Useful stuff for clinicals?

[FNPhopeful]

I am in Fundamentals and we are transitioning to the hospital this week. We have to do drug cards and besides that just bring ourselves. Anyone have any tips on what to be prepared with? I was thinking of making disease/condition cards as well with common things like pneumonia, stroke, COPD, and their signs/symptoms to have on me as well.

Or are we just gonna be giving bed baths? Im pretty sure the first thing were gonna do is start passing meds? Any tips for that? I just wanna get there prepared.....Im already scared out of my mind, Id feel better if I at least know what the instructor was talking about!

[WDWpixieRN, RN]

We just did vitals, assessments, baths, bedmaking...we can't do meds until we pass that in checkoffs!!

Because we can't bring our purses in, I brought some cash, lip gloss & lotion (I dry out easily), a pen, a small notepad, and of course, my car keys to all stash in my purse. In addition, obviously we needed our stethoscopes and a penlight.

We aren't doing drug cards for another week or so, but we will then be expected to bring our Drug Guide with us to reference when we start passing meds.

Good luck!

[Quailfeathers]

So far all I need for clinicals are my steth & cuff, black,red, and highlighter pens, pen light, our drug book, and I also started to take a clip board. The is now looking into small waist purses/bags (similar to the fanny-packs). I also have with me a small spiral note pad; the back of the notepad I typed up "notes" for a quick reminder of cath. and NG tube insertion and will add more as I go.

Starting my second quarter of clinicals shortly. Looking forward to doing skin care/wounds/irrigation etc. I assume what I bring at clinicals will change and/or expand as I go. I love it!

Good luck... you're be great!

[Achoo!, LPN]

I keep a tiny notebook in my pocket for jotting down info, a penlight, and a few alcohol wipes.

[Bonny619]

Remember your scissors, I use them for hard to open PO meds, also when you get on the floor in the morning I grab a few alcohol pads and put them in my pocket.

[fleur-de-lis, BSN, RN]

We have alot of paperwork, so our instructor recommends a clipboard. I found an awesome one at staples - it is plastic and opens up to a binder inside! I put all my notes, checkoff sheets, med sheets etc in the binder part and it also has room for extra pens, hilighters, etc. LOVE IT!

[MIA-RN1, RN]

i brought a clipboard that folded closed like a folder, I kept info on my patient on the clip part and notes and stuff on the folder side. I had my drug book, diagnosis book and usually someone would bring a patho book. I also had tums, immodium, tylenol, and cash for lunch. A bottle of water, a small notebook for my pocket, two or three black pens and my stethoscope.

I would make a disease/condition card on your patient and then keep it with you and the next week add one for your next patient etc.

[Momto3andNurse2B]

For me, it has depended on the rotation. For most of them, I have brought stethoscope, penlight, at least 2 black pens, a red pen (makes it easier to see when you note changes in a pt's status), a black Sharpie (for writing things that need to be visible, like IV tubing and bag labels, etc.), scissors (really come in handy sometimes), hemostat, small notebook, some money for lunch, breath mints. Once I get there, I usually try to keep alcohol wipes and tape on me, too.

Thank goodness for scrubs with lots of pockets!