How do you incorporate your nursing bag into your day?

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Oct 23, 2013

When I worked in hospitals, it stayed in the break room for easy access. Where I have a desk, it goes into a bottom drawer.

No, I wouldn't consider making a video of its contents, but I can tell you it involves snack foods, a PDQ for Nurses, assorted paperwork I never know what to do with but manages to get shoved into my tote, several pens, ID badge, and whatever one of my kids forgot to take out of it the last time it was in the car.

Aurora77 · Oct 23, 2013

Not to sound stupid, but why would I need a nursing bag? I keep my stethoscope, scissors, etc in my locker. I bring my purse to work but nothing special.

RNperdiem, RN · Oct 23, 2013

The majority of the contents of my nursing bag stay in the locker; lunch goes in the fridge. I have pockets to carry around the pens and pencils and I wear the ID badge and the stethescope.

Now if I need a cough drop or some Tylenol or lip balm, I can go get them as needed out of the bag.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Oct 23, 2013

I have a nursing bag that goes with me when we are out or I accompany my patient to school. I don't work in a facility. I work in pediatric home health (scheduled visits) and pediatric private duty ( shift work with a specific patient).

I have specific items I carry (stethoscope, thermometer, pens, paperwork, drug book, PPE, etc) during shifts when my patient and I are only home it's in a closet out of site and reach of siblings.

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Oct 23, 2013

Usually things like my stethoscope, hemostats (that use I carry my rolls of tape and my trauma shears) and pens stay in locker. I also keep my wallet and keys in my locker.

In my actual bag, I have some reference books (Sheehy's Manual of Emergency Nursing and 5-Tier Triage Protocols), a little makeup-like bag that I use to keep tea bags, meds (Claritin, Tylenol, ibuprofen, sinus meds, Zyrtec), some instant coffee, tampons, and deodorant; lots of snacks and my work badge. Of course, I find a lot of random things such as alcohol swabs and EKG stickies. My bag is fairly large and it comes to and from work. I also keep it at the desk.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Oct 23, 2013

Why would anyone make a video of what's in their bag? Why would anyone else want to watch it? I don't get it.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Oct 24, 2013

Why would anyone make a video of what's in their bag? Why would anyone else want to watch it? I don't get it.

Because in the Twitter Generation, absolutely every move you make, every thought you have, everything you ever do must be observed by others in minute detail, didn't you know?

Nurse_ · Oct 24, 2013

I keep my nursing bag in one of the empty drawers in the nurse's station.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Oct 24, 2013

When I worked in the hospital I kept my bag in my locker. The only thing that was really in it was an umbrella (that I recall) and I always carried that with me because this is New England and you never know what's going to happen with the weather and I relied on public transportation. Other than that, things like my stethoscope and nursing shoes stayed in my locker.

Nowadays I'm a pedi home health nurse and I have a huge bag that comes with me on all my visits.

Susie2310 · Oct 24, 2013

Why would anyone make a video of what's in their bag? Why would anyone else want to watch it? I don't get it.

Because you are important and naturally everything you do is of importance and relevance to other people.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Oct 24, 2013

Because in the Twitter Generation, absolutely every move you make, every thought you have, everything you ever do must be observed by others in minute detail, didn't you know?

I guess I didn't know. I wonder how some of these kids will feel when they're in their 50s and their drunken teenaged photos are still floating around the internet. When potential mates google what's in their bag? It boggles the mind.