buying a pulse ox of my own?

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I am completing my school preceptorship on the same floor where I currently work as an aide and will be working as a nurse. We are a telemetry step-down unit. The floor has the same problem as apparantly every other floor in the hospital - there is never a pulse ox around when you need it. I did clinicals on one floor where they said they hadn't had a pulse ox for over a week because it had just gone MIA so when they needed it they called respiratory to come check it. My floor has never been that bad, you just spend forever trying to track down who has it or what patient room it was left in. Everybody tries to be the first one to get it in the morning so they can get assessments done. My Patient Care Coordinator has her own finger one and I love it! She lets people borrow it occassionally and everybody knows that it MUST end up back in her pocket. I am considering buying my own with the PELL grant check I will get at the end of the month. I am through with school and have this check and 1 more that don't need to go to tuition but I would like to put them towards my nursing career. I found some good prices on eBay for new ones.

I'm just wondering if anybody else has their own pulse ox and what experiences have been like. I don't want to have everyone borrowing it all the time so I would probably just get it and not tell anyone (of course someone would eventually see me using it!)

Purchasing your own Pulse Oximeter for patient care in the hospital...I would recommend checking with your supervisor, AND biomed first. Some hospitals have specific requirements for equipment used. One of those requirement being that you use hospital equipment on hospital patients. Liability issues, etc...

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I'm a student, and one annoying thing I've noticed is that there's like one pulse ox that no one can find and like two bp machines and thermometers for the whole floor. I don't like having to spend twenty min looking for those items when I can use that time actually assessing pts. Once I graduate, I'm def buying my own pulse ox, therm, and manual bp cuff so I can get my job done, and not be fishing around for stuff. Yeah hospitals and nursing homes have enough $$ to purchase ENOUGH of these items for their staff, but whatever. I have a job to do. The items are not that expensive and I don't mind purchasing some of my own stuff if it means making my job a heck of a lot easier.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Pulse oximeters are not calibrated except for in the factory, it's not even possible to calibrate them after manufacture.

I'm not following the line of logic that you are liable if you use any of your diagnostic equipment, am I the only one that uses my own stethoscope?

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.
... I have a job to do. The items are not that expensive and I don't mind purchasing some of my own stuff if it means making my job a heck of a lot easier.

Guarantee you'll do well after graduation. Great attitude!

I've got all the items you've mentioned and more. Useful at work, for yourself, family, and at any other side gigs you choose.

Suggest the thermometer used at the facility where you'll be working so the probe covers are not out-of-pocket for you.

Also that the oximeter employ "normal" batteries... some require exotic / expensive cells.

Good luck!

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Thanks "Havin a party." I'm optimistic about graduation

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I'm in my 2nd clinical rotation and I find myself doing more "fishing" than assessing, and it irritates the crap out of me!! I'm planning to buy my own BP cuff, thermometer, and pulse ox upon graduation. At the nursing home I'm at now, they have 2 (hard to find on the floor) little pulse ox machines that are a little bigger than a mini stapler. My plan is to buy my own stuff, and not tell anyone what I have because that would defeat the whole purpose. Before you know it, it'll grow legs and walk away. If you are in a closed pt room assessing, you should be able to successfully hide the fact that you have your own stuff. The pulse ox should definitely be easy to hide. Best wishes!

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I am completing my school preceptorship on the same floor where I currently work as an aide and will be working as a nurse. We are a telemetry step-down unit. The floor has the same problem as apparantly every other floor in the hospital - there is never a pulse ox around when you need it. I did clinicals on one floor where they said they hadn't had a pulse ox for over a week because it had just gone MIA so when they needed it they called respiratory to come check it. My floor has never been that bad, you just spend forever trying to track down who has it or what patient room it was left in. Everybody tries to be the first one to get it in the morning so they can get assessments done. My Patient Care Coordinator has her own finger one and I love it! She lets people borrow it occassionally and everybody knows that it MUST end up back in her pocket. I am considering buying my own with the PELL grant check I will get at the end of the month. I am through with school and have this check and 1 more that don't need to go to tuition but I would like to put them towards my nursing career. I found some good prices on eBay for new ones.

I'm just wondering if anybody else has their own pulse ox and what experiences have been like. I don't want to have everyone borrowing it all the time so I would probably just get it and not tell anyone (of course someone would eventually see me using it!)

Just don't tell anyone. Everyone's gonna want to borrow (and not return.) Before you know it, you'll have defeated the whole point of buying your own stuff. The little pulse ox will be easy to keep in your pocket, and not expensive. I would go with a good quality one though. You don't want it dying on you. I'm planning to buy my own stuff upon graduation as well. After all, you have your OWN stethoscope. Best wishes :)

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.
... pulse ox... go with a good quality one...

FWIW, Nonin is a respected product.

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:yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat:

i can't even imagine spending hundreds of dollars on a pulse ox because the hospital refuses to provide one??? i worked at a county medical center, translation: poor hospital. we still had the supplies we needed. maybe not the most state of the art supplies, but certainly adequate. i bought my own stethoscope but thats it.

there are many portable pulse ox machines (no bigger than a mini stapler) that do not cost hundreds. the nursing home i'm currently doing clinicals at has one. key word being one. lol. but anyway, you can get one for $30-$70 bucks that's probably just as good as a high end one. the one at my facility doesn't look expensive at all. and i get so ****** at the fact that there aren't enought bp cuffs, pulse ox's, etc. i'm def buying my own after graduation. it's like having your own steth. it makes you job way easier, saves time, and your def not shelling out hundreds at all. :twocents:

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