(Part 2) Best products from r/nursing

If you're looking for a good book, I recommend Marino's The ICU Book 4th Edition. It's geared towards medical students and residents, but I think it would be useful for anyone who is somewhat new to critical care. And the price seems high at first glance, but compared to other recently published texts containing the same info, it's pretty reasonable.

It reads quite smoothly and was published this past October. You certainly won't retain everything you read in the book, but from the start you'll recall where in the book you read something and can refer back.

Also, if you're looking for something cheaper that involves less reading. The Society of Critical Care Medicine offers a self-paced online introductory course called Resident ICU. It is a collection of lectures/ power points which discuss the fundamental principles of critical care. Again, it is designed for physicians/ new residents, but having a solid understanding of your patient's condition is important for critical care nurses and this will only help. Oh, and the course only costs $25.

I know more than just these two, but I can't think of anything else at the moment. Hope this helps!

She's talking about the whitecoat clipboards. There are different versions though, so think about if she wants the standard nursing one, the pediatric one, etc.

If she doesn't already have one, a good Littman stethoscope is nice, but $$$.

Badgeclips are a cute and cheap present. Etsy has a bunch. I have a cute little felt one with a fox on it that I like, but there's a lot of variety if you just look around.

If you guys are shoe people, nice sneakers that are comfortable would be nice and it's not specific to nursing.

Not a book recommendation, but I really, really recommend watching the documentary Alive Inside. I believe it's still on Netflix? What I learned about music therapy from it has helped me connect very deeply with multiple dementia and Parkinson's patients over the years.

The late, great Oliver Sacks also stars as an expert on it, and he wrote Musicophilia, of which there are a couple of chapters that deal with music & memory. I really enjoyed reading that.

Edit: Found my booklist. Here's a really simple handbook that helps guide you in having difficult conversations with seriously ill patients and their families about the patient's condition. It's aimed primarily at doctors (it was made for oncologists originally), but many of its tenets and suggestions can be applied to any level of caregiver.

• Mastering Communication with Seriously Ill Patients: Balancing Honesty with Empathy and Hope by Back, Arnold, and Tusky
  
  Because you're working on a dementia unit, I'd also start familiarizing yourself with death & dying - not just the physiological process, but the ethical and philosophical levels as well (both societal and personal). If you're not familiar with it, working with dying people can be very scary and uncomfortable, and you'll find yourself feeling moral distress because you're mentally still trying to apply curing principles of care to someone who cannot be cured. Once you become more familiar with this stage of life, you're probably going to recognize a lot of aggressive, futile care happening, and THAT's going to become emotionally very difficult for you.
  
  Recs on that:
  
  
• Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
  
  
• How We Die by Sherwin B Nuland
  
  
• Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death by Joan Halifax
  
  
• The End-of-Life Handbook: A Compassionate Guide to Connecting with and Caring for a Dying Loved One by David Feldman

Whiskey for when she gets home.

This sleep mask

High quality ear plugs. My fiance and I are both nurses, I can sleep fine with my bulk box of foam ear plugs from Walmart but she likes higher quality softer ones. I've tried them. They are better, but mine work fine.

Side note, for her birthday I paid for custom plugs made at an audiologist. They were more comfortable but don't block enough sound for her to use. So that was $80 well spent.

Maybe a bottle of melatonin? Or just more whiskey.

I have never used a knockoff littmann, or seen one that I know of. I would be weary of a $10-15 stethoscope. You want something decent for school because you are just learning things like how to take a manual B/P, how to auscultate heart and lung sounds, etc and you want to be able to hear what you are listening for. I have used a cheap stethoscope (something like one of these) and it sucks. I had trouble getting a b/p because it was hard to hear.

You don't have to go all out and get a Cardiology III or anything, or even a littmann. There are other decent stethoscopes out there, but get one you can hear with. I used a littmann lightweight in school and it was decent and it only costs about 40 bucks on amazon. If you buy the right stethoscope now, you shouldn't have to buy a new one when you graduate, think of it as an investment. Just put your name on it so it doesn't walk away.

Here's the classic II in (what most nursing students use) in navy blue for $68.

Here's The lightweight for $39.99 in burgundy, the other colors are $44.

Here's an AdScope for $15-$18. I've never used one, but it has good reviews and I have heard of the brand before, so it might be worth a shot if you are truly that strapped for cash.

