TCC bookstore - what's wrong with them?

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I went over to TCC today to turn in my acceptance letter and to go by the bookstore. I wanted to see how much a few of my books were going to be for the fall and to get the ISBN number for some of the ones that I can go ahead and begin to order online. However, they wouldn't let me look at the books. They have the text book section of the bookstore closed off. Is this to prevent the students from getting the ISBN number and buying them cheaper somewhere else? Why do they do this? Anyway, I really need an idea of about how much I am going to have to spend on books, and I need to try to get some of them used if I can. Since I already have a BA, I don't qualify for financial aid, and I have to pay out of my pocket. I need to know about how much I should budget for my books for the first semester. It is hard to budget for other things such as vacation, living expenses, etc. without an idea of what I am going to have to spend on books. Can anyone give me an idea of which books, along with the edition or ISBN number, we will have to buy? How much should I budget for my books?

They told us in our information packet that we would need:

Fundamentals of Nursing, Kozier (8th ed.)

Clinical Calculations Made Easy, Craig (3rd ed.)

Elkin, Perry, Potter textbook (3rd ed.)

Jarvis Hardback with on-line companions and

Taber's Medical Dictionary.

Will we need other books in addition to these? Also, which can and cannot be purchased online? Sorry for all the questions. I'm sure they will give us all of this information, and I'm sure I am getting ahead of myself, but I was thinking that I would try to buy a couple of books each month between now and August so that I wouldn't have to worry about buying them all at once and so that I can try to find the lowest prices possible for them. Any suggestions? Thanks!

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Congrats on acceptance to the nursing program!

As for the TCC bookstore, well....that isn't even the regular bookstore but a temporary site until the new store is remodeled or construction is finished. The temp site is pitifully small and cramped. I haven't been in there lately so I have no idea why they would have that area blocked off. Last year when I got accepted they didn't even have the fall books in until July. :o

Okay for the books, now this might have changed so I'm just going off how it was last fall. The Elkins and the Jarvis book both had online components with it and they come bundled together with the CD and code from the bookstore. I know some people who bought both of those online then had to buy the online component/cd and ended up spending too much $$. The Fundamentals, the Clinical calculations, and the Tabor's could be bought used (again this was just my experience from last fall). For the Fundamental book especially you might look in the nursing building on the bulletin boards; quite a few people sell them that way.

Other books you will need later but not right away are: a nursing drug book, a nursing care plan book, a lab reference book, oh and that Swearingen book Manual to Medical-Surgical Nursing or something like that. All of those can be bought used IMO. I waited and asked my clinical instructor which drug, nursing care plan, and lab books she recommended. And honestly we didn't even need them until clinicals started towards the end of September. And I can sympathize with the $$ situation. I never even bought a lab book (just mooched off a friend or used the one in the nurse's station on the floor I was on) or the Swearingen book (I broke down and got one this semester on amazon for like 11 bucks with shipping).

I think that first semester I spent close to $600 on books. But you will use them or reference back to those books in other semesters as well.

Good luck to you. Nursing school has been one of the most rewarding and challenging things I've ever experienced. I really look back at that first semester and treasure the bonding experience of being a foundations student.

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Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

tcc has always been like that... i do the same thing go get the isbn numbers for i can get my books cheaper... one time they caught me writing down the numbers and told me you cant do that.. "sure i can and i am"......just to piss them off ive called asking them if they have one of my textbooks and then told them i know you wont give me the isbn number over the phone so i'm coming in to get it... lol .... but to sum it up they are a bunch of jerks....

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Specializes in Hoping for L&D.

I always buy mine online too.

Whenever I'm in the bookstore getting ISBN's, I put them into my phone so it looks like I'm sending a text message. I know they can't kick you out or anything for doing it, I'd just rather they not know at all!

I can't wait for this darn orientation so I can start working on stuff!

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Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.

[quote name=. Can anyone give me an idea of which books, along with the edition or ISBN number, we will have to buy? How much should I budget for my books?

They told us in our information packet that we would need:

Fundamentals of Nursing, Kozier (8th ed.)

Clinical Calculations Made Easy, Craig (3rd ed.)

Elkin, Perry, Potter textbook (3rd ed.)

Jarvis Hardback with on-line companions and

Taber's Medical Dictionary.

HI There: Here is one textbook website, This is the link:

http://www.campusi.com/bookFind/default.asp?srcId=11080

there are tons out there but you can get the ISBN# if you just have the title, author etc.

I teach nursing & I know how expensive books are, I remember not always being able to afford books, using the previous editions,.

The Jarvis is a physical exam text. Perry & Potter well I could be wrong but these authors have a fundamentals book but might also be a med-surg book.

Let's see what I can find for you.

1. Clinical Calculations Made Easy: Solving Problems Using Dimensional Analysis

ISBN: 0781748380

Author: Gloria P Craig

Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Edition: 1

Date published: 2004-06-01

Format: Paperback

Number of pages: 272

All Editions Similar Books

Kozier & Erb's Fundamentals of Nursing (8th Edition) (Fundamentals of Nursing)

ISBN: 0131714686

Author: Audrey J. Berman Shirlee Snyder Barbara Kozier Glenora Erb

Publisher: Prentice Hall

Edition: 8

Date published: 2007-01-08

Format: Hardcover

Physical Examination and Health Assessment

ISBN: 0721697739

Author: Carolyn?Jarvis Pat?Thomas (Illustrator) Kevin?Strandberg (Photographer)

