So I've noticed an interesting phenomenon lately. Our unit regularly gets students of various kinds - nursing, EMT, APN, etc. The nursing and EMT students sit in on report. Because they come to the unit often looking lost and uncomfortable and out of place, I try to do my best to get them oriented and comfortable. Explain the report, give them a report sheet and a clipboard and a place to sit.
But one thing I've noticed is that almost always, they don't have a freaking PEN!! I've snapped at a few of them, "Rule number one...ALWAYS have a pen on you!"
Yesterday my charge nurse pointed out that since everything is on the computer, they probably rarely need/use pens. I kind of had an "Oh ****!" moment. Is she right?? Is it actually possible to get through your day as a nurse without needing to carry a pen (or 2 or 4) in your pocket nowadays?
When I worked acute care I would pick up a pen to write with (I would have pens in my scrub pocket) and then that pen would inadvertently be deposited into my pocket too. If a nurse couldn't find his/her pen they would come to me and make me empty my pockets. I wouldn't even remember putting the pen into my pocket.
If that makes you a crusty old bat, then call me a 32 year old crusty old bat! I would have snapped the same thing at them, even with EMRs it's just prudent to have a pen on your person. I regularly keep 1 or 2, plus a pencil, in my purse, and my work bag always has several.
They should also just understand that if they're going to join the nurse club, nurses in general are pen fiends. PENS ARE AWESOME!!! I bought a pack of multi-colored gel pens from Costco a few weeks ago because my husband saw me ogling them from the checkout line with starry eyes and said "Just get the pens, you know you'll use them!"
I'm going to add that when I attended orientation for my RN program, I was HORRIFIED by the number of people who didn't have a pen or notebook. Based on our tuition, I *kinda* thought we'd be given a portfolio and pen, maybe knock off Cinnabon, but I've been to enough crappy conferences that I don't count on it.
I'm a student and I always have a pen!! One of the first things my professor told us to do was carry at least 2-3 pens because you'll be lucky if you end the shift with all of them :)
I carry 2 different types of 4 color pens, a plain black pen, a sharpie, and a highlighter. Why? No clue. I have no system. I don't think I've ever highlighted anything. Apparently, I have some sort of pen lacking phobia.
But really, if a bunch of nursing students don't show up with at least one pen, that's kinda on their instructor (at least for the first time - really, students don't know. If you told them to bring a protractor, they would).
I'm a brand new nurse, as well as a PCT of 3 years during school and I always had/have/needed a pen. And not just any pen, a tri-colored pen. My first day of my PCT job I forgot a pen because I didn't think to bring one, but that's it.
THIS! A thousand times this! I've been working before when the entire hospital system crashed right in the middle of the day- talk about a massive mess. The system was down for hours and hours and it took us days to recover.
cardiacfreak, ADN
742 Posts
My name is cardiacfreak, and I am a pen thief.
When I worked acute care I would pick up a pen to write with (I would have pens in my scrub pocket) and then that pen would inadvertently be deposited into my pocket too. If a nurse couldn't find his/her pen they would come to me and make me empty my pockets. I wouldn't even remember putting the pen into my pocket.