I used AACN's Core Curriculum Review and nothing else. I figured what better resource than the one written by the administrators of the exam. I found it comprehensive and concise and highly recommend it. You can find it on amazon here. Good luck!

The ICU Book by Paul Marino is also a great resource. I’ve learned a lot and it’s made me question a lot of practices at my facility.

The previously mentioned icufaqs.org is definitely a good place to start and is free.

I went from a cardiac telemetry unit to become a hospice nurse. Your best bet would be to shadow a hospice nurse for a day or two. https://www.amazon.com/Gone-My-Sight-Dying-Experience/dp/B00072HSCY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=O16MF0HGYAZZ&keywords=barbara+karnes+end+of+life+guideline+series&qid=1570930886&sprefix=barbara+karns%2Caps%2C158&sr=8-3 is among the best, short, books out there, and it is what I and others of our staff often share with families.

[This book has nursing diagnoses, and interventions listed. The best part is that every intervention listed has a citation to a reference, so you can just plug in the "rationales" in your care plan.] (http://www.amazon.com/Nursing-Diagnosis-Handbook-Evidence-Based-Planning/dp/0323071503/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1319717408&sr=8-7.) My program makes a huge deal about "evidence based practice" so this book was a life send!

Merenstein & Gardner’s Handbook of Neonatal Intensive Care is a fantastic resource I have used. It’s very easy to skim for quick information.

Here’s a link to the one I purchased: https://www.amazon.com/Merenstein-Gardners-Handbook-Neonatal-Intensive/dp/032332083X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=NICU+merenstein&qid=1573252195&sr=8-1

My preceptor suggested and I bought [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Emergency-Critical-Care-Pocket-Guide/dp/1284023702/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1492245808&sr=8-4&keywords=ed+nursing+pocket+guide). it was very useful for me at least. Also study up your focused assessments. The Ed was a fantastic place to learn so enjoy!

A drug reference guide is helpful. This clipboard I loved https://www.amazon.com/WhiteCoat-Clipboard-Pink-Nursing-Edition/dp/B00GWSPT9Q
Lastly, a massage or spa day is nice after she takes her boards.

• Go onto etsy and search "nurse", "rn", "student nurse", etc. Also try "nurse ID badge", "nurse badge reel", etc. There are a million cute things for nurses on etsy.
  
  
• Cool syringe pens.
  
  
• Does she like to read? This is a great book, it's a bunch of short stories written by nurses telling amazing war stories.

24 hr nurse watch, bandage scissors (get one with a design easier to find when they go walking) gum, black pens, high lighters, pretty badge holder (etsy) mini medication, for headaches ect...

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like this https://www.etsy.com/listing/660876626/vet-tech-veterinary-technician-nurse-paw?

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or this https://www.amazon.com/Lister-Bandage-Scissors-Medical-CYNAMED/dp/B078MGQX6B/ref=sr_1_11_sspa?crid=3N77QSAQSB8KI&keywords=bandage+scissors+for+nurses&qid=1558163104&s=gateway&sprefix=Bandage+scissors+%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-11-spons&psc=1

I have the ADC ADSCOPE 615 Platinum Professional Clinician Stethoscope with AFD Technology, 30.5 inch, Tactical. Forty bucks, handled and shipped. Best stethoscope I've ever used. Length is perfect for wrapping around neck and putting head in front scrub chest pocket to keep warm for use.

This one looks promising for a student, though.

I'll give you a tip on how to keep a stethoscope from being stolen, while I'm here (it happens to everyone). There are two places I keep my stethoscope - around my neck and on my dresser. It's always one of those two places.

Things I learned for studying.

1. Do plenty of test questions. I used AACN's study guide and Pass CCRN.
   
2. Laura Gasparis Vonfrolio's DVDs are damn good.
   
   I went through the whole Pass CCRN book, but in hindsight, that was a HUGE waste of time. If I did it all over again, I'd take test questions, then review specifics with the Pass CCRN book and do all of Vonfrolio's DVDs.
   
   Good luck to any planning to take the CCRN. It's a bitch, but manageable.
   
   Cheers!

Congrats!!

Here is a book I’ve heard recommended a lot: Merenstein & Gardner's Handbook of Neonatal Intensive Care

ISBN-13: 978-0323320832

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Merenstein-Gardners-Handbook-Neonatal-Intensive/dp/032332083X/ref=nodl_

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SAHOZ5Q?th=1 I wore these non-maternity scrubs throughout my whole pregnancy! The wide stretchy band was very comfortable under my belly, they come in many colors and sizes. I'm definitely planning to continue wearing them when I get back from maternity leave! I bought a few pairs of maternity scrubs but struggled to find ones that fit both my belly and my legs/hips at the same time and returned them all in favor of these guys.

