so i recently went from a big city, teaching hospital where i was spoiled with, among other things, the latest equipment/machines, pcas, iv team, etc...and best of all
endless pen supplies for staff. :heartbeat
at my new small, dingy, community hospital - under the same health authority as above - the hospital is old, the equipment is old, pcas are available once in a blue moon, iv teams are unheard of, and everyone hoards whatever pen they have with their lives. you leave it unattended for 5 seconds and its gone.
most of my day is hunting for stupid pens. just today i lost three! three. i have no idea why the hospital does not supply it. it's not the price of the pens i'm upset about - i could get a dozen from the dollar store for a buck - but considering how much charting we do in a shift [] i really can't afford to waste precious time looking for **** pens all day.
anyway - i hope some of you can relate to how annoying this is. i just finished a night shift and instead of enjoying my cozy bed, i'm online trying to figure out how i can stop losing my darn pens and this is what i found:
pens with attached clips
have any of ever used them? the reviews i found were that they were cheap and broke easily. i shall keep on searching though until solve this problem of mine.
Confession, I have over a billion pens in my possession, most have come from folks like you:). I am a pen thief. I don't do it on purpose... If you send your name and address, I will share the wealth. Peace!
Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.
I tend to find as many pens as I lose, but not on the same days...
I've used the pens that are attached to a cord you hang round your neck. I like them and find they work well and don't fall apart or otherwise wreak havoc with my charting.
I started every shift with 2 or 3 pens in my pocket, and spares in my locker. Most of the time I would make it through the shift with at least 1 pen still in my pocket at the end but if not, I had my backup supply. I bought the cheapest ones I could find that had the retractable tip, not caps, since caps would fall off and get lost.
i buy my own pens and either hook them over my badge lanyard or keep them in my pocket. when i had a pony tail or a bun, i'd end up with one or two pens sticking through the hair . . . good place to keep them! i keep track of them, rarely lose one, and don't understand the big deal. pens are cheap. buy your own . . . you can even order them with your name imprinted on them. you'd still have to keep track of them, but at least when someone else picked up the one you were using, you'd be able to prove it was yours.
obviously you are not addicted to pens!! looking for the perfect pen is a lesson each nurse learns. it must fit comfortably in your hand, must prevent hand cramping when charting and be the correct color. on occasion you find this perfect pen, when you do it's a fight to ensure it is never "borrowed" as it will probably never be returned. i personally carry 2 of my favorite pens (kept in my pockets), and a box of "give away" pens for those who never seem to have thier own. i have often seen others staring at my favorite pens as i write, i know they will take them if left unguarded. beware the pen thiefs!! they are out there and are coming for yours!!!!!
Obviously you are not addicted to pens!! Looking for the perfect pen is a lesson each Nurse learns. It must fit comfortably in your hand, must prevent hand cramping when charting and be the correct color. On occasion you find this perfect pen, when you do it's a fight to ensure it is never "borrowed" as it will probably never be returned. I personally carry 2 of my favorite pens (kept in my pockets), and a box of "give away" pens for those who never seem to have thier own. I have often seen others staring at my favorite pens as I write, I know they will take them if left unguarded. Beware the Pen Thiefs!! They are out there and are coming for yours!!!!!
A nurse who understands my pain!!!!
Unfortunately though, in our pen starved unit/hospital, even the cheap ones are gold to pen thieves
Confession, I have over a billion pens in my possession, most have come from folks like you:). I am a pen thief. I don't do it on purpose... If you send your name and address, I will share the wealth. Peace!
How about YOU send me your name and address and I will send you my thoughts? *shaking fist*
You'd appreciate Jerry Seinfeld's bit about escaping socks... (yeah I'm obsesed with him a little bit!)
"The dryer is their only chance to escape and they all know it... they plan it out in the hamper the night before: Tomorrow - the dryer - I'm going! You wait here! They get buttons sewn on their face, join a puppet show..."
This reminds me of a joke about pen's Here we go...
Planning to cash her paycheck, a nurse walks into a bank. She reaches into her pocket to pull out a pen to sign her check.
Instead of a pen, she finds she has pulled out a rectal thermometer from the pocket. She looks at the rectal thermometer in complete shock. "Oh no!" she states in disbelief. "Some ***hole has my pen!"
HaHaHa there you go so the next time you go searching for a pen think of this... Anthony
Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
With cutbacks,lay offs and the economy currently a Dnr i am surprised that any employer still provides pens. I am going into a fourth year with no raise. I am lucky to get toilet paper ar work. You can claim your uniforms,shoes and supplies on your taxes. And the lord gave us earlobes to hold things like pens.i don,t like lanyards and clips because they are too hard to clean
Of course there is the other end of the spectrum. The days where I can't find a pen to save my life and the days I end up with 10 in my pocket. I have learned to empty my pockets before I leave but I still end up with pens beside my bed, in the car, in the laundry room.... Every once in a while I do a pen round up and take them back to work. We did have manager complain once about how many pens we go through on a monthly basis, the number was astromonical. I agree, they must be where all the missing socks are.
] i really can't afford to waste precious time looking for **** pens all day.
Chin up
694 Posts
Confession, I have over a billion pens in my possession, most have come from folks like you:). I am a pen thief. I don't do it on purpose... If you send your name and address, I will share the wealth. Peace!