If you got frisked...

Keys, pen, assignment sheet, personal notes. Maybe a stethoscope.

Pretty much the same as on a med-surg unit, except having a restraint key instead of a PCA pump key.

Keys, pen, sharpies, highlighter, pen-light, clip-board with notes. That's it!

the other replies are interesting and completely different from what I carried as a Psych RN at the State Psych Hosp. I had the pens but that's all really, occasionally i would carry a brain, but other than that...not much else. if I needed to get vitals on a patient we had a pile of steths, and we had CNA that did that for the routine...and nurses did it or the urgent cases along with their assessment. Granted this was one special place and I resigned before I got my feet wet so that should tell ya something huh.

I am an RN with 25 years experience (boy, what experiences;) ) in a variety of psych settings-state hospital, drug and alcohol, private hospitals, and jail. I agree with the minimalist approach--keys, pen (in pants pocket), maybe a piece of paper to scribble anything I can't remember. Anything much more just weighs you down when things start to jump off, OR extraneous things like steths around the neck or ID lanyards around the neck, can be used to strangle you. Pens in the shirt pocket can be used to stab you. In the jail, I also carried a portable phone because I was the only licensed personnel, and the unit was so big.

I have worked places where some of the personnel carried the little gizmos to cut people down from nooses, but I didn't carry one because they were readily available in the nurses' station.

Overall, I think less is better (and safer) in this case.

Dave Dunn, RN

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PS this topic reminds me of when I first started in corrections--I had a few female patients go into synchronized seizures (don't ask!) and while I was standing nearby observing, I felt a tug on the back of my pants. I thought one of the inmates had bumped into me accidentally. Then it happened again, and I realized that the other inmates were trying to pick my pocket!! Ever since then I always wear cargo pants, and keep the wallet in the front pocket where I can keep an eye on it. Never trust the inmates!

Keys, Pen, Small Keychain Flashlight (I work nights), Sticky notepad