Publisher: Elsevier Health Sciences

Date published: June 2003

Format: HARDCOVER

Number of pages: 928

All Editions Similar Books

Pocket Companion for Physical Examination and Health Assessment

ISBN: 0721697747

Author: Jarvis

Publisher: Saunders

Date published: June 2003

Format: TRADE PAPER

All Editions Similar Books

Student Laboratory Manual for Physical Examination and Health Assessment

ISBN: 0721697755

Author: Carolyn?Jarvis

Publisher: W B Saunders Co

Edition: 4

Date published: June 2003

Format: TRADE PAPER

All Editions Similar Books

Textbook and User's Guide Package for Health Assessment Online for Jarvis: Physical Examination and Health Assessment 4e

ISBN: 0721602851

Author: Carolyn?Jarvis Kris?Robinson Thom?Mansen

Publisher: W B Saunders Co

Date published: July 2003

OK Potter & Perry have a bunch of books, so you need the title,edition to know what to buy ( I pulled up 32 books by P&P!!!!)

1. Nursing Interventions and Clinical Skills

ISBN: 0323022014

Author: Martha Keene Elkin Anne Griffin Perry Patricia A. Potter

Publisher: Mosby

Edition: 3

Date published: 2003-06-09

Format: Paperback

Number of pages: 1024

All Editions Similar Books

2. Fundamentals of Nursing

ISBN: 0323025862

Author: Patricia A. Potter Anne Griffin Perry

Publisher: Mosby

Edition: 6th

Date published: 2004-06-04

Format: Hardcover

Number of pages: 1728

All Editions Similar Books

3. Clinical Nursing Skills and Techniques (6th Edition)

ISBN: 032302839X

Author: Anne Griffin Perry Patricia A. Potter

Publisher: Mosby

Edition: 6

Date published: 2005-06-21

Format: Paperback

Number of pages: 1408

All Editions Similar Books

4. Basic Nursing: Essentials for Practice

ISBN: 0323039375

Author: Patricia A. Potter Anne Griffin Perry

Publisher: Mosby

Edition: 6

Date published: 2006-05-01

Format: Hardcover

Number of pages: 1200

All Editions Similar Books

5. Nursing Skills Online for Basic Nursing (User Guide, Access Code and Textbook Package): Essentials for Practice

ISBN: 0323031579

Author: Patricia A. Potter Anne Griffin Perry

Publisher: Mosby

Edition: 6

Date published: 2006-05-30

Format: Hardcover

All Editions Similar Books

6. Clinical Nursing Skills and Techniques Text and Checklists Package

ISBN: 0323031609

Author: Anne?Griffin?Perry Patricia?A.?Potter Patricia A.?Potter Patricia?A.?Castaldi (Supplement by)

Date published: June 2005

All Editions Similar Books

Tabers is a medical dictionary, so a recent (last 5 years,) used edition should do just fine.

Good luck in your studies,

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Hi and welcome to TCC!! The bookstore is seriously whacked out right now. I hardly bought any of my books there. I've bought a bunch of them from Barnes and Noble. They do free shipping when you spend x amount of money. I have a Kozier (7th) edition and the Elkins, Perry, Potter, (3rd) edition I'd be willing to sell. I can promise you there is little to NO difference between editions except the price. I RARELY used my skills book and even less my Kozier. I used Kozier mostly for references for papers throughout school. I NEVER read it. You will have to take the ATI tests and they will give you books from ATI that are so much more helpful to study with than Kozier. Kozier is WORDY and has a difficult time getting to the point. I'm graduating next week and these books are collecting dust. Just send me a pm if you're interested.

Also, I will be at Orientation next Friday and would love to say "hello" to any of you guys coming in the Fall. Congratulations to you!!

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I will be at Orientation next Friday and would love to say "hello" to any of you guys coming in the Fall.

That's great! It will be wonderful to meet those who have been through the program. I'm really looking forward to Friday. Maybe I will stop pestering people with all of my questions then.:)

By the way, I heard that one of the books has an online component and that you have to purchase that book in the bookstore. Someone said that a few students bought it online to save money and then ended up having to go to the bookstore and purchase the online component seperately, so they ended up paying more than they would have if they had just bought the book in the bookstore. Do you know which book this is? That is one of the things that I was going to look at in the bookstore, but didn't get the chance since I couldn't look in the the book section.

Anyway, I'm for sure interested in buying any books that are on my booklist. I'm assuming we will get that Friday. I hope so, anyway. I'm willing to buy the previous editions since you obviously know more about the books than I do. I will send you a pm regarding the books.

By the way, I think it is fantastic that you have made it through the nursing program and are getting ready to graduate! You must be very proud of yourself. Congratulations!!! :biere: :smiley_aa :mortarboard: :yelclap: :yeah: :monkeydance:

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The Elkin, Perry, Potter and the Jarvis have online components. ;) Have fun Friday! I am off to my foundations one on one evaluation tomorrow morning.:idea:

Missy

RN in '09

TCC

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:bow: Thank you all for the info and the suggestions. I feel a lot better about the book situation now. It really helps a lot. All of your ideas are going to save me quite a few $$$$$$. I have to admit that I do tend to get ahead of myself. I know I have all summer to worry about books, but I just don't won't to be scrambling at the last minute and overpaying if I don't have to. Plus, I can get a few each month between now and the time school starts in August. I can't thank all of you enough. You're angels!!
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Specializes in Neuro.

I don't go to TCC myself, but do you know if the bookstore is online? At my CC here in East Texas, you can check the price of books, new and used, get the ISBN, and order if needed. I always do that then buy my books online. Just thought I would offer some help!!

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