Textbook usage in CRNA school

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I know this may be a stupid question but did you actually read/use your textbooks in CRNA school? I'm asking because it's time to buy books and I want to make sure it's worth the thousands of dollars. If you did use your textbooks, would you recommend buying them (I would buy them used of course) or renting them? I never used my nursing textbooks after the class was finished and I didn't use them to study for the boards. In my nursing school, tests were based off of what my teachers taught (i.e. their powerpoints and lectures and not so much directly from the book). I know CRNA school is a whole different ballgame but thought it didn't hurt to ask!

I'll be going to the Minneapolis School of Anesthesia this fall so if anyone currently in the program or an alumni could respond, that would be awesome!

Thank you!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Moved to the Student Registered Nurse Anethestist (SRNA) forum for more replies.

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I have needed every book so far. I would have bought them anyways, just in case. Thousands of dollars vs. last minute needing a book and then failing a class because I didn't have it... Well it was obvious for me. And yes school is entirely different ballgame now.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Buy Miller, Nagelhout, Barash. Eventually buy Jaffe. The rest I'd rent. Miller is the priciest, but it is regarded as the anesthesia bible. I typically turn to it for clarification. I personally hate Nagelhout - full of inconsistencies, but I think Nagelhout wrote some of or was involved with the board exams, and some graphics / diagrams / tables on the exam are straight from the book. Barash is good. Jaffe will be helpful when you start clinical rotations. The rest of my books I've just rented or checked out from my school library, but I go to a huge school that has most of these books available for checkout. Lastly - do NOT BUY THEM FROM THE BOOKSTORE - amazon is way cheaper. Send me a message if you have other questions, I'm at another school in Minneapolis.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Don't do it! Every professor's test content comes straight from the notes and if you do need the book for anything--they're all in the library and no one would have a clue if you borrowed it for a day or 12. They don't give you enough financial aid to live above the poverty line as it is, don't waste the money. You also have access to SMU's online library so if there really is anything you care to look up, they pretty much have every study available as full text and access to all google books and millions of other sources for information. If I've steered you wrong and you at any point decide you want them, I'll hook you up with mine. Haven't even been cracked, most still in the plastic ;)

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Specializes in Anesthesia, CCU, ICU.
Buy Miller, Nagelhout, Barash. Eventually buy Jaffe. The rest I'd rent. Miller is the priciest, but it is regarded as the anesthesia bible. I typically turn to it for clarification. I personally hate Nagelhout - full of inconsistencies, but I think Nagelhout wrote some of or was involved with the board exams, and some graphics / diagrams / tables on the exam are straight from the book. Barash is good. Jaffe will be helpful when you start clinical rotations. The rest of my books I've just rented or checked out from my school library, but I go to a huge school that has most of these books available for checkout. Lastly - do NOT BUY THEM FROM THE BOOKSTORE - amazon is way cheaper. Send me a message if you have other questions, I'm at another school in Minneapolis.

Agree with all of the above. Also, there are a ton of shared resources among anesthesia students. I did not purchase any of my books but was "gifted" electronic copies in my dropbox. Reach out to students in the class ahead of you and see what resources are floating around.

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Don't do it! Every professor's test content comes straight from the notes and if you do need the book for anything--they're all in the library and no one would have a clue if you borrowed it for a day or 12. They don't give you enough financial aid to live above the poverty line as it is, don't waste the money. You also have access to SMU's online library so if there really is anything you care to look up, they pretty much have every study available as full text and access to all google books and millions of other sources for information. If I've steered you wrong and you at any point decide you want them, I'll hook you up with mine. Haven't even been cracked, most still in the plastic ;)

Awesome - that's what I was hoping to hear haha. I'm assuming you go to MSA? If so, how are you liking the program so far? Any other tips or anything you wished you knew before school?

Thanks for replying!

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