Items You Carry Daily in the Hospital

CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN · Feb 4, 2010

scissors, tape, pens, calculator, hemostat, pencil, pen light and gum.

**gum: for breaks and the ride home (before I get slammed!)

netglow, ASN, RN · Feb 4, 2010

All these things will be explained to you once you begin school. Many times your clinical instructor will be quite specific about what is required. Nursing school is... well... kind of like the military in some ways. You will not really get to decide too much of what way you'd like to do things at clinical. You'll see.

You might get some ideas if you post in the student general forum.... just let them know where you are from and your college, and you might get a response from someone who is in the program you have just been accepted to. :)

SNtil11 · Feb 4, 2010

i'm a student nurse and this is what I take:

ALWAYS - my stethoscope... and i hate having it around my neck, but it fits in the leg pocket of my scrubs.... in case you're looking for another place to keep it.

i always have my pen light, a pen (i like the 4 color kind...less to carry around), highlighter (for my notes), ALCOHOL PADS, and a small pad of paper.

on the medsurge floor, if passing meds, i would also always grab a 10ml saline syringe for IV flushes - just to have so i wouldnt have to run back and forth to the med room, also maybe (if needed) a spike (used in a needle-less method for med draws). Also, bandage scissors and clamps, as well as paper tape.

Basically when passing meds with our instructor, she would stuff our pockets with supplies so we would always be prepared. just remember to empty supplies you didn't use back out!

for peds i always carry a simple calculator with me b/c of med calcs... but at least for our hospital, there isn't a need for the rest of the stuff right now. :)

cardiacmadeline, RN · Feb 4, 2010

My pockets have--lots of alcohol wipes, a small pad of paper, couple of pens, sharpie, scissors, pen light, carpoject, gum, chapstick, and a few dollars for when I crave a soda.

To the student nurse who carries her stethoscope in pants pocket---if you don't like carrying it in your pocket, they do sell a clip type thing that I believe clips to the waist of your pants and you somehow hook you stethoscope in that. Just a thought if you are interested. :)

RedhairedNurse, BSN, RN · Feb 4, 2010

I have a huge bag with many personal items such as chapstick, lotion, powder, snacks, gum,

hard candy, make up, brush, etc.....however, I only carry in my pockets, alcohol swabs, pen, highlighter, paper, a flush or two. As soon as I'm done with my assessments, I put my stethoscope back in my bag so my neck sweat won't wear out the tubing. I keep other supplies such as scissors, tape, medicine cups, syringes, needles, insulin needles, and more flushes in my computer on wheels which is always close by if I need it. I can't stand having too much junk in my pockets.

vivacious1healer · Feb 5, 2010

-alcohol wipes,tape, pens, pen light, pager in my pockets

-my clipboard with my assignment/report/MAR

-stethoscope around my neck

and wouldn't ya know today one of the docs ask me for a pair of scissors....

replied that I was told not to run with scissors....

Jess1990 · Feb 5, 2010

In queensland, aus, we dont need to carry our stethoscope on ward with us while were on clinicals. most hospitals have ward scopes that were more than welcome to use. when im out on prac though, connected to my top i have my pen light and 2 black and 1 red pen. in my pockets i have my pt ID chart, alcowipes, 10ml saline flushes, alligator clips for the interlink IV's, notebook, pair of gloves, 10ml syringe, 'green' needle for the needleless IV's, and any paper my facillitator hands out on shift, and my 'Buddy nurse' report. all this in normal business slacks as we arent allowed to wear scrubs out on placement... Its also a good idea to keep a display folder in your bag, for any documentation or information tid-bits your facillitator hands out

All the best for your clinical placements.

rustyshackleford · Feb 5, 2010

just forget all those previous posts, man, just one thing you MUST remember to take with you. A hipflask. The contents of this are entirely up to you, whatever your tipple is. Me? I generally go for Havana rum or Vodka, but there really are no set rules...

i jest, of course! i'd say pens (more than one because i always lose mine) and a tourniquet are about all i always make sure i have.. and a bit of paper...

fiveofpeep · Feb 5, 2010

try these threads too because they already got a lot of responses a ways back:

https://allnurses.com/nursing-gear/what-nursing-gear-275295.html

https://allnurses.com/nursing-gear/what-do-you-439871.html

newtress, LPN · Feb 5, 2010

Aside from all the above items, I personally kept in my pocket a tiny zip lock with these OTC's: 2 ASA 2 Ibuprophen 1 vitamin 2 GasX and 2 Imodium. Having any pains, headaches, upset stomach, gas pain, or god forbid the nervous nelly sudden diarrhea you are set to at least try to get through your clinical day without having to loose some hours or worse yet get slammed for an abscence that you have to make up!

ohgoodnessgracious · Feb 5, 2010

What I always, always have.... stethoscope, saline flushes, lotion, alcohol swabs, tape, pens, and my report sheets.

I nix the watch, hemostat, scissors, and calculator. Patients' rooms have clocks and our tele monitors have timers on them, and there are scissors and hemostats in the locked cabinets per room. I'd love to wear a watch all the time but my skin gets very sensitive to wearing one after a couple of hours, which is made even worse with all frequent hand-washing and lotion applications. And as far as calculator, I just google my math, haha.