[cooley346]

I just got accepted into a 1 year LPN program and I'm wondering if I should get a laptop. I have a home computer but I'll probably be away from home alot. Money is very tight but like I have told everyone else, I'm going to do whatever it takes to become a nurse. Even if that means suffering even more financially. As long as my son is fed and is taken care of I can live of of mac and cheese or ramen. Both me and my wifes parents will help her and my son out if they need it. What other types of supplies will I need other than the uniform and stuff that will come later.

[SilverBells]

Definitely you do NOT need a laptop. Some students are carrying around PDAs, but I think they are also unnecessary.
Essentially the school should provide you with a list of essentials.

[Marianna Polito]

Do you have any suggested reading for another newly accepted student?

[4culvers]

Marianna,
Your advisor through your school should be able to give you any info on what you should be taking/studying as you get ready to enter your program. If you don't have an advisor I would email or call your program head and see if you can get some info that way. Do you know what classes you will be taking your first semster?

[4culvers]

cooley346,
I am in a BSN program right now and have been just fine w/ my desktop at home. No need to spend the extra $ if you don't have to.

[EvaRN]

I would not spend money on a laptop, it is not a necessity if you have a desktop home. At the beginning of each class your teacher should tell you what you need besides the book. Don't spend your money on unnecessary stuff...Make sure you have folders to stay organized, and I would get a little pocket notebook to have for clinicals...they always come in handy for writing vitals and such...Also for clinicals have a black marker with you (always needed to put date, initials, etc on dressings and IV stickers) as well as a highlighter for reports. Highlighter also is needed for studying if you mark in your books or notes. I would also buy a big container of petroleum jelly and a pair of pharmacy hand gloves to put on at night after applying the petroleum to your hands...it is unbelivable how dry your hands get after washing so many times in clinicals! It works like a charm and it is cheap!
You can also buy a drug book (PDA's are more expensive) and a medical dictionary...I would say those are a must!
Good luck!

[cassandra581]

Definately the petroleum jelly and gloves (otherwise your hand may become extremely cracked and painful and even bleed like mine did which makes it really hard to take notes). If you have a home computer I would not suggest buying a laptop, especially if money is tight. Most schools have an on-campus computer lab that you can use to write your papers and do research on-line. Instead I would recompend a flash drive so that you can keep all your files with you and simply plug into the school computer to continue working, print, etc... This would be a much cheaper option especially since you can get a decent sized one for about $20. I'm considering getting a pda for myself simply because I haul all my reference materials with me along with all my other textbooks because I do alot of my studying away from my home. The advantage the pda would then give me is that I could buy the pda versions of the refrences and then lose about 15lbs out of my bag and have a little space in it as well. However you don't need to bring all your reference materials with you to every single class so it's not something you would absolutely need. The other nice thing about the pda is that you can also use it in many ways like a laptop but could purchase an older one on ebay for a fraction of the cost of a laptop. Useful in clinical settings too! But, all you really need (besides the jelly and gloves) are some writing utensils and paper. If your tight on money stick to the basics.