Top Five Textbooks You Should Read If You Are A Filipino Nursing Student

1. Fundamentals of Nursing (8th edition) By Barbara Kozier et al.

I consider it as the bible of nursing fundamentals. It is very appropriate for beginning students of nursing because of simple words used and detailed explanations of nursing skills. It has useful tables and case studies for easy learning. From first year to 4th year Kozier’s textbook is used.

2. Maternal and Child Health Nursing: Care of the Childbearing and Childrearing Family: 5th Edition, Adele Pillitteri

This is a book about pregnancy from fertilization to growth and development of the child. It is reader friendly at the same time, nursing care is within the framework of nursing process as presented for maternal and child conditions. For easy understanding, there are illustrations and diagrams presented. Case studies do abound to make one practice doing nursing care plans.

3. Nursing Practice in the Community. 4th ed., Maglaya. AS. etal., Nangka, Marikina City. Argonauta Corp.
4. Community Health Nursing Service in the Philippines (DOH), Reyala, JP et al. National League of Government Nurses. 2007.

The BSN nursing curriculum aside from being competency based, is very much concern with practice of nursing in the community, These two books will guide the student nurse in doing Community Organizing Participatory Action Research (COPAR) and it will introduce public health nursing as practiced in the Philippines. It is being used from second year to 4th year.

5. Brunner and Suddarth’s Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing, 11th Edition (2 Volumes in 1)

This is also “must have book” since it will introduce you to medical and surgical nursing which I think is still the bulk of nursing questions in exams local or foreign. It’s framework is the nursing process. This will really help in harnessing your skill in assessment and doing nursing diagnosis, because this explains the etiology and pathophysiology of diseases.

Plus 2 books you should have

1. Nurse’s Pocket Guide : Diagnosis, Prioritized Interventions, and Rationale by: DOENGES MOORHOUSE MURR

This reference book will guide your way in making the nursing care plan for your clients in related learning experience (RLE) duties in the various health settings you will be assigned. This is a big help in mastering the nursing process.

2. Any review book series such as Saunders, Lippincott or Mosby

This will serve as a guide you can bring along during your RLE rotations. It’s for quick reference and to push you to start in reviewing for the board exams .It is usually presented in outline form, brief concise and there are review questions at the end of chapters. This format will help you be acquainted with multiple typed questions. You should have this even if you are in second year.