Work bags: What do you take and what's in it?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I am starting a new job tomorrow and and just started cleaning out my work bag...what a mess! I've carried the same huge Vera Bradley tote for a little over a year and it's filled to the brim with a bunch of old bills, lotion, carbon copies of PTO requests, etc.

What do you use to carry your stuff to work? I probably need to downgrade to something smaller as my new work environment is cramped. What do you put in it? I have a makeup bag, extra car key, calendar, change, a calculator, my badge, pens, pencils and highlighters.

Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.
OMG oh no!! I might have to start keeping an extra pair of scrubs in my locker! haha

I just go to the OR and grab some scrubs when people think i look like the basin to puke in.

Specializes in Fall prevention.

I carry a scrap booking bag that I keep lots of pen ( I'm a pen hound) my sethescope manual bp cuff pill cutter reading glasses

Cell phone charger and other misc stuff :rolleyes: keep extra tee shirt in locker. I'm the one everybody want s to come borrow stuff from

Specializes in thoracic ICU, ortho/neuro, med/surg.

I carry a canvas tote I don't like. In it when I go to work:

clipboard

pens

sharpie marker

bandage shears

alcohol pads

hand sanitizer

hand lotion

lip balm

e-reader

cough drops

pads & tampons

a little bottle of ibuprofen & excedrin migraine

wallet

mobile phone

I don't have a locker.

Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

I work in home health. I have a backpack.

Front pockets: name badge, bandage scissors, 2 or 3 plastic shopping bags (they come in very handy).

Second pocket: pair of scrubs, stethoscope, bp cuff, alcohol wipes, feminine products, ibuprofen.

Third pocket: visit paperwork, box of gloves, CPR face shield (thin plastic), pack of pens.

Fourth pocket: shift paperwork, paperwork ready for submission, GPS.

Side pockets: hand sanitizer, hand lotion.

I keep a flashlight and spare cell charger in my car. I also have a lunchbox.

I just go to the OR and grab some scrubs when people think i look like the basin to puke in.

My facility is poor and doesn't have hospital issue scrubs :o

Specializes in ICU, Telemetry.

I don't do a work bag, as I have a locker...but in the locker I have:

Power bar/breakfast bar

Advil

ACLS book

ICU Book

steth

flashlight/penlight

scissors

imodium

pepto

tums

5 bucks in 1's

(bad side to nightshift...if you get sick in the middle of the night, there's no pharmacy or store to run to to get tylenol/imodium/throat spray, etc.)

In the purse:

ID

ebook

Specializes in Nephrology.

In my locker:

Lab coat

Feminine products

Toothbrush

Toothpaste

Deodorant

In my (large) purse:

Tylenol (bottle of 100 tabs)

Advil

Zofran

Glucose Meter

Insulin

Glucose Tabs

Enough pens to choke a horse

Clinic keys

In my desk:

Insulin

Glucose Meter

Glucose Tabs (have to be ready just in case)

Stethoscope

Ruler

More pens

Fork

Spoon

Highlighter

Assorted office supplies

I work in an outpatient clinic so we don't wear scrubs or need to carry supplies for dressings or procedures. We don't tend to get too much nasty stuff on our clothes, but we all wear lab coats for doing dressings, catheters or taking out staples/sutures or any other procedures. Oh yeah, in my car is my ID badge. I need it to swipe to get into the parkade and no one in my clinic wears them.

Specializes in ICU.

Advil, zyrtec, toothbrush/paste, calculator, assorted scissors, eye chart, wound measuring tape. Knife for cutting food, which everybody borrows.

Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.

I use one of those open-able clipboards, in which I have my neonate steth, several pens and mechanical pencils, a couple sharpies, an eraser, and a stack of my home-made brains, several tweezers/hemostats/scissors. I keep the clipboard in my new locker (finally got one after nearly 2 years...) along with a 32oz water bottle and 2 NICU certification study guides.

Thanks for all of the replies! I had pretty much everything that I needed supplied for me (each patient had their own stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, alcohol, chlorascrubs, flushes at the bedside). I guess it might be time to dig out the old stethoscope and throw it in the bag just in case! I hadn't even thought about forks and knives, taking for granted that I could always grab one from the nourishment room if I needed to. :eek:

Specializes in Dialysis.

In my purse: Ipod touch, cell phone, wallet, lip balm, feminine products, ibuprofen

In my locker: Binders for various committees, assorted paperwork, stethoscope, bandage scissors, BP cuff

In my lunchbag: yogurt, frozen diet meals, granola bars, possibly leftovers, fruit and a drink

Specializes in ER, progressive care.

I carry a Vera Bradley bag, too :)

* I carry a little storage clipboard...I really just use it that way I have something hard to write on when I take report lol (we do report at the bedside) but I also like to throw in papers and other things for reference, + I keep my iPod in there that has a really nice lab value reference + Micromedex, which is now FREE btw (I already have enough junk in my pockets at work + my personal phone + phones that we are required to have on us at work)

* Because I am still on orientation/probation, I also carry a folder filled with papers that I need to have checked off

* I took a class on vasoactive drips provided by my hospital, and we got a little book with notes...so I carry that with me as well. It has everything based on OUR hospital policies regarding these medications, so it is a good reference.

* IV drug guide...even with Micromedex/Lexicomp (we have the latter on our computers) + drug reference manuals that we can pull up from our EMAR, it is still good to have yet another source. We don't have a 24hr pharmacist at our hospital.

* Manual of Critical Care Nursing book. Amazing.

* Keys & wallet, which go in my locker

* bottle of ibuprofen

* lipbalm!!

* gum

* scissors, tape, hemostat, highlighter, several pens, dry erase marker (so I can write my name on the board)

* some tampons

* bottle of hand sanitizer

* hand lotion

* snacks! usually a granola bar of some type, piece of fruit (usually a banana) and some of those Blue Diamond dark chocolate almonds... :up:

looks like I'm the only one here who carries reference manuals... :lol2: No shame in that, my coworkers are always borrowing them!

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