Nurse Survivalist

Clementia · Mar 29, 2014

Hmmm...

Big plastic garbage bags (emergency ponchos/shelter/storage, etc.)

Isolation gowns, to keep me warm and shield me from spattering blood and gore.

Masks to filter out the toxins floating in the tainted air.

Blankets.

Bottles of irrigation solution-- sterile water and saline. (Sealed bottles -- they'll stay clean until I need them for drinking water.)

IV tubing. (Tie things down, stake things out.)

Styrofoam cups. (You can boil water in these, if you know what you're doing.)

Scissors/scalpels, the larger the better. (Never, never travel without a knife.)

Rubber gloves. (Emergency water carriers.)

Basic meds from Pyxis. (Tylenol, antibiotics, narcs to trade for food.)

Bandages and basic first aid supplies, of course.

Toothbrush, comb, basic toiletries. Extra socks.

Packaged and canned food from the patient kitchenette.

Playing cards, to take my mind off the grim realities of survival.

Phone book from a patient nightstand. (Tinder.)

Glass disc from the face of the manual sphygmomanometer. (I'll use it as a burning glass to start a fire with.)

Hand sanitizer. (For sanitizing. Also, alcohol burns hot.)

Needles, roll bandages, and sterile clear dressings to use as fasteners.

A weapon might pose a problem. If I'm going to get creative, perhaps I'll rig up a blow gun from drinking straws and shoot needles into my enemies' eyes. If I'm going to be predictable yet effective, I'll steal a crutch from the supply room and use it as a club.

Actually, an even better club would be a length of traction bar from one of the orthopedic beds.

This is fun! Can I take along an annoying family member/visitor to use as zombie bait?

heyliss · Mar 29, 2014

Hmmm... Big plastic garbage bags (emergency ponchos/shelter/storage etc.) Isolation gowns, to keep me warm and shield me from spattering blood and gore. Masks to filter out the toxins floating in the tainted air. Blankets. Bottles of irrigation solution-- sterile water and saline. (Sealed bottles -- they'll stay clean until I need them for drinking water.) IV tubing. (Tie things down, stake things out.) Styrofoam cups. (You can boil water in these, if you know what you're doing.) Scissors/scalpels, the larger the better. (Never, never travel without a knife.) Rubber gloves. (Emergency water carriers.) Basic meds from Pyxis. (Tylenol, antibiotics, narcs to trade for food.) Bandages and basic first aid supplies, of course. Toothbrush, comb, basic toiletries. Extra socks. Packaged and canned food from the patient kitchenette. Playing cards, to take my mind off the grim realities of survival. Phone book from a patient nightstand. (Tinder.) Glass disc from the face of the manual sphygmomanometer. (I'll use it as a burning glass to start a fire with.) Hand sanitizer. (For sanitizing. Also, alcohol burns hot.) Needles, roll bandages, and sterile clear dressings to use as fasteners. A weapon might pose a problem. If I'm going to get creative, perhaps I'll rig up a blow gun from drinking straws and shoot needles into my enemies' eyes. If I'm going to be predictable yet effective, I'll steal a crutch from the supply room and use it as a club. Actually, an even better club would be a length of traction bar from one of the orthopedic beds. This is fun! Can I take along an annoying family member/visitor to use as zombie bait?[/quote']
Looks like you've thought about this before!

Clovery · Mar 29, 2014

Looks like you've thought about this before!

Totally. Great answer, Clementia. I've entertained the idea a few times but never thought of the glass from the sphygmomanometer - that's smart! How do you boil water in a styrofoam cup (without a microwave)? Love love love the zombie bait idea :devil:

I think a rectal tube would make a nice siphon. I'm not sure about how I would make a weapon. I was imagining fashioning some kind of trident-like spear out of an IV pole. Maybe I could preload irrigation syringes with barely diluted vancomycin and spray it in the enemy's eyes. For food my unit is pretty limited. I'd probably grab all the Ensure and then maybe some bags of tube feeding, and all the crackers I could find.

applewhitern, BSN, RN · Mar 30, 2014

Someone has been watching my favorite show, The Walking Dead!

UnaNayeli · Mar 30, 2014

ONE item? The on-call emergency schedule WITHOUT my own name!

kakamegamama · Mar 30, 2014

Hmmm......my cell phone/android, on which I would text my fellow survivors with the audio feature turned on so that every time I hit a letter the "beep" would drive the enemy insane & they would go running and screaming off to bother some other person elsewhere, or decide being a zombie isn't really worth it so they would just go ahead and die die (can zombies actually die?). In addition to texting with the audio feature on, I'm sure a certain candy game's music would serve a similar purpose. So, I would probably do quite alright.

nursefrances, BSN, RN · Mar 30, 2014

Looks like you've thought about this before!

Yeah, I think I'm hanging out with Clementia but I REFUSE to be zombie bait. :cautious:

Clementia · Mar 30, 2014

How do you boil water in a styrofoam cup (without a microwave)?

You get a fire going, then push aside some of the burning wood so you have a clear spot next to the fire. Fill the Styrofoam cup almost to the brim with water, then set it in the clear spot you've created. The water in the cup will keep the Styrofoam from burning (although the rim above the water will melt) and when the water is hot you just coax the cup out of the fire with tongs or a cunningly handled stick, and drop in your tea bag.

nursefrances, BSN, RN · Mar 30, 2014

If we swing by the surgery dept. we can get some good metal bowls to boil water. And they have staple guns, saws and power tools for weapons. :up:

Hey, I may have Minnie Mouse as my avatar but I will jump in on kicking some zombie butt! :mask:

vianne · Mar 31, 2014

Ahhh I meet all of these people ("hostile humans/zombies/animals/aliens") on a daily basis in my workplace thought it was just me, but its the apocalypse you say ? thanks....

PaxRN · Apr 5, 2014

How fun! For a weapon I would take 3 32f (or the largest gauge I could find) chest tube needles hold them together and wrap the end with foam tape to secure together and give a good grip. For supplies I would focus on sterile water, nutrient rich drinks, ace wraps for securing varies things, love the idea of iv tubing for tying things down, all the analgesics/antipyretics/antibiotics I could carry, a basin as a carrier, foley drainage tubing to siphon gas, scalpels, alcohol wipes as fire starters (would this work??), sterile drapes for rain/blankets....how big is my backpack? Haha...great thread!