Research Guides: NURS 0001:Nursing Subject Guide: Background sources

Books and ebooks

BSN Program - Nursing Textbooks (most are in print)
Required and optional nursing textbooks for the BSN program. Available for in-library or short term loans, kept in the Reserves collection on the main floor of the Library.
Social Determinants of Health: Canadian Perspectives, 3d ed. (eBook)
Publication Date: 2016
This 700-page ebook "offers a comprehensive discussion of the primary factors that influence the health of Canada's population." Useful for the N1109 social determinants of health paper.

Drug information

Davis's Drug Guide for Nurses (eBook, 19th ed, 2025)
Required textbook for Term 2 onward. Comprehensive, up-to-date drug and medication administration information for nurses.
A print copy is also available in the Reserves area.

CPS (Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties)
Required from Term 2 onward, with extensive drug and therapeutic information from the Canadian Pharmacists Association.
For mobile access via the CPS app:

Get Langara's Organization Code on your Brightspace course pages (or ask an instructor or a librarian).
Go to www.pharmacists.ca/register and register for an account. You'll receive a welcome email asking you to create your password.
Once your password has been set, visit the Profile section within the dropdown menu. Scroll down to "Set Mobile Enterprise Code" and enter Langara's organization code.
Download the CPS mobile app and login with the account you just created.

Health backgrounders

Use to answer broad, general questions on health and medical topics, with information to refer patients to. In addition to your textbooks, here are some examples of standard health and medical reference sites.

HealthLink BC
Provides access to reliable health information and services, with medically-approved information on more than 5,000 health topics and symptoms.
Merck Manual: Professional Version
Free online textbook of internal medicine that is geared to physicians and continuously updated. Provides medical background on diseases and conditions. Refer patients to the cross-linked Consumer Version for quick facts and plain language explanations.
Examples: Hypertension (Professional Version) and High Blood Pressure (Consumer version).

Medline Plus
This free website from the US National Library of Medicine includes links to creditable sites by health topic, plus drug information and a medical dictionary and encyclopedia. Designed for use by the general public.