What are the item(s) you need most for nursing school?

Nursing Students General Students

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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???

Thanks for your input!

Tons of highlighters, pens,calculator, and learn to live with the bare minimum of sleep. I graduated last yr, I feel for ya, but it pays off. Inever, ever walked into my home with my scrubs/shoes from my clinicals. I would leave my shoes in my garage, and stripped right before I walked in. After tht first thing I did was put my scrubs in the washer, and hopped in the shore.......good luck

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I also used the nclex book as a study guide, tht helped a lot......

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Thanks for mentioning this, as I've heard mixed opinions. Any other study guides that anyone thought were particularly useful?

I also used the nclex book as a study guide, tht helped a lot......
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bump :)

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A storage clipboard! Pretty sure that and good quality shoes (I love my nursemate doves!) were the best investments that I made in nursing school. :) Other than that you need a pen and a big 3 ring binder or two for power point notes and that's about it

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Thanks for posting the compiled list SandanRN -- VERY helpful!!

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I read in the earlier posts that a PDA was "crucial" to have reference guides at one's fingertips.

With the change in technology, is a PDA still important? obscelete? (however you spell it- lol)

Has anything replaced the PDA in terms of a quick reference guide during clinicals?

Just wondering.

sandanrn

I've heard from others that it's very NICE to have a smartphone, PDA or iPod Touch, but is NOT *crucial* for nursing school. I've also heard that some nursing clinical sites/instructors don't want their students using these devices during clinical (not even on the "airplane mode", so I'm holding off on purchasing one. If/when I do, I'll probably choose the Touch even though it won't be "live" like a smart phone, it also doesn't come with the monthly fee.

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A ROLLING SUITCASE to carry all the books. Get the study guides for every book even if it's not required. Note cards to make flash cards, loose leaf notebooks, sticky notes, pens and pencils. A nursing diagnosis book even if it's not required, a pharmacology made incredibly easy book. A calculator, a dosage administration workbook, do some each day.

Interesting. Seems like the world is divided half and half on whether or not it's a wise investment to purchase the study guides for every textbook. I think I'll get in touch with some of the folks in the cohorts ahead of me and see if they found our specific study guides useful before I spend the money.

I like the idea of a rolling SUITCASE (depending on your campus/class situation). I have a rolling laptop/bookbag that doesn't hold nearly as much as it looks like it would. By the time I load up a backpack AND the rolling case AND a lunch bag, I almost look like I'm homeless - and it's a lot to juggle. I might have to consider trying the suitcase idea!

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You are welcome IndyElmer.

FOR THOSE NEW TO NURSING SCHOOL THAT DON'T WANNA READ ALL 76 pages... here is a list of all that you would find reading this thread!

sandanrnstudent

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[TD]Office Supplies[/TD]

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[TD]

3 Ring Binder (I recommend you get 2 of them, 4 or 5")

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[TD]Loose leaf notebook paper

(or get a 5 subject spiral bound in lieu of the above two, but you'll be using all the paper in it for notes so be prepared.)

[/TD]

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[TD]3 hole punch (for all the papers you'll get that aren't already punched)

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[TD]3 folders for clinical (some sware by an accordian folder that has multiple slots)

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[TD]Black Pens (you have to document in Black at clinicals. Also taking lecture notes, you need a lot of these. [/TD]

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[TD][/TD]

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[TD]4x6 index cards (if you sware by making note cards.)

(5x7) index cards for making drug cards

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[TD]No. 2 Pencils (need these for tests)

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[TD]Backpack (it needs to be very roomy - many sware by one with wheels!)

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[TD]stapler, small

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[TD]Highlighters (these will help bold important stuff when taking notes in lecture and highlighting as you spend hours reading books!

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[TD]calculator (for doing drug calculations)

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[TD]Clipboard (for clinical - get one that you can store stuff inside. They usually have a calc.r on the clip part...)

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[TD]Little Memo Pad (for your pocket to write down vitals and such at clinicals)

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[TD]Post Its

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[TD]Post It Flags

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[TD]Page protectors (for your syllabus and important papers)

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[TD]Thumb Drive to carry files back and forth[/TD]

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[TD][/TD]

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[TD][/TD]

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[TD][/TD]

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[TD]Study Stuff[/TD]

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[TD]Medical Dictionary (usually comes with the books you buy)

[/TD]

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[TD]NCLEX Review Guide (~$40 from Amazon... Saunders is the best. Get one with a CD included)

[/TD]

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[TD]Drug Book (usually comes with the books you buy -

Davis' Guide is best)

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[TD]Nursing Care Plan Book (won't need until 2nd semester I think - ask for it for Christmas)[/TD]

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[TD][/TD]

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[TD][/TD]

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[TD]Nursing Stuff[/TD]

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[TD]Stethoscope

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[TD]White Shoes (comfy! I have shape ups... you'll be on your feet 6-8 hr/day with clinicals!)

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[TD]Blood Pressure Cuff[/TD]

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[TD]Pen Light

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[TD]Medical Scissors (you don't have to have these, but people were all the time needing the pair I got)[/TD]

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[TD][/TD]

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[TD]Home Supplies[/TD]

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[TD]Coffee Maker

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[TD]Desk Lamp

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[TD]Computer

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[TD]Printer

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[TD]Printer Ink and Paper (you'll be printing a LOT of lecture powerpoints!)

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[TD]LOUD alarm clock![/TD]

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[TD][/TD]

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[TD][/TD]

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[TD]Miscellaneous[/TD]

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[TD]Travel sized items you made need at clinical in a pinch[/TD]

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[TD] EX: tylenol, tums, midol, chapstick, etc.

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[TD]Baby bottle of hand lotion

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[TD]Tote Bag (to carry stuff in to clinicals)[/TD]

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[TD][/TD]

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[TD]Mindset Stuff[/TD]

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[TD]Sense of Humor

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[TD]Being Surrounded by Supportive People

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[TD]Healthy Diet

[/TD]

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[TD]Quiet plact to study

[/TD]

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[TD]Exercise

[/TD]

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[TD]SLEEP!

[/TD]

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[TD]patience

[/TD]

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[TD]a brain

[/TD]

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[TD]a spine[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery.

LOve your list!!!!! I don't think you missed a thing :)

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I'm in my 2nd year of nursing, just beginning my acute rotation of clinical... You should definitely get your hands on a good stethoscope, CUE CARDS ON A RING (write notes/skills on them that are important, and keep them in the pocket of you scrubs!!), HANDBOOKS/pocket guides (i would suggest nursing diagnosis/quick reference books), and also... comfy shoes (in my first year, i bought a $10.00 pair of shoes, and they were my WORST purchase ever... you'll be on your feet all day, and need to be comfortable!)

I know it's been five years since SuzieeQ first posted this so she might not be following the board anymore, but I'm curious if there are any specific handbooks / pocket-guides that were especially useful that she or anyone else reading this would highly recommend?

(I've peeked at RNotes and LabNotes from the Davis Notes series and those look promising.)

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I know it's been five years since SuzieeQ first posted this so she might not be following the board anymore, but I'm curious if there are any specific handbooks / pocket-guides that were especially useful that she or anyone else reading this would highly recommend?

(I've peeked at RNotes and LabNotes from the Davis Notes series and those look promising.)

I also am curious to know this information! Bumping up to see if anyone has some input!

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