What do you carry your gear to clinicals in?

[Wannabeeinscrubs]

Right now my gear is just loose in my backpack, the last thing I want to do is jack it up. Have you found a safer, better way to carry it? Do they make bags just for BP cuff, stethoscope, pen light, ect?

[zoe92]

What kind of hospitals are you all doing clinicals in that you need to BRING your own BP cuff? What on earth? Every hospital that I did clinicals at had automated BP cuffs attached to every monitor at every bedside.

I am not carrying my cuff with me to clinical. The cuff was in the bag because that is how my school packaged it when I got my stuff.

My clinical site is a small non traditional assisted living facility so it is no hospital. Our instructor told us today they do not have hand sanitizer or stethoscopes in every room. If we want to use hand sanitizer at all, we must bring it.

[randill8084]

We are only allowed to bring a folder with our neccessary papers, stethoscope, and B/P cuff, so I stick my penlight, etc. in my b/p cuff bag

[Heliantus]

This is my first semester, and my clinical is at a nursing home. They want us to bring our own stethoscopes and blood cuffs, simply because they a) don't have enough lying around b) want us to practice manually and not use automatics. I have a cheap bag that I put my things in such as care plans, a nurse pocket Guide, I keep everything with me at all times. We also don't have lockers, so I do not bring anything extra.

[Stephalump]

Stuff gets stolen all the time Lord knows why these people want to bring all this gear. With a lot of hospitals they have hand sanitizer EVERYWHERE and cheap stethoscopes lying around that you can use (obv sterilize first). Seriously just bring some pens (they disappear a lot), shift sheet, lunch and maybe a stethoscope and you are golden. Just throw your lunch in a plastic sack and label it with a sticky note. Too easy, anything else you need the floor has. When I was in the ED I acquired probably 20 trauma shears over time [/quote']

I guess it depends on your clinical instructor. I used to roll in with my stethoscope, a piece of paper, and a pen all in my pockets and that's it.

Then I changed clinical instructors and got in trouble for "not being prepared." So now I have to bring a bunch of extra junk. (The iPad is so I don't have to bring my books.)

[i♥words]

I'm only allowed to bring what I can carry on my person plus a clipboard. I can bring lunch, but the possibility of it "disappearing" is very real.

[letsbefriends]

A fanny pack

[springchick1, ADN, RN]

If it can't fit in my clipboard or my pockets, it is staying at home.

[AZirish]

One of the clipboards that open to hold paperwork..... to hold your pen and care plan paperwork. Put your money, drivers license, etc in your badge holder. No need for a cuff. Put your stethoscope around your neck or in your pocket. If you use a drug book or nursing diagnosis book for your care plans, put it in a simple backpack that no one will mind behind the nurses station.

[NICUmiiki, DNP, NP]

I guess it depends on your clinical instructor. I used to roll in with my stethoscope a piece of paper, and a pen all in my pockets and that's it. Then I changed clinical instructors and got in trouble for "not being prepared." So now I have to bring a bunch of extra junk. (The iPad is so I don't have to bring my books.)[/quote']

I don't need any books at clinical. We have pre-clinical, and we do everything that requires the book the night before. There just isn't that much to being with me.

[cnoto34]

A fanny pack

Im dreading this lol my school requires us to buy one. They use it because we can't keep anything in pockets??

[WoundedBird]

I have been using a Vera Bradley messenger bag I've had for a long time but will be switching to a tote from Thirty-one because we have exams in one of our classes after Wednesday clinicals and I need more room for my textbook (1800 pg) and a change of clothes just incase since the messenger only holds my clipboard, notebook (maybe a second one), and my supplies (stethoscope, pen light, pens, scissors, and the leftover tape and alcohol wipes I have). I tried bringing my normal backpack to clinicals, but that was too massive.

[christina731]

Everything that I need (stethoscope, pens, sharpie, pen light, bandage scissors, goggles, alcohol preps) goes in my pockets. I carry a clipboard with my paperwork that stays outside of the patient rooms at a computer. I also bring lunch but that has been safe in the break room so far. Money/ID/credit card/cell phone/car key go in designated pants pocket that I don't touch during the day. We had to carry around a BP cuff for 1st semester LTC clinical because they did not have automated vital sign machines. At rehab and med/surg they have had those machines so we no longer need cuffs. And they are a huge infection control risk. And half the time patients are on isolation on my med/surg unit so they have disposable stethoscopes for us to use.