How do you guys carry your stuff at Clincal?

coast2coast · Jan 18, 2011

We aren't allowed to bring anything to clinicals that we can't really tote around in our scrubs. It's kind of tough w/everything we use though!
I don't bring my car to school (I share w/my husband) - so I have to bring essentials like my cell phone, inhaler, ipod touch (required), scissors, hemostats, penlight, hand sanitizer, pen, notebook, chapstick, and some cough drops as well as a BP cuff.
I have 4 pockets and they're stuffed and totally weigh my pants down! Do any of you have a similar issue? I've heard the clipboards with the storage compartment are good - but we aren't really supposed to bring anything into patient's rooms (or at least we weren't in the nursing home setting).
Help!? :)

I would ditch the phone, scissors, hemostats, penlight, sanitizer, notebook, chapstick, coughdrops, and BP cuff. clinical sites will have the hardware that you need ... and it will be cleaner than personal items that you carry from place to place. instead of a notebook you can use one piece of paper.

are you sick? i'm thinking most clinical instructors will not be impressed with a student mouthing cough drops (not much different from gum). drug yourself til you don't appear to be dying of ebola and off you go :smokin:

kk83 · Jan 18, 2011

Seriously? Thanks for the response, but - not so helpful.

We are advised to bring all of the items with us (besides the few small personal items I need such as cough drops, chapstick, and a mini bottle of sanitizer). We are told to bring these items because there are nurses working the floor using the sites items and also 10 students clamoring for them. So for efficiency's sake - we're to bring our own.

I'm never sick when I go to clinicals. At times, I have a very dry throat in the cold, dry environment where I live. So I either bring a cough drop or other small hard candy to ease the tickle in my throat instead of it blowing into a huge coughing attack - since clearly bringing a water bottle isn't really all that easy to do.

I know the rules on gum and checked with my instructors first before bringing anything with me to be sure it wasn't against policy.

pinkfluffybunny · Jan 18, 2011

It was mandatory that we have all our supplies with us during clinicals. I would put my scissor, penlight chapstick, pens, a very small notebook, along with the my i touch in a small plastic pencil carrier with a zipper. Keeps things together and it's water proof. Body fluids and an iTouch don't mix. If you don't need the phone leave it in the car and use the units phone to call your husband for pickups. You don't have a car so you can't leave if there's an emergency anyway. Hubby has to step up.

Try to stay away from clipboards. People end up leaving folders and clipboards all over the place. This is going to put you at risk for violating HIPAA. I hope this helps.

kk83 · Jan 18, 2011

It was mandatory that we have all our supplies with us during clinicals. I would put my scissor, penlight chapstick, pens, a very small notebook, along with the my i touch in a small plastic pencil carrier with a zipper. Keeps things together and it's water proof. Body fluids and an iTouch don't mix. If you don't need the phone leave it in the car and use the units phone to call your husband for pickups. You don't have a car so you can't leave if there's an emergency anyway. Hubby has to step up.
Try to stay away from clipboards. People end up leaving folders and clipboards all over the place. This is going to put you at risk for violating HIPAA. I hope this helps.

Thanks - that's helpful. It's been tough to not have any place to put any personal items especially when we have to bring large packets of handouts, but we aren't supposed to leave them anywhere or bring them into the room with us. This was at a nursing home, so not sure if that will be different along the way. Giving showers with an ipod in my pocket always made me extremely nervous, but I didn't have much of an option.

Nurse Kyles, BSN, RN · Jan 18, 2011

If you need to tote all that around with you, maybe you should invest in some Koi Lindsey Pants. They have two front pockets, two rear pockets, a cargo pocket on the side accessory loop & D ring. They are super comfortable and have lots of storage. I use a mini clipboard from Walmart to put my papers on that fits in my pocket of my scrub top. I also bought RN report card, which is a book of report/assessment sheets that conveniently fits in the pocket of my scrubs. Hope that helps!

Jonathank · Jan 18, 2011

It was mandatory that we have all our supplies with us during clinicals. I would put my scissor, penlight chapstick, pens, a very small notebook, along with the my i touch in a small plastic pencil carrier with a zipper. Keeps things together and it's water proof. Body fluids and an iTouch don't mix. If you don't need the phone leave it in the car and use the units phone to call your husband for pickups. You don't have a car so you can't leave if there's an emergency anyway. Hubby has to step up.
Try to stay away from clipboards. People end up leaving folders and clipboards all over the place. This is going to put you at risk for violating HIPAA. I hope this helps.

Just don't write out a patient's name. It's not the clipboard, it's the person carrying it...

