I will be starting nursing school in August and I just received my book list. I need to purchase 10 books for only 4 classes that will cost me $500+ and it says all of the books are "required latest editions" in big bold letters.
I searched online and only 2 of these books can be rented, the rest must all be purchase new because some come with access codes and spiral book binding.
Mind you this is not a for profit program but I still find the pricing a tad bit extreme.
So to all new or former nursing students: did you purchase the required books, and did you actually ever used them often for class?
I spent about $1500 on books at the start of my program (this covered books for both years) and yes, they all had to be bought new due to my desire to have access to the practice questions and other features the electronic codes unlock for you. I highly recommend buying new and buying all the books on the list. Nursing is not a degree that you can Wikipedia your way through. I use my text books ALL the time - for in-depth study on concepts I don't grasp in class, to write concept maps on pathophysiology/etiology/progression/treatment of various diseases, and for the practice questions as well.
Thank you, I figured that I should just purchase new and see it as an investment to my career...
See if there aren't recent grads or those in later semesters that are selling their books (the ones that don't require access codes). If a lot of these books are things like drug guides and lab guides and like a Taber's dictionary, oh and a nursing diagnosis guide - many of these references are available as an App (especially the drug guides) and are much more useful that way at clinical. The only one of these "guides" I ever used in book form was the nursing diagnosis book, and it will save your butt when you write care plans because you can look up diagnosis by illness, quickly. That said, all of that information is also available online (google a specific nursing diagnosis and you'll probably get the Davis's breakdown from the online reference) so it just depends on why the book is being required. I was fortunate and other than a few things that had software packages I was able to rent most of my books through Amazon Prime Student. However, again, a lot of my class sells their previous semester books to the next cohort. See if maybe there is a Facebook group for that for your school, that's how we do it.
Actually my school has this "board post" for future students and present students to speak with one another and asks questions and such. Many on there are selling text books but I've notice their book bundles have a couple of different books than what is required as if my school where sampling different text book authors.
Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.
Are you able to talk to current students at all? The first quarter is a lot of books but it is quite possible you use them for multiple terms in which case the number and price doesn't seem so bad if spread out over the time you use them. I'd check with current students to see if that is the case.
For example my first term I needed to buy about $1K worth of books and supplies for school. However most of those have carried over into subsequent quarters and in latter quarters I've needed to spend less than $100 on books and supplies. It averages out to about $300/term in book/supply expenses which is actually pretty reasonable.
Pfff...I'm probably the only one going to tell you this BUT get the previous edition books. I still remember how mad some my classmates were after they spent close to $1200 in books and never even used them. Most of the information you need to pass a class is either in the previous edition or on the teacher's PP.
My book bundle was 700 dollars and required. Only 3 were hard copies and the rest were e-books. A total of 5 books to start then we had to purchase 2 more books in 3rd semester that totaled a little under 300 and a access code that was 100. It's expensive and everything was required.
Specializes in Nephrology Home Therapies, Wound Care, Foot Care..
Pfff...I'm probably the only one going to tell you this BUT get the previous edition books. I still remember how mad some my classmates were after they spent close to $1200 in books and never even used them. Most of the information you need to pass a class is either in the previous edition or on the teacher's PP.
You are likely going to have to write papers requiring your sources be cited. Not buying the required edition means I'll instructor can't vetify your citations, which will probably earn you a fail.
Most of these books will no doubt follow you as you progress through the program. I had sticker shock my first quarter too but have only had to buy two additional books since. I recommend finding used editions on Amazon.
I skipped to the end without reading through everything -- but I bought most of my nursing books off Craigslist from nursing students that just had graduated. It was like robbery, these ladies were happy to be paid 20, 30 bucks per book. All books ended up being the editions I needed, luckily. AbeBooks was a good website, too, since I was buying instead of renting.
One more thought: you might consider buying a large, cheap(!) plastic storage box for your trunk. Mine has been great for hauling books around during the semester...
KaTStudentNurse
25 Posts
Thank you, I figured that I should just purchase new and see it as an investment to my career...