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Nursing

Use this guide to access library resources, including databases, books, academic journals, and textbooks, Open Educational Resources, and freely available online resources related to the subject of Nursing.

Library Databases

  • Full Text  - ensures that all results have full text available to read immediately
    • If Full Text is not selected, there will be more results, but many will need to be Requested by Interlibrary Loan from other libraries, which can take time
  • Scholarly/Peer Reviewed - ensures that all results were written by subject experts, and reviewed by other experts in the field for accuracy
  • Publication Date: Limit as needed - this ensures that only information published within a specific date range will appear

Search terms will vary based on research topics.  If you would like assistance with selecting search terms, please contact Library Staff or your Instructor.

  • Nurse OR Nurses OR Nursing
  • Evidence-based
  • Intervention OR Treatment OR Care
  • Patient OR Patients

Students can access the databases from home by logging in with their StarID & Password.

Minnesota North College Library Books at Hibbing

American Nursing Journals

Students are often confused about what journals they are allowed to use as resources for their assignments in HCC's Nursing Program, and tend to focus primarily on the American Journal of Nursing, because the library owns the journal and because its title makes it clear that the journal meets the instructors' criteria.  However, there are plenty of nursing journals published in the United States that often get overlooked.  

Within the library's databases, students can view the publication location of journals by looking at the "Source" information of the journal and clicking on the journal title.  This will bring up a page that includes the publisher's address.  If located in the United States, students can consider the journal to be American.

Students also need to be aware that not all medical journals are Nursing journals.  It is always best to check your selected article with your instructor before beginning your assignment.

Where to Look in the Library?

Libraries using Dewey Decimal Classification

  • Minnesota North - Hibbing Campus 
  • Minnesota North - Itasca Campus
  • Minnesota North - Mesabi Range - Virginia Campus

Libraries using Library of Congress Classification

  • Minnesota North - Rainy River Campus
  • Minnesota North - Vermilion Campus

A call number, also known as a classification number, is the numerical or alpha-numerical string of numbers and letters that libraries use to identify, organize, and find individual items on library shelves.

All print or paper copies of books in the library are assigned a call number, usually found on the book spine (this is often referred to as a spine label).

The call number represents what the book is about and acts like the book's address on the library's shelves, also known as stacks. Because books on the shelves are arranged in call number order, you will find books on similar subjects shelved near each other.

Spine Label Examples:

      Dewey Decimal                  Fiction                 Library of Congress

Dewey Decimal Spine Label Fiction Spine LabelLibrary of Congress Spine Label

The Dewey Decimal Classification System is a classification system by which libraries organize their Non-Fiction collections numerically by subject.  The system divides all knowledge into 9 basic subject classes, ranging numerically from 000-999. All Dewey Decimal call numbers are at least 3 digits long, and may be further extended by the use of decimal numbers. Each digit of a Dewey Decimal number signifies a level of subject specificity.

Dewey Decimal # 610.73

The 610-620 range of Dewey numbers is designated for Medicine and Health, and other related topics. Each number within that range designates a specific medical or health-related topic.  The Dewey Number 610.73 is specifically dedicated to information about Nurses, Nursing Practice, Nursing Personnel, and Nursing work.  If you wish to browse the library collection in search of resources about Nursing, or for NCLEX-RN Study Preparation materials, this would be a good place to start.  You should also consider looking at the surrounding shelves for related information, such as Human Anatomy or Drug Pharmacology.

The Library of Congress Classification System is a classification system by which libraries organize their Non-Fiction collections alpha-numerically by subject.  The system divides all knowledge into 21 basic classes, each identified by a single letter of the alphabet. Most of these alphabetical classes are further divided into more specific subclasses, identified by two-letter combinations. Following these alphabetical headings, each topic is assigned a single number or a span of numbers. Whole numbers used in LCC may range from one to four digits in length, and may be further extended by the use of decimal numbers.

Library of Congress # RT

The RT range of Library of Congress call numbers is designated for topics related to Nursing.  If you wish to browse the library collection in search of resources about Nursing, or for NCLEX-RN Study Preparation materials, this would be a good place to start.  You should also consider looking at the surrounding shelves for related information, such as Human Anatomy or Drug Pharmacology.

Library of Congress # WY

In Libraries using the National Library of Medicine (NLM) Classification tables, the WY range of call numbers can be used for topics related to Nursing.

Guide CC License

 This guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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