, fine...IMO

vikingirl · Nov 13, 2008

Thanks to all that have taken the time to reply!

It's been very helpful.

Sometimes it's the simle items that get overlooked but help immenseley in the long run.

Cheers!

CaslaMCGsrna · Nov 14, 2008

GPS is a must!

Ditto for a Laser printer!

I bought one of those small recorder at Best Buy ( about $99), ditto!

I couldn't live without the above 3!!!!!!!!

pilateschick7 · Nov 14, 2008

Has anyone had experience with the Live Scribe pen for your program? It has special paper and a digital recorder in the pen itself. It looks really useful. I just have no taken the plunge yet-rather pricey.

Putu2Sleep · Jan 24, 2009

what would everyone say is a must for your first semester of a didactic program

vikingirl · Feb 6, 2009

Now that I'm a few weeks into the program I have a better idea of what works for me. Everyone is different.

Access to a computer to print out class slide notes (or use the library computers - we get 500 free printed sheets a semester which is nice)

0.5 pens blue, black, & red pens to underline and mark up your preprinted notes during class (I love my 0.5 Sarsa Zebra pens) Listen more, write less.

A sturdy bag to carry all of your stuff around

Portable snacks and a water bottle to keep your attention span going throughout the 3 hour stretch classes and 10 hour days.

A basic calculator to work out equations in class

Clips to keep your notes for the day together. (It would be too heavy to bring and carry all of your three ring binders around all day. I just bring what I need for the day and keep the rest organized at home in my binders.)

Scope out used books for class since some required books are really only used for reference only. (I'd spent too much money on books that I may never open.)

I hope that helps. Good luck!

SC-Tele-RN · Feb 7, 2009

I carry Macksey's Pediatric Drug Guide with me everywhere. You never know when you'll get a peds case thrown in your room, and just having it with all its instant drug calculations for every weight calms my nerves. You can buy it on Amazon. Macksey's other book, Nurse Anesthesia Pocket Guide, is good too, and has saved my $$$$ a couple times when I get pimped. But if I had to choose between the two as a MUST HAVE, I would choose the peds book.

scorpiontail · Mar 1, 2009

HI-TEC-C pens are available in .25mm, .3mm and .4mm on JET PENS.COM. They are the best. It's all I've ever used in the ICU and will continue to use them in the program. Try to avoid the .25mm because it tends to slice through paper. Seriously.