What's In Your Pocket?

[AmyD_RN]

wanting to hear from you first year nurses about what you carry in your pockets and why, what could you not live without. I know I need a good watch, stethescope, hemastats, ............what else?

[LadyT618, MSN, APRN, NP]

Anyone ever use a fanny pack/pouch to carry things around while on their shift? I was thinking about doing that.

[youngatheart]

what isn't in my pockets should be the question. Everything but the kitchen sink

[jonear2, RN]

pens- several -mostly stolen -yes, it was me

tape- transpore and paper

dry erase marker for putting my name on the white board

sharpie

highlighter

hemastats

scissors (never ever lend them out)

prefilled flushes in the cargo pockets of the pants (u will always need a flush)

extra alligator clamps for the IVs (also called lever-locks)

1 container accucheck strips (they always disappear, grab em fast)

1 disposable pulse ox finger probe

alcohol swabs

steth around the neck (beware of the nurse who never has a stethoscope)

gum

[blaaveispiken]

Can anyone tell me what a "hip clip" is and how it carries a stethoscope?

There are some great tips on this thread and as a brand new nurse presently in classroom orientation I'm looking for all the help I can get once I start actually working on the floor on the 28th.

Thank you all for sharing!

[deanaRN]

This is what a hip clip looks like. OOPS - the link doesn't work, enter hip clip in the search box to see it.

http://www.marcusuniforms.com/search.aspx?SID=1&

[tm64]

A kelly clamp is much larger than a hemostat. A hemostat is for small vessels and arteries whereas a kelly is used to clamp muscle, fat, bowel etc....

[luvkitties]

Two pockets. I'm freaky and separate things into two groups, and always expect to find the stuff in the correct pocket.

Right pocket: two pens, narc keys, lotion, fingernail clippers, scribble paper/pad.

Left pocket: penlight, scissors, hemastats, alcohol wipes, electrode pads. If I have a rubber band on my wrist it's from the charge paper from some bag of fluids, and the paper wound up in the left pocket. Rubber band is to remind me to do something with the paper.

Watch on wrist, steth around neck... heaven help me on the day I wear the jacket with four pockets, then stuff winds up in all the wrong places and I can't find any of it.

LOL...sounds like me! :chuckle

[mcknis]

Duct tape to shut up my pts and when they choose not to, or I can't force them to, I carry ear plugs. :wink2:

What else is needed?

Oh we're being serious...well then...I carry pens, highlighter, sharpie, dry erase marker, tape measure (disposable), cheat sheet of Dr.'s and in-house #'s, car keys, gum/mints, chapstick, money, 2x2's, alcohol pads, extra pair of gloves, scissors, and penlight. Also carry a clipboard with other cheat sheets in it, steth around my neck, and tape around the steth.

Everything I carry I use on a daily basis, except for the penlight. I don't use it much, but I have been without a flashlight before and I don't want to ever go back to that incident again. More for my own safety, but so many more uses for it.

I am also curious as to what our wonderful psych/correctional nurses carry? I know with the security precautions, they must remain vigilant, and many of the items mentioned already would slow them down tremendously.

[all4schwa]

A kelly clamp is much larger than a hemostat. A hemostat is for small vessels and arteries whereas a kelly is used to clamp muscle, fat, bowel etc....

what? where do you work? i would run if i saw any of the aforementioned!!

the luer locks at my new facility are tricksy, that's all i use it for....

[muffie, RN]

pen , med cart key

[princesscr]

Hemastats

3 inch scissors

tape

G-2 .05 fine point pen

PDA with Davis Drug Guide and Tabers Medical Dictionary

[hica19]

alcohol wipes, betadine wipes (we care for a lot of central lines where I work), tape, black pen, sharpie, pen light