So, I've started accumulating my items for clinical . . . bandage scissors, stethoscope, clipboard, pen light, different colored pens, sharpie, PDA . . . other stuff I'm forgetting. Don't forget any books I might need!!
So, what do you carry all your stuff in when you go to clinicals?? Is there some neato bag out there for this purpose? I really don't want to go to my first clinical at the hospital carrying my school bag on my back!
Trauma sheers? What's the difference? Are the stronger or sharper? I looked them up and they looked the same......
Traditional Lister bandage scissors are small with metal handles.
I recognize that some modern bandage scissors are essentially interchangible with trauma/utility shears, but the above is what came in our kits and what most people carry.
I have a seperate bag for clinicals. I have all kinds of stuff I may need, down to gum and water, change, post it notes. Everything is handy. Some rotations there is nowhere for us to put bags, so we have to pare down what we bring, but this rotation we have plenty of room so we all lug our bags up to the floor.
I use one of those "storage clipboards." It's a clipboard that has a little clip that you unlatch and it opens and you can throw things inside. I have pockets, but only so many! (and my school prohibits cargo pockets) - so the clipboard really helps. I got mine at Walmart for ~$9 which is cheaper than office supply stores (like Office Max, Office Depot or Staples) - you'll pay at least $15 for a nice one there. Mine also has a solar-powered calculator on the top which really comes in hand when I have to do some math calculations!
Have it too! Same one from WalMart. Dorky me...its even my school color. More important--it works for me. I think I have even found an envious classmate or two looking at it longingly...keep away...:chuckle
Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, Emergency, SAFE.
What gets me is that our instructor expects us to have ALL of our books to research from WHILE we are at clinical. She recommends we bring them all and looks slightly disappointed when she realizes that no one wants to carry all of that all the time. Fundamentals, pharmacology, drug book, Nanda book and MedSurg textbook. Ugh...it kills me, so Ive learned to use www.google.com .
The floors will have some of the reference books, but we're expected to be able to get to the rest on our own.
I don't bring books with me just a few articles and my documents. I carry everything in my backpack because i walk to clinicals in the morning. Ive a locker in the hospital and get change and leave everything else there that i dont need. For my fob watches etc ill either pin them to my uniform the night before or i carry them in a clear lunch bag to keep them in one place. I have a canvas bag that i throw my lunch into to bring it to the wards. Its not a bag i value because so much goes missing and its easily washable. I often see medical students carrying handbags that are jammed with so much they struggle with it!
I usually brought my clipboard, steth, drug book(now I have a pocket sized...not the student one), pens, sissors, sharpies, and a dry erase marker(always wrote my name on pt board so they knew who I was). My last semester, I switched to a binder....MUCH easier to organize.
Have it too! Same one from WalMart. Dorky me...its even my school color. More important--it works for me. I think I have even found an envious classmate or two looking at it longingly...keep away...:chuckle
:chuckle I also have an envious classmate in my clinical that kept staring at it...that clipboard doesn't leave my sight!
I do not bring any books to clinical, either. Just my PDA with the RN Drug book program inside, my scope, scissors, pen, penlight and some money for snack (??? when whe have time...) BUT I leave my bookpack in my car with EVERYTHING on it.. just in case I need something, I can always run to the parking lot and take whatever I need.
I use one of those "storage clipboards." It's a clipboard that has a little clip that you unlatch and it opens and you can throw things inside. I have pockets, but only so many! (and my school prohibits cargo pockets) - so the clipboard really helps. I got mine at Walmart for ~$9 which is cheaper than office supply stores (like Office Max, Office Depot or Staples) - you'll pay at least $15 for a nice one there. Mine also has a solar-powered calculator on the top which really comes in hand when I have to do some math calculations!
I ended up buying a storage clipboard after reading here for a bit.
Mine is bright orange! I figure that way, if I lay it down somewhere it will be easy to find, and people will be less likely to walk away with it. I mean, bright orange clipboard! "Hmmm, I wonder where you picked up that bright orange clipboard that looks ljust ike mine??" You can't hide that you walked off with that!
med-surg clinical companion, nursing diagnosis handbook, drug guide, merck manual, dieseases and taber's all on pda.
pens scissors, mints, water bottle(I freeze water in a small 12 oz gatorade bottle and add crystal light and more water to it during the day).
Clinical folder in hand.
I read somewhere if you have to have ALL the books, get each person in your clinical group to be responsible for bring one of them, and share during the day. That way no one has to break their back toting all of them to clinical.
We're not allowed to bring bags of any kind because theres no where to put them. I just shove everything in my pockets, and so far haven't forgotten anything. I forget about textbooks, because I'm not going to lug those things around. It certainly is a pain...:hdvwl:
Our CI was irritating about bringing books as well. We were not given a place to store bags, but we were required to bring not only our drug book (even though there are some on every unit, plus it's all online), but our assessment book and/or other heavy and expensive texts in every day or she got really angry. There were at most two of us on any given floor/unit at a time, so we couldn't split it up very well. I wrote my name all over my books in HUGE black Sharpie, and I was lucky that none of them walked off. It was annoying because we rarely had time to use them, yet were expected to lug them in every day and leave them unattended in the staff lounge for 6-12 hours at a time. I guess I can't recommend a good bag, our group either carried backpacks or messenger/shoulder bags every day. Nothing fancy. Most of us had storage clipboards as well, mine was always full of paperwork though - no room for supplies.
hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN
1,381 Posts
Traditional Lister bandage scissors are small with metal handles.
I recognize that some modern bandage scissors are essentially interchangible with trauma/utility shears, but the above is what came in our kits and what most people carry.