Where do you put your STUFF

Nurses New Nurse

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How you organize carrying all of your stuff? I have one of those pocket organizers, but when I am running thru the night I usually will not stop to put it back in my organizer. I also use one of the hospital lanyards around my neck and I will clip my pen, highlighter, sharpie, mechanical pencil on it while having my mini flashlight, scissors, alc pads, and my "brain sheet" in my pocket. I like to wear cargo scrub pants so I can carry my flushes in my leg pocket. I am a mess.

I find myself tossing my lanyard over my shoulder while assessing patients (germ control) but I am afraid I am going to hang myself doing that...can you imagine the headlines, "Nurse hangs herself while helping others".

Have yall came up with any great ideas to organize your stuff?

I carry a pocket organizer in my right (hip level) shirt pocket. It has 2 black pens, a red pen, a black Sharpie, 4 highlighters (yellow, orange, pink, and blue), a pen light, and 2 pairs of scissors. Also in the right pocket is my hand sanitizer. In my left shirt pocket I have my pocket drug guide, keys, and inhaler. Sometimes my assignment sheet (brain) is in my left pocket, but I usually keep it under the MAR book on the med cart. The cargo pocket on my pants gets things like lancets, extra gloves, tape, and alcohol wipes. I try to make sure that everything gets back in the right place--if not into the organizer, at least into the correct pocket. One night I put my keys in the right pocket instead of the left and almost freaked out the next time I reached for them. It's not a foolproof system, but it works for me most of the time.

Specializes in Trauma, MICU.

Here's how I organize my stuff. My top has 2 pockets and cargo pants c 2 pockets. We don't use lanyards, we have a retractable clip that holds our badges on it.

Shirt:

Right pocket - multi-colored pen, dry erase marker (we have boards in the pts rooms to write names, plan for the day, when meds are due, etc.), permanent black marker, alcohol wipes.

Left pocket - keys, scissors, penlight, folded up sheet with all my written information on it.

*attached to the bottom of my shirt, underneath my right pocket, I have a pair of hemostats with a roll of tape on it. Comes in real handy when you need take quickly.

Pants:

Right pocket - phone (we carry around so other nurses, patients, etc can get ahold of us)

Left pocket - statview (monitor alarm system device)

Hope this helps!!! :)

Specializes in pulm/cardiology pcu, surgical onc.

I carry only the bare essentials because we have cupboards (locked) in each room things like flushes, dressings, IV supplies, and whatever else I may need for my shift I try and think ahead.

Right scrub top pocket-my brains, 4 colored ball point pen, hemostats, scissors

Left top pocket- my stuff ( gum, etc)

Vocera on a clip attached to scrub top

Name tag to top on retractable clip

Tele pager clipped to cargo pant pocket

PCA key in pants pocket

Stethoscope around neck

I found the best thing for me was buying a vest that had 2 pockets on it. I carry everything in those pockets. Alcohol pads, lancets for accuchecks, tape, pens, etc. When I started working I wondered why everyone else wore a vest. Now I know why. More pockets.

I met a nurse who wore a fanny pack

I met a nurse who wore a fanny pack

I agree, it's kind of funny looking but it keeps everything in one place. The only thing I don't put in there is my stethoscope and I always have a extra pen in my pocket. You'll figure out a system that works for you :up:

Specializes in ED, ICU, lifetime Diabetes Education.

I don't know what type of unit you are on, as for critical care or ICU, I carry a 4 color chart pen, a regular black pen, pen light, alcohol swabs, and flushes in my pockets. I also carry my bandage scissors, a kelly clamp, extra IV caps, and a few 2x2s in my pockets. I also carry silk tape. Where you put everything depends on if you are left or right hand and what you are comfortable with. I love cargo scrubs! For me the more pockets the better. I usually keep my scissors and clamps in the cargo pocket.

Specializes in Oncology, Med-Surg.

hello. im a new grad and to keep organize this is what i do. i hope it helps you cuz it sure helps me stay organize ;)

name tag is clip with the pulley. i avoid lanyard cuz of MRSA and getting "hung"

scrubs with 2 or more pockets.

- left pocket i keep my pocket organizer with 2 black pens, sharpie, highlighter, 4-color pen, pencil, eraser, pocket flashlight, scissor, hemostat, tape, calculator

- right pocket i keep my flushes and alcohol wipes and my brain folded in 3

we have WOW, computers/wireless on wheels so i have a box with the rest of my other supplies in it

I wear a fanny pack. It's very handy but can get in the way at times when trying to squeeze into tight spots. I love it, though, everything's in one place.

Specializes in Cardiothoracic.

http://nursepropack.easystorecreator.net/items/Med-Packs~Medium-/list.htm

Can't work without it!! Love it!

Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

I work nights. I keep a pen/dry erase marker in my right pocket, swabs and IV caps in the left. Nametag on a safety pin on my scrub top, stetho around my neck.

Everything else lives in a green plastic pencil box on the desk near my binder.

I use a Carstens chart 1/2-1'' that I ordered for $12.99 to manage my papers since our current summaries are 10-20 pages in length. I have my brain sheet taped to the front of it.

Tait

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