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Nursing Program Playbook

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Betty Sue Jessup Library
501 College Drive
Charlottesville, VA 22902
434.961.5309
reference@pvcc.edu

Library Resources for Nursing Students

The sections below provide an introduction to some of the resources the Betty Sue Jessup Library offers to nursing students, such as 

  • Books
  • Databases
  • Selected websites
  • Videos
  • Study spaces
  • Other library services
  • How to get help

Books

Find books relevant to your topics of study by using the library's catalog, which is accessible from the library's home page.

The library offers books in print (hard copy), which you can check out to take home (except for books housed in the Reserve area, which can only be used in the library), and also e-books, which you can read online from anywhere that has an internet connection. Note that to read e-books you will be asked to login first. To login, use your MyPVCC username and password.

To find books (both print and electronic), go to the library's home page and search under FIND BOOKS.  You can search using keyword, title, author, and subject searches. Check the library's tutorial about how to find books using the catalog.  If you need a book but the library doesn't have  it, you can request that we borrow a copy from another library.

Databases

Say goodbye to paywalls and access millions of reliable sources by using the library's databases. The databases below are the most useful for nursing students.  NOTE: Only students currently attending classes at PVCC can use the Mometrix database off campus.

Spotlight on: Nursing Reference Center Database

Nursing Reference Center is a database designed specifically for nurses. As such, it is an indispensable resource for nursing students.

Features:

  • Care plans
  • Information on diseases, conditions, and medications
  • Nursing management topics
  • Risk management topics
  • Skills with competency checklists
  • eBooks
  • Images
  • Videos
  • Patient education handouts

Before you dive in, check out the library's tutorials on how to use the database and how to cite sources from it.

Selected Websites

You are now a professional or training to become one, so when using websites, select only the ones that are written by professionals for professionals. See some selected websites below.

Videos

Other library services

The library offers much more than books and computers. Two important services are study spaces and circulation services. Click on the tabs to read about them.

Here are some of the study spaces the library offers:

Reading room -- This is the glassed-in room right inside the library.  This room provides armchairs, some tables, and a bar where you can sit and study.  You can take Zoom classes here as well. Sound level: low conversation.

Main library room -- This is the area that contains the circulation desk, the reference desk, and the banks of computers. You can hold a conversation, but be respectful of others around you. Sound level: low to intermediate.

Library classroom  -- This is the room right across from the library's circulation and reference desks.  You can study in this room as long as it is not needed for library classes or meetings. Sound level: quiet zone.

Alcoves -- There are two alcoves in the library, to each side of the book stacks. Everything in this area is a quiet zone, so please remain silent or move to an area that allows conversation. Sound level: quiet zone.

Study rooms-- These rooms are for quiet study for individuals and groups, and for Zoom classes. Groups can reserve the study rooms; individuals can use them as long as the rooms are not in use. Sound carries, so be respectful of students in other study rooms and keep your voice low.  Sound level: low conversation.

 

The library's Circulation desk is the place to borrow materials from the library, either to take home (books, except those on reserve) or to use in the library. Here are some of the things you can check out:

  • Books (note that books marked on reserve can only be used in the library)
  • Laptops with cameras (useful for many things, including taking proctored exams)
  • A&P models
  • Phone chargers
  • Headphones
  • Dry erase markers
  • Whiteboard erasers

Make sure to have your college ID with you when you want to check out something, especially if you're checking out something to take home, such as books. If you don't have a student ID card, visit the college's security office or police department to get one. It's a fast, painless process.

The library has two printers/copiers. Copies cost five cents per side for black-and-white and 25 cents per side for color. The copiers only accept coins or bills and will give change. You cannot print from a personal device. If you have a personal laptop, you must upload the document or email it to yourself and print it from a library computer.

To learn about the library's circulation policies, visit the library policies page.

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  • Last Updated: Apr 16, 2025 12:14 PM
  • URL: https://libguides.pvcc.edu/nursing_program
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