what textbook is everyone using?

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Just trying to get an overall consensus - what nursing textbook are you using?

I am trying to get my ducks in a row, and even though I dont start a RN program until August next year, Id like to get my text books now if possible, since I see textbooks on ebay for like 5-10 bucks, and during the beginning of a semster they jump way up in price.

So...nursing textbooks....whats everyone using...?

Thanks in advance.

Specializes in CNA.
Just trying to get an overall consensus - what nursing textbook are you using?

I am trying to get my ducks in a row, and even though I dont start a RN program until August next year, Id like to get my text books now if possible, since I see textbooks on ebay for like 5-10 bucks, and during the beginning of a semster they jump way up in price.

So...nursing textbooks....whats everyone using...?

Thanks in advance.

If I were you (and I'm sure as heck not because I would never think of doing this), I would get the school's current class guide and figure out when the nursing classes meet. Then I would hang out in around that area and check out the books people have.

Then walk up and ask them., "What books did you guys have to buy?"

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Specializes in Cath Lab & Interventional Radiology.

It would probably be best to wait until the summer before you start. Instructors refer to pages and information in the most current version. I would have lots of money if I got $1 for every time an instructor was asked, "is it ok if I use the older version." They always reply "Well, that is a personal choice that you will have to make, nursing changes all of the time. I test and give page numbers out of this version."

I suggest looking up different NCLEX books that will help you with testing(you can always get apps for your cell phone too). I would also suggest the Memory Notebook of Nursing series. I am second semester and just picked up the #1,#2 & pharmacology memory notebooks.They are very helpful. They feature cartoon images that have quirky ways to remember drugs, fundamentals, and health alterations. I found a DVD of all three on ebay for cheap.

Good Luck & way to think ahead!!

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Just go into you school's bookstore and ask to see the books that are required for the classes that you are going to be taking. And, write down the ISBN!:clown:

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Specializes in Psych.

We used Kozier and Erb for Fundamentals as well, but we had MANY more reference books to buy than that. For med/surg we are using Lewis, Heitkemper, and Dirksen. They just came out with a new edition too.

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Medical-Surgical Nursing by Sharon Lewis and Fundamentals of Nursing by Carol Taylor.

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Specializes in Infusion.

Our books are completely different from the ones used by the 2nd year students. We got a box of 8 or 9 books. The only thing you'll want to buy ahead of time is a good drug guide and a NCLEX study guide. All of the texts make for dry reading. We are using Perry & Potter and Potter & Perry for nursing fundamentals and skills. The pharmacology, med-surg, nursing dx, Interpersonal Relationships, Psychiatric and Pediatric books are all by different authors.

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Kozier and Erb for fundamentals theory

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

As a couple of others have said, don't bother with textbooks until you know what textbooks your school is using.

That said, I believe that the absolute best nursing textbooks currently available are Fundamentals by Potter and Perry and Health Assessment by Jarvis.

By chance, my stepdaughter graduated from Illinois Wesleyan, which is where Jarvis teaches. When she came home for a holiday, I excitedly showed her the textbook, and she expounded on the quality of professors she encountered while there. She has a BA in English, but since it's a small school, she felt confident saying that all the professors were of the highest quality.

ETA: These are not used for class, but I do use them for clinicals: Mosby's 2010 drug guide for nursing and diagnositic/lab reference books.

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hey lulu..It's Rosario ..your classmate for first semester..email me your number so we can keep contact before school starts...my email [email protected]

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Just go into you school's bookstore and ask to see the books that are required for the classes that you are going to be taking. And, write down the ISBN!:clown:

hey lulu..Its rosario your classmate for first semester..email me your number so we can keep contract before school starts...my email is [email protected]

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Specializes in interested in NICU!!.

i believe we can't post email addresses on this board, a guide or a mod will take it off for you, i would just pm her with your email.

anyways, for med-surge we have brunner's and suddarth's volume i & ii, and for pharm we have kee, hayes, and mccuistion.

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

Hmmm let's see....

*Foundations of Nursing (fundamentals, 2 semesters): Kozier & Erb, Perry & Potter Clinical Nursing Skills

*Health Assessment: Physical Examination & Health Assessment by Jarvis

*Gero: Medical-Surgical Nursing by Lemone & Burke (big blue textbook)...we used this one for our adult med-surg rotation, too.

*OB: Contemporary Maternal-Newborn Nursing Care

*Patho: Essentials of Pathophysiology

*Pharm: I actually don't have the book we used for pharm, I just studied my notes and bought my own sources. I have drug cards and also Nursing Pharmacology Made Incredibly Easy.

*Critical Care: Critical Care Nursing: A Holistic Approach by Mortan & Fontaine (I actually didn't care too much for this book), Critical Care Nursing Made Incredibly Easy, ECG Workout, Manual of Critical Care Nursing (excellent resource!)

*Public Health: can't remember, the textbook was useless anyway

*Nursing Research: Essentials for Nursing Research: Appraising Evidence For Nursing Practice. I hope you don't have to take a nursing research class, it is absolutely awful :uhoh3:

*Leadership: Effective Leadership & Management in Nursing

Other books:

*Nursing Diagnosis: Carpenito & Moyet one...I hate it...don't buy it!

*Reviews & Rationales: Fluids & Electrolytes and Acid-Base Balance. We had to write an F&E paper in my adult med-surg rotation and this book was very useful. It's also useful grasping F&E and A-B balance because it is a pretty important topic in nursing.

*Lab book: The one that we were required to buy I hated, so I sold it back and bought a new one...I have Mosby's Diagnostic and Laboratory Test Reference (the one I have is blue). I like it.

*Math book: Calculate with Confidence by Deborah-Gray Morris. Excellent book.

For NCLEX books (if you haven't gotten them already), I recommend both Saunders and Pearson Prentice Hall's Reviews & Rationales NCLEX-RN by Hogan. Both are great!

Hope this helps!

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