Every nursing student in Kenya reaches that pivotal moment — NCK licensure exam season. Whether you are finishing your Kenya Registered Community Health Nurse (KRCHN) diploma or wrapping up your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) degree, the question is always the same: which books should I actually study from?
The wrong answer costs you months of re-sitting. The right answer means you walk away licensed and ready to practise.
This guide breaks down the essential nursing textbooks you need for NCK exam preparation — covering the core paper areas tested for both diploma and degree candidates. Better still, all titles mentioned here are available as affordable PDF eBooks at Ksh 100 each from our Medical & Nursing Books collection — delivered instantly to your WhatsApp or email after M-Pesa payment.
Let’s get into it.
Why Your Choice of Textbook Matters for NCK
The NCK licensure examination tests both theoretical knowledge and clinical application. It does not reward cramming random notes — it rewards students who have read from authoritative, internationally recognised nursing and medical texts and understand the why behind clinical decisions.
The books on this list are the exact references that Kenya’s nursing schools and lecturers use. They align with the nursing competency framework and cover the subject areas the NCK tests: medical-surgical nursing, pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, community health, maternal and child health, and mental health nursing, among others.
The Essential NCK Exam Book List
1. Brunner & Suddarth’s Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing
If there is one book every nursing candidate must own, it is Brunner & Suddarth. This is the gold standard for Medical-Surgical Nursing, which forms the largest proportion of questions in the NCK exam. It covers pathophysiology, nursing assessment, care planning, and pharmacological management across virtually every body system.
Both diploma and degree candidates will find this book indispensable. It is dense, but it is thorough — and the NCK rewards thoroughness.
Available as a PDF eBook at Ksh 200 → DOWNLOAD
2. Potter & Perry’s Fundamentals of Nursing
Fundamentals is where every nursing student starts — and it is where NCK exam revision should start too. Potter & Perry covers nursing theory, patient assessment, therapeutic communication, infection control, wound care, and clinical procedures. Many NCK questions on basic nursing practice trace back directly to this text.
This is particularly important for diploma (KRCHN) candidates, where fundamentals questions carry significant weight.
3. Kozier & Erb’s Fundamentals of Nursing: Concepts, Process, and Practice
A complementary text to Potter & Perry, Kozier & Erb places greater emphasis on the nursing process framework — assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. The NCK regularly frames clinical scenario questions around this structure, making Kozier & Erb an excellent revision companion.
4. Lippincott’s Pharmacology (Satoskar / Katzung for Degree Candidates)
Pharmacology is consistently one of the areas students underperform in the NCK exam — and it does not have to be. Lippincott’s Pharmacology presents drug classes, mechanisms of action, nursing implications, and adverse effects in a clear, examination-friendly format.
For degree (BScN) candidates, Katzung’s Basic & Clinical Pharmacology goes deeper and covers the pharmacology knowledge expected at the degree level.
Nursing school demands a strong foundation in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, midwifery, paediatrics, medical-surgical nursing, and more. Here are some of the most popular titles available right now in our Medical & Nursing Books category:
- Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN® Examination (9th Edition) – Perfect for building exam confidence.
- Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 2025/2026 – Your go-to reference for the latest clinical guidelines.
- Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology – The gold standard for understanding how the body works.
- Ross and Wilson Anatomy and Physiology in Health and Illness – Clear explanations with excellent illustrations.
- Myles Textbook for Midwives (African Edition) – Essential for midwifery students and practitioners.
For the Maternal and Child Health / Midwifery component of the NCK exam, Myles Midwifery remains a core reference for diploma students, while degree candidates often work with Williams Obstetrics for more advanced obstetric content.
These books cover antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care, as well as neonatal assessment — all high-yield areas in the NCK examination.
- Brunner & Suddarth’s Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing – Comprehensive coverage of adult health conditions.
- Lehne’s Pharmacology for Nursing Care – Master drug actions, side effects, and safe administration.
- Wong’s Essentials of Pediatric Nursing – Focused on child health and family-centered care.
Paediatric Nursing is another area that often catches candidates off guard. Wong’s is the standard paediatric nursing text used across Kenyan nursing programmes and provides a strong foundation for NCK questions on child health, immunisation, growth and development, and paediatric conditions.
- Bates’ Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking – Improve your clinical assessment skills.
- DC Dutta’s Textbook of Gynecology and Davidson’s Principles and Practice of Medicine – Trusted classics for obstetrics/gynaecology and internal medicine.
We also stock specialized titles like Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, Hutchison’s Clinical Methods, Critical Care Nursing, and research methodology books — all at heavily discounted prices (many reduced from KSh 1,500–2,000).
From Theory to Exam Success: Pair Your Books with Smart Revision
Reading textbooks gives you the depth you need, but passing the Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK) exams requires focused revision, practice questions, and exam-style rationales.
That’s exactly where ReviQuiz comes in.
If you’re preparing for the NCK licensure exam, head over to ReviQuiz.com. ReviQuiz is a Kenyan nursing exam preparation platform designed specifically for NCK licensure candidates — both KRCHN diploma and BScN degree students. It provides structured, subject-specific MCQ practice aligned to the exact content areas the NCK tests. It offers:
- High-quality summarized revision notes
- Hundreds of NCK-style practice questions with detailed answers and rationales
- Topic-specific courses (Pharmacology, Anatomy & Physiology, Medical-Surgical Nursing, etc.)
- Past paper-style quizzes
Many students combine Cliffmatt PDFs (for in-depth reading) with ReviQuiz materials (for active recall and exam simulation). It’s a powerful combination that helps you truly understand the content and apply it under exam pressure.
Think of it this way: the textbooks above give you the what and why, ReviQuiz trains you on how the NCK will actually ask the questions. Using both together is the most effective preparation strategy.
How to Get Your Books at Ksh 200 — Delivered to Your WhatsApp
All the nursing and medical textbooks on this list are available as PDF eBooks at a flat price of Ksh 200 each from Cliffmatt Books.
Here is how it works:
- Browse the full collection at cliffmatt.co.ke/product-category/medical-nursing-books/
- Add your chosen title(s) to cart
- Pay via M-Pesa at checkout
- Receive your PDF instantly via WhatsApp (+254 746 522 304) or email
No courier wait times. No overpriced physical copies. Just immediate access to the books you need, in a format you can study from on your phone or laptop.
We have over 1,600 titles across 30+ categories, with new books added weekly. Whether you need one book or a full nursing library, we’ve got you covered at prices every Kenyan student can afford.
Build Your NCK Study Stack Today
The nursing students who pass the NCK on their first attempt share a common trait: they use the right resources, consistently, over time. That means authoritative textbooks — not loose notes from a WhatsApp group — and structured MCQ practice to test their understanding.
Your two-step preparation plan:
Step 1 → Get your core nursing textbooks from the Cliffmatt Medical & Nursing Books collection at Ksh 200 each.
Step 2 → Supplement your reading with targeted NCK MCQ practice at ReviQuiz.com — Kenya’s dedicated nursing exam preparation platform.
The NCK exam is passable. The right books and the right practice make all the difference.
Have questions? Reach us on WhatsApp: +254 746 522 304 or email: cliffmattke@gmail.com.
Happy studying — you’ve got this!