Top 10 Nursing Supplies

[JenLahaye]

I start school in August. What would be your top ten things to buy before school starts in relation to school supplies. Not nursing essentials like BP cuff etc...just for studying and organization purposes. Thanks y'all :)

[Jennybrie]

Monthly planner, paper and ink (for the millionth time), multicolored pens, highlighters, very strong coffee, note cards, binders to stay organized and drink of choice to unwind and relax

[EaglesWings21, ASN, RN]

I agree with the dry erase marker.. At my location they are never in the room and you should be writing your name on their white board. You can also write other things such as their last blood sugar etc.. You will settle into your own rhythm once you get going. We are not allowed to have smartphones and I get along just fine w/o them. I have a few books that I always keep with me such as my drug book, lab book, and nursing diagnoses book. I also get on the internet at clinical and look up drugs on occasion on drugguide.com or if you have access to ATI you can look them up on that also.

Good luck! When I started nursing school everyone was saying it takes over your life. I was like ok whatevs... but YEAH it does!!

[maddiem]

A good college planner (not the cheap ones you get a dollar store!)

high lighters

Pens that you like

Cheap pens for the Bermuda triangle sitting next to you (aka your fellow unprepared student) get use to it, it is a common nursing phenomenon!

pencils that you like

cheap pencils for the Bermuda triangle (same reason as the pens)

several thumb drives for the gremlins that like to hide them like the Easter bunny likes to hide eggs! (Lord knows you wouldn't loose them *looks sheepishly to one side*)

good water bottel (classes can go forever without a break!)

Coffee (again for those classes that go on forever without a break)

XL bladder (to hold all the water and coffee you drank while trying to keep awake in those classes that go on forever without a break!)

Bermuda Triangle....haha! That's a good one! :)

[JenLahaye]

I laughed pretty good with the Bermuda Triangle comment. Thanks everyone. Great suggestions.

[ER(notso)n00b, ASN, RN]

Good quality binders (a new one for each class), a few decent basic calculators (the $1 ones always break on me, the $5 Casios seem to work the best), lots of pens and pencils, lots of printer paper and ink, whatever study guides help you learn the material, and I personally cannot live without my ipad. My instructors post a ton of case studies and articles and I just view them on the ipad, saves me a ton on ink! And makes them easily accessible anytime.

[dang08]

Great post!

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

A bottle of Tylenol or ibuprofen.

[bcopeland80]

A decent stethoscope, paper, ink, pens, pencils, highlighters, pen light, a few decent binders, a ton of tylenol (yes for the headache), and a partridge in a pear tree...

[christina731]

I would say ditto on the good stethoscope. I have a Littman II SE and it's great. I actually had to use a cheap one in clinical today instead of mine because the patient was on contact precautions and I couldn't hear a thing! I just hope I didn't miss anything! I would also recommend a laser printer. I found a decent Samsung one at Fry's Electronics for $40. The toner cartridges are about $60 but they will last about 2000 pages. I find it better than an inkjet printer because you don't have to change the ink so often and it prints much quicker (like 25 pages/min). And the toner won't smear if you highlight it.

[JenLahaye]

Great advice. I am so nervous. We have orientation on Monday and I am super excited to figure out everything we need. I might have to make a Office Depot trip ASAP!! I'm even excited about our scrubs.

[smcguffie]

iPhone and/or iPad, apps (Box [document cloud], Quizlet, Littman SoundBuilder, Pharm Phlash), ONE binder w/ sections for each class (I always have all my notes in case of overlapping/schedule change), pocket protector, Nike Air Max.

[MeganLMillman]

I am hoping to be starting in the fall and this list is great, thank you to all that have contributed to it! Good Luck to all that will be starting a new chapter in their life!