I have been going through all these posts to find what items are the best things to have for nursing school. The posts are all scattered so I thought I would start a post that will contain all the info for the new incoming students.
I would like to know what I should spend my money on when it comes to study guides, NCLEX review books, NET review books, best nursing shoes (without a logo), stethescope, misc nursing items you have to have, etc. Any new students/senior students/graduate nurses have any info they can share? What were the items you couldn't live without???
Also index cards that you have laminated with info that you have a hard time remembering that comes up often. For me it was the PT PTT values for Heparin dosages, and a narrative for the head to toe charting that would flow and not seem so choppy as well as reference to remember everything that needed to be covered.
YES!!! Punch a hole in them so you can attach them to your ID lanyard (or clip or whatever). The unit where I did my final preceptorship handed these out to ALL the staff, incl. MDs.
Specializes in medical, surgical, reearch , clinic.
If you are starting out, I'd recommend you take a packet of jellybeans to keep in your pocket. Saves alot of embarrassment if you feel faint whilst looking at those nasty blood soaking procedures....!!! I learnt the hard way but am fine now with those trusty beanies..
Black clicky pens so you don't have to worry about the lids. A black Sharpie to cross out patient info on any papers. I bought a nice clipboard that opens with a calculator at Walmart for $2.00. I keep all of my papers in it, it is even big enough to keep my stethoscope and clinical pens in while I am not in clinical. I found some small colored cards on a ring, they are about 2x3 inches, they are the perfect size to put in my scrub pants (carpenter) and I can study stuff when I have a few minutes down time. A good decent lunchbox, eating at the hospital can get expensive and fattening. I have a small 2 year paper calender in my purse, I have to see everything in front of me at once, it actually covers the entire time I am in nursing school, I got it at the one spot at target. I think it will be cool to look back at it when I am done. It is motivating now to look back and see how far I have come.
These are some really great suggestions! Thank you!
I am a pre-nursing student but my best friend and I both got a large dry erase board with every colored marker available. It helps to see someone else explain things in their own way. I tend to color code everything. I also used my son to learn A&P (he was only 2 st the time). He had his own lab book and would ask "what's that?" I explained things to him becase it helps me to learn by talking out loud. Not only did I get to study but I also got to spend time with my son. I am really nervous about the program. I hear alot of people talking about buying their books online. I get the pell grant and have to get my books at the student book store.
do you all think a laptop would be good to purchase?
sonya
it depends on how you take notes, study and if you have a desktop computer or not.
for me it would not have been a good choice however i used my desktop computer a lot! a few of my classmates brought their laptops to class to take lecture notes and found it to be a pain so they quit bringing them.
however you will need a computer even if it means going to the school library/computer lab for your case studies and looking up things that you can't find in the books. for example my lab book didn't have values for bnp so for my case studies i always used the on line resource. other things i referenced was bmi, newer or older drugs, further research on pathophysiology, websites that have visuals, and of course i put all my case studies on a perm disk/file for furture reference which i used a lot b/c some of the drugs you will see over and over again.
My girl friend who is already a nurse practioner, told me to get a Palmone tungsten E2 so I can calculate all the drugs and use some softwares, like Rn portable with the lab findings, assessment, careplans etc. I think about buying one.
I put everything in a 3 ring binder. I get a big one for everything. I use tabs to seperate notes by test...Test 1, Test 2.....And I keep labs notes in the back along with extra notebook paper. I also keep the syllabus in there too. That way I always have everything. Then as we get notes or any other sheets Input them with the correct test section. We get a list of what's on each test for the semester
I have a PDA for clinical with Tabers, Mosby for labs, some of the free porgams such as epocrates, diagnosaurus, and archimeds. I am planning to buy Davis' drug guide before I start the summer session wehen I get the money. I also bought a 1 gb memory card to keep all my programs in.
I have a digital recorder to tape all lectures to listen to later. That way I don't have to try to take notes in class, I can do it at home at my own pace. I also keep all lectures in my PDA, so I can keep them all long as I want.
Highlighters, many, many, ink pens, index card for drug cards, a good calender to carry and one in my study area, a good hole puncher, notebook paper, a cd case to keep all the cd's fomr the textbooks with me so if I have a few minutes, I can put them in the computer at school, and I have purchased several other books such as Maternity and ECG made easy, straight A's in med/surg and maternity, Kaplan NCLEX book...and I am going to buy the NCLEX new format book tomorrow. I heard form one of our graduating students, our instuctors like to use that book as a question bank for tests
Thanks for sharing. These are some great ideas. I have heard how important it is to be organized. You laid out some super ways to do it. Thank you.
elizabells, BSN, RN
2,094 Posts
YES!!! Punch a hole in them so you can attach them to your ID lanyard (or clip or whatever). The unit where I did my final preceptorship handed these out to ALL the staff, incl. MDs.