LibGuides: Licensed Vocational Nursing: Reference Websites, Databases, & Books

Recommended Reference Resources to Find Background Information

Use the suggestions in the tabs to help you find reference material, including print and electronic encyclopedias, handbooks, and websites.
You may need to use a variety of reference sources as not every topic will be available in every tool / encyclopedia.
It's best to do simple searches when looking for reference information.

MedlinePlus
"MedlinePlus is the National Institutes of Health's website for patients and their families and friends. Produced by the National Library of Medicine, the world’s largest medical library, it brings you information about diseases, conditions, and wellness issues in language you can understand. MedlinePlus offers reliable, up-to-date health information, anytime, anywhere, for free" ("About MedlinePlus"). This resource can also lead you to scholarly journal articles, clinical trials, etc.
Merck Manual: Consumer Version
There is a consumer and a professional edition, both available online. The link is set to consumer. To switch to professional, navigate to the top right-hand side of the screen, and click on the "View Professional Version" button.
Mayo Clinic
"Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to clinical practice, education and research, providing expert, whole-person care to everyone who needs healing" ("About Mayo Clinic").

Access Science (McGraw Hill)
Over 8,500 online articles from the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology 10thedition. 110,000+ definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms.Biographies of more than 2,000 well-known scientists from the Hutchinson Dictionary of Scientific Biography .The latest news in science and technology from Science News and ScienCentral videos. Continuously updated, fully-searchable, media-rich content, terms, images and videos
Consumer Health Complete (EBSCO)
Consumer health information on many health topics including medical science, food sciences, nutrition, childcare, sports medicine, and general health.
Gale Ebooks (GALE)
Specialized academic and encyclopedic material: find academic articles and definitions. Excellent beginning resource. Find the Career Information Center here!
Health Reference Center (Infobase)
Health Reference Center includes a wealth of articles, videos, and illustrations on diseases and timely health topics organized with an intuitive design that brings key content to the forefront.
Salem Press (Grey House)
Salem E-books are electronic versions of print reference books held in the Merced College Library.

OneSearch (ExLibris) This link opens in a new window
Search for the library's print books, eBooks, online and hardcopy journals, magazines, newspapers, and more.

To search for books in OneSearch:

Run your search for a topic using keywords
Narrow your search results to books by clicking on both Book Chapters and Books under the Resource Type filter to the left of your results
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Results are from both print books & eBooks
To restrict to print books:
- select Held by Library under the Availability filter to the left of your search results
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To restrict to eBooks:
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Find more book and eBooks through the library's OneSearch catalog.

Magill's Medical Guide by Salem Press
Call Number: Available as an eBook
ISBN: 9781637001073
Publication Date: 2022-11-30
Covers diseases, disorders, treatments, procedures, specialties, biology, and issues in an easy-to-use A-Z format, with sidebars addressing recent developments in medicine and concise information boxes for all diseases and disorders. In addition to completely new essays in this edition, all entries from the previous edition have been evaluated and updated by a panel of Medical Editors to ensure their currency and accuracy.
The Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Health by Brigham Narins
Call Number: Available as an eBook
ISBN: 9781410388223
Publication Date: 2018-11-01
"Presents authoritative, comprehensive information on more than 200 mental disorders as well as drugs, treatments and therapies, alternative treatments, diagnostic and evaluation procedures, and related biological concepts totaling 530 articles"--Provided by publisher.
The Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health by Kristine M. Krapp (Editor)
Call Number: Available as an eBook and in print in Merced: Reference 610.7303 GAL
ISBN: 9780787649388
Publication Date: 2001-12-01
The Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health, 5th Edition is a comprehensive resource containing 1280 entries that aims to educate people about allied health and nursing. Entries follow the standardized, balanced format of all the titles in Gale Encyclopedia of ... line. Entries include sidebars defining Key Terms and listing Questions to Ask Your Provider. This edition includes new entries, updated entries, over 625 color images and illustrations, a medical glossary, an appendix of pertinent organizations, and an index.
Mental Health Nursing by Linda M. Gorman; Robynn Anwar
Call Number: Available in print in Merced and Los Banos: Nonfiction 616.89 GOR
ISBN: 9781719645607
Publication Date: 2022-09-27
The Sixth Edition of Mental Health Nursing is a psychiatric nursing text tailored specifically to the needs of the Licensed Practical Nurse/ Licensed Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN) student. We understand that many students at this level of preparation do not have the opportunity for clinical experience in a psychiatric setting, but they will encounter patients with mental health issues in their rotations and throughout their careers. Students will encounter patients and their families with psychiatric diagnoses as well as a variety of psychosocial issues and behaviors that challenge them. This text provides the basic knowledge and skills to address many of these challenges, with an emphasis on communication.
Calculating Dosages Safely : A Dimensional Analysis Approach by Tracy Horntvedt
Call Number: Available as an eBook
ISBN: 0803661894
Publication Date: 2019-02-11
Make dosage calculations easier to master with dimensional analysis. Dosage calculations can be intimidating, but they don't need to be. Dimensional analysis is an easy, systematic approach that shows you how to master simple to complex calculations with consistency and accuracy and reduce medication errors with simple safety mechanisms. Dimensional analysis, which can be used on virtually every dosage calculation problem, eliminates the need to use other methods or perform lengthy, multi-step calculations. It's a method of problem-solving that organizes data in a manner that is easy to understand and apply.
Focus on Nursing Pharmacology by Amy M. Karch
Call Number: Available in print in Merced: Nonfiction 615.1 KAR
ISBN: 9781975100964
Publication Date: 2019-10-24
Current, concise, and optimized for today's nursing practice, Focus on Nursing Pharmacology makes challenging concepts more approachable to establish a foundation for effective drug therapy throughout your nursing career. This updated 8th edition builds on your knowledge of physiology, chemistry and nursing fundamentals to help you conceptualize need-to-know information about each group of drugs, while engaging learning features cultivate your clinical application, critical thinking and patient education capabilities.