Nursing School Bag - Vera Bradley

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Hi,

I am doing my last semester for pre-reqs and wanted to get a VB bag to use for this semester, nursing school, and then hopefully to be able to use while working as my work bag. I'm looking at the 'Get Carried Away tote' and the 'Weekender'. Has anyone seen these in person (or have them) and, if so, which would you think is better for nursing school, especially to hold all the books and supplies I'll need?

Get Carried Away: http://www.verabradley.com/catalog/search.cmd?form_state=searchForm&keyword=get+carried+away&x=0&y=0

Weekender: http://www.verabradley.com/product/Weekender/1001684.uts

Thanks!

Hahaa no they aren't typically, just name brands like Vera Bradley who take advantage of people. However, they're a lot bigger than they look! And they have tons of pockets on the inside, great for organizing all the stuff that is girls feel the need to carry around.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

I have the Get Carried Away Tote, and although I have a lot of books for my first semester, I doubt I'll be lugging it around. It's definitely a great bag to use for vacation though! I will be using Vera, instead. Luckily I have both of my main lectures (Health Assessment and Foundations/Fundamentals) on the same day, so I won't have to carry the books often. I downloaded my Fundamentals book onto my iPad for easy reference during the rest of the week.

VB has sturdy bags, though. They last awhile, so even after nursing school (or during), you'll get a lot of use from them! :-)

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You should get the get carried away bag! I don't like vera bradley or anything but I feel I share the same excitement as you when it comes to getting a new bag (when I was in nursing school for lectures my bag was a fake me out louis vuitton bag and for clinicals mine was just a regular black tote but towards the end of nursing school I learned to not carry anything around) that is stylish yet functional since you will be stuck with the bag for a few years. :)

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Specializes in PACU, presurgical testing.

Amazing how things have already changed in the 3-ish years since I started nursing school! I bought a Swiss Army backpack designed for holding a laptop and was able to take along all the texts, binders, and supplies I needed. Can't even imagine being able to carry a VB bag of any kind given the weight it would have to support, especially walking the 15 minutes to and from the parking lot every day! But textbooks on your iPad--that's SWEET.

For work now, I just carry a plain canvas bag (maybe 10x12x2?) that I can cram into my locker and transport a folder and some snacks in addition to steth, wallet, and phone. No big deal since it is hidden all day; I put all my money and creative "fun" into my shoes instead! :)

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Those are cute as can be, but I would seriously wonder if they can stand up the demands you're going to be placing on them---nursing books are freaking heavy!!! Use your GC to buy a nice wallet or lunch bag =)

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I am a guy and am just wondering.. are 'totes' always this expensive? $100 for a bag that looks like it could hold 2 textbooks at the most? That's insane.

I think I spent like $15 on my backpack and it carries what I need it to and more.

No. I bought an awesome bag from 31 for $15 bucks. But for school, I use a backpack. But I'm also cheap and hate shopping so I think spending $100 on a bag or purse or whatever is crazy.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Oncology, Epic CT.

I had asked this same question a few months ago before I started my 1st semester of nursing core classes. One of the members suggested to me the Olympia Rolling Shopper Tote. I am now in my 13th week of the semester and it has not failed me yet! It fits practically EVERYTHING. The only time I do -not- take it is on clinicals. I carry a smaller, back up messenger bag.

Another plus is that the Olympia Rolling Shopper Tote is within a fair price range of $25-$30 dollars. There are also rolling backpacks if you prefer those as well. Also, they are durable. Mine has gone through a beating and it still works!

Good luck with your search. :)

P.S. Here is a link to help you get started: http://www.amazon.com/Olympia-Rolling-Shopper-Black-Size/dp/B002GOJZCC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375073841&sr=8-1&keywords=olympia+roller+bag

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I love Vera!!!

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Vera also makes backpacks ya know. ;)

I got the Vera tote on clearance from the outlets a while back. I got it as a beach bag/catch all and it turned out to also be perfect for me for school. So many pockets! And it's the perfect size for my binder, psych textbook and a few notepads. Not stuffed...just right. I don't have to carry a bunch of textbooks to class. It definitely wouldn't work if I did. If I were you, I would find out if you have to carry all your books or not before I used my GC and coupons. Some colleges make you bring them all, some don't. :) And I agree with everyone else about the get carried away tote. It is HUGE. So much bigger than it seems online! I think it would be awkward and too heavy if it were full of books.

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My Vera was my faithful friend all through nursing school. It made me happy and I got a lot of compliments on it! The print I got coordinated so nice with my royal blue scrubs. Go for it! You should have a bag you really like.

I would suggest something like the first one that is open at the top with shoulder straps. But that one would have been too big for me; I used the "Vera" style bag. Lots of interior pockets for organization. I think a Vera Bradley backpack would work well, too, but I love the totes. Good luck.

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I'd personally recommend the Sandpiper Co. bags. Those things are heavy duty and last through the abuse of 50+ pounds. My boyfriend uses the bag to travel on the motorcycle for light groceries.

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I've worked with 2 nurses that had VB bags that were stolen and well as a North Face or whatever it's called coat. I wouldn't buy anything of value for work or school.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

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