I have technical questions...

[Sadala]

First, I should admit that I have both control issues and issues with systems. In other words, I like to do the best work in the most expedient manner. In particular, I don't like to find myself short of the items necessary to do my work (in any work context).

I'm a student. In my clinical rotation in LTC, we could bring in our own things. Oximeters, bp cuffs, etc. Frequently there was not enough equipment to go around and this made our impact on staff less annoying and allowed us to do vitals more quickly. I'm wondering, though, if the same is allowed in hospitals (and I can see reasons why admn may not/wouldn't like it).

Also, if you CAN bring in some of your own equipment, how do you carry it without contaminating, etc. For instance, I would love to be able to carry a small pulse ox and my bp cuff, and a thermometer with extra sterile sheaths, extra alcohol scabs (in packages) around with the "normal" equipment, steth, scissors, tape, penlight, etc. I doubt the capacity to put all of that in my pocket, however. Given that I'm not a kangaroo.

I already carry my own bottle of hand sanititzer.

[Sadala, ADN, RN]

Thanks. I appreciate all of the info.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

policy prohibits use of personal equipment except for stethoscope and penlight at my facility. All other equipment either has to be calibrated (and tagged) or needs appropriate cleaning. Carrying around in your pocket is not clean. Should be cleaning stethoscope between patients also. Don't want to carry bugs home with you

[Sadala, ADN, RN]

Should be cleaning stethoscope between patients also. Don't want to carry bugs home with you

I do that. I've actually gotten fairly OCD with the whole cleaning thing. I clean the stethoscope with alcohol. Somebody told me it was bad for my steth, but I didn't really care. I strip at the door and wash my clothes and would do it sooner if I could figure out how. I find myself using the hand sanitizer rather constantly, its gotten to be a weird compulsive thing that I just seem to do all the time.

At my last clinical, they never had sanitizer in their dispensers so I just carried a bottle around in my pocket - WHICH I ALSO SANITIZED all the time. I think I tend to get a little (or maybe a lot) OCD under stress, and it sort of showed with the whole alcohol/sanitizer/handwashing bit.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

How do you deal with a lack of supplies/basic working equipment - or is this something that occurs primarily in LTC and hospitals have better resources? Or is it something with which you just learn to deal.

Such is life. For a while my entire unit only had one thermometer. ONE. We had to use disposable ones for EVERYONE. Those things are so ridiculously slow. Fine on someone that just lays there. On a squirming toddler? Nobody has time for that!

If 20 extra students appear for a day,

and all 20 now need to use the cuff (usually, cuffs are on rolling stands, and are easy to spot standing out there in the hallway, if they are not on the wall of each room)

well,

that is not quite the same experience,

as the few nurses or CNAs working that hall would experience....see?

Sharing a cuff amongst 4 or 5 actual staff members,

who have a 'routine' going, who have known locations where the equip will be stored between usages,

is probably not the same experience that 20 students all sharing the cuff will have.

Except for when you're on staff and those 20 students show up.

Honestly, OP, get used to it. Equipment costs money. And the bean counters sure aren't going to spend money to make a nurse's job easier.