what items could you not go a nursing shift without?

joanna73, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2012

Bottle of Advil, vaseline, my 5 colour pens, my lunch and snacks, my day planner.

ryrn59 · Feb 25, 2012

coffee, coffee, coffee, coffeeeeeee ad infinitum......

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2012

Stethoscope, watch, trauma shears, pen.

Good Morning, Gil · Feb 25, 2012

Diet coke with lime (love that everyone mentions caffeine as the first necessary item lol), the obvious: stethoscope, pens, sharpie, scissors/hemostats, mini pocket notebook so I can write my lil' notes when I know I won't be able to sit down and chart at the computer right away. Oh, and gum. Cavi wipes, but the hospital supplies those. If healthcare ever gets to a point when we have to supply our own disinfectant, then....well, I think that would speak for itself lol.

jmtndl · Feb 25, 2012

This will be fun to hear everyone's responses! This could be a really good conversation for sharing your favorite nursing items or tools!
Could be funny, serious, just have a good time!
Who's gonna be first?
what items could you not go a nursing shift without?

lipstick and reading glasses.

MinnieMomRN · Feb 25, 2012

steth

coffee

Altoids

glasses

sneakers

scrubs with convenient pockets

bookworm78910 · Feb 25, 2012

Water bottle (Coke in lunch box), comfortable shoes, ibuprofen, scissors, highlighters (yellow, green and blue; agency thing, we use them to differentiate shifts), name tag, lunch box, change for snack machine.

sbostonRN · Feb 25, 2012

Coffee (tried to make it thru a shift without it once - crashed by mid-shift!), red pen, black pen, yellow highlighter, scissors, alcohol wipes, PDA with drug guide, Pulse oximeter, stethoscope, mini ruler (for measuring wounds), Sharpie, Chapstick, hemostats and tape. All that is kept in my pockets, except for the coffee :)

Tina, RN · Feb 25, 2012

My "paper" (yes, everything is supposed to be on the computer, but I still need my written-out report sheet), my 4 color pen, a black pen, mints, scissors, tape. I usually gulp my coffee before my shift, in case I don't have a moment to drink it once I start!

allnurses Guide · Feb 25, 2012

Ink pens. Black ink pens. Lots of them.

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2012

Coffee, my 'favorite' pens, my stethescope (there could be 1,000 facility owned on the floor but when I need one, never one to be found), little note pad, gum

nuffkids · Feb 25, 2012

I work 3rd shift 1 large McDonald's coffee for ride in (no dunkin donuts open near home) 10 mins from work dunkin donuts great one and 2 one liter bottles of h2o my prescription for nuvigil my prescription for diahrrra black pen sharpie scissors 4-color pen and for the ride home dunkin donuts great one and two French crullers...MOST IMPORTANTLY CIGARETTES AND LITER!!!