My boyfriend got me this folding clipboard when I went back to school.

I have used it every single day of work to hold papers and notes. When I fold it up, it fits perfectly in my scrub jacket pocket. It's the most practical gift I've ever received.

Compression socks are life. I started wearing them when nursing instructors recommended to us that we start wearing them early, and I can definitely tell a difference in my feet and legs when I'm not wearing them. I usually buy mine off Amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G41JTN6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ). I like them, but I do get some issues with the top of the sock band being too tight for my fat calves (I just roll them down a little so the seam isn't digging in), toe seams rubbing too tight on my toes and causing some toenail and pinky toe pain, and some of the designs will leave imprints of the design on my legs after taking them off. For the price though, they're good. I also have some of the 8-10mmHg Cherokee compression socks (from when my clinical instructors would send you home unless you're wearing black. blue, or white socks...), but I feel like they have too little compression.

Several nurses I work with have one of these and like them pretty well. I have one of these and love it, but I work in oncology.

They’re Med Couture performance scrubs I got from amazon. They’re actually really awesome!

I like this book: Critical Care Nursing Certification: Preparation, Review, and Practice Exams by Ahrens, Prentice and Kleinpell
http://www.amazon.com/Critical-Care-Nursing-Certification-Preparation/dp/007166789X

I recommend this book
http://www.amazon.com/Being-Mortal-Medicine-What-Matters/dp/0805095152

It is a good read and addresses this issue.

https://www.amazon.com/Bedtime-Bliss-BTB01-Contoured-Comfortable/dp/B00FJQFJX8/ref=zg_bs_3764231_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=P0CS605C9EQZWW662YA5


The best.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GWSKZ1I/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I love mine I use it every shift

Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!

Here are your smile-ified links:

https://smile.amazon.com/Fast-Facts-Stroke-Care-Nursing-ebook/dp/B00KAZVPZ4

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^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot

If she's practical, I'm assuming you mean something she'd use and not something she just wouldn't buy for herself? If that's the case, I would get her something to use on the job. If she didn't get herself a good quality stethoscope through nursing school, do that. Some nice, tough sheers/scissors are always welcome too. If she already got those for school (and likely did) try something for her to use as she gets used to nursing.

I started (and will likely retire from) ER, so this was probably one of my favorite gifts: http://www.amazon.com/Emergency-Critical-Care-Pocket-Guide/dp/1284023702/

It's got drip rates for critical drugs, and the way they list meds in the back is actually useful, rather than flipping through four pages of tiny printed info just to find out what a drug is for. They make a version for OB/GYN, Peds, ect, just search for her intended field. I know it seems underwhelming, but she'll think of you every time she references it.

a former nurse gave me this book, I'm really enjoying it so far. http://www.amazon.com/Wasnt-Strong-Like-This-Started/dp/1937163121/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373584813&sr=1-2&keywords=how+i+became+a+nurse

This is actually a pretty good question because it brings attention to the fact that docs need to provide this information vs nursing judgement. Which obviously needs to be the docs providing the info because they are the ones with the liability insurance and we are not.

You want better nursing judgement? It doesn't get any better than understanding this book: http://www.amazon.com/Marinos-The-ICU-Book-Updates/dp/1451121180

I am preparing to take this exam. People have recommended the Strokes FAST Facts https://www.amazon.com/Fast-Facts-Stroke-Care-Nursing-ebook/dp/B00KAZVPZ4

IMO, the best book is called: "Gone From My Sight" by Barbara Karnes, which you can get here:

http://www.amazon.com/Gone-My-Sight-Dying-Experience/dp/B00072HSCY

It's a very small book, and only costs $2. I think you can get it cheaper if you buy in bulk from the author's website. I call it the little blue book of death.

I work as a hospice social worker and the book literally explains what the family members should expect to see and hear as their family member is passing away... it talks about how they stop eating, and why, and how their breathing changes as does their responsiveness. I cannot more highly recommend this book. I gave it to all of my families and almost all of them responded favorably.

Amazon currently has Littmann's on sale.

There are $5 off coupons for that one too, to make it even less expensive.