Pneumothorax, BSN, RN · Jan 18, 2011

They make u bring your own bp cuff? Eww- germ factory! Lol

Anyways, we can't bring much of anything with us either so I bring the absolute minimum with me- stethoscope, shears, iPhone, debit card & clipboard that holds my pens & paperwork. Unfortunately that's the nature of being a student & apparently there are ppl at some xlinical sites who like to steal so the less with u the better.

In terms of HIPAA - you shouldn't be writing down any identifying info about

Your pts anyways like DOB/ full name. And for godsakes keep ur clipboard glued to ur side!

CuriousMe · Jan 18, 2011

We aren't allowed to bring anything to clinicals that we can't really tote around in our scrubs. It's kind of tough w/everything we use though!
I don't bring my car to school (I share w/my husband) - so I have to bring essentials like my cell phone, inhaler, ipod touch (required), scissors, hemostats, penlight, hand sanitizer, pen, notebook, chapstick, and some cough drops as well as a BP cuff.
I have 4 pockets and they're stuffed and totally weigh my pants down! Do any of you have a similar issue? I've heard the clipboards with the storage compartment are good - but we aren't really supposed to bring anything into patient's rooms (or at least we weren't in the nursing home setting).
Help!? :)

I bring most of the same things....I ditched my small notebook, and instead I have two folded up pieces of paper. By using the folds, I can separate out different places for different information (and different patients). I also ditched the hand sanitizer....it's available all over the hospital and was just taking up room.

I'm assuming your 4 pockets are between your scrub top and your scrub pants? If not, if your school dress code allows it consider those scrub tops that have 3 pockets at the bottom front of the shirt (it looks like two pockets, but one side has a double pocket). I put my heavier stuff in these pockets so they don't cause my pants to fall down :)

If you don't have any flexibility with your scrub top....I'd consider getting a holster/clip to clip your iPod and cellphone to your waistband like some folks do with their cell phone. Getting those two heavier items out of your pockets might really help.

The other option is to get one of those fanny packs...I've seen quite a few nurses with them.

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Jan 18, 2011

We would bring our bags into the site and have a place to store them. In there I would carry a drug book and a lab book and maybe a nursing diagnosis book. The bags were in an accessible area where I could go and reference them if needed. Every unit I have been on also has nursing textbooks either at the nurses station or in the break room so I also used those if needed.

I also brought a storage clipboard to clinical - you can get them at places like Walmart for cheap. They have the basic storage ones and then they have ones that are a little bigger that have a calculator on top which is really nice. I just use the basic one, it's not as heavy lol...and I just throw a calculator in it. I keep extra forms/papers as well. you can fit things like your phone, scissors, hemostats, etc etc etc if you don't feel like carrying those in your pockets.

ashleyisawesome, BSN, RN · Jan 18, 2011

We aren't allowed to bring anything to clinicals that we can't really tote around in our scrubs. It's kind of tough w/everything we use though!
I don't bring my car to school (I share w/my husband) - so I have to bring essentials like my cell phone, inhaler, ipod touch (required), scissors, hemostats, penlight, hand sanitizer, pen, notebook, chapstick, and some cough drops as well as a BP cuff.
I have 4 pockets and they're stuffed and totally weigh my pants down! Do any of you have a similar issue? I've heard the clipboards with the storage compartment are good - but we aren't really supposed to bring anything into patient's rooms (or at least we weren't in the nursing home setting).
Help!? :)

you probably dont need hemostats in the nursing home, or bandage scissors, or hand sanitizer (dont they have it on the wall at the facility? or just wash your hands.. im sure they have sinks, and sanitizer doesnt kill c diff!!!), and maybe your clinical group can alternate who brings a bp cuff if they are making you bring one. im sure you dont need it all day so maybe like 3 or 4 people can bring one and you can share it?

what semester are you in? also, can you guys wear a warmup jacket? i wear one and it gives me a couple extra pockets..

kk83 · Jan 18, 2011

Thanks for the advice =). I am just going into my second semester. We did have the option of a warmup jacket but honestly it's so hot in the facilities that I don't think I'd want to wear it, so I didn't order one. It would be so nice for the pockets though!

I could ditch the hand sanitizer - it's just a baby one from Bath and Body Works. I use hand sanitizer at the facility, but right before leaving I usually wash my hands, and use my own sanitizer since it smells less - hospital like, lol.

I stopped carrying the hemostats and scissors in the nursing home about halfway through, but I'll need them again for med/surg this semester.

I've been debating either the lightweight plastic clipboards I've seen at Walmart or some type of small cosmetic bag (vinyl) with a handle. Honestly a fanny pack sounds amazing and I really never thought I'd say that. I wonder if I could get it ok'd w/my professors.

Those of you that carry drug books too, I don't know how you do it! :)