L&D Nurses: What's in your pockets?

klone, MSN, RN · May 31, 2011

What I put in:

My phone (not my personal phone, but the phone all the nurses carry around), 2 or 3 pens, and my brain.

What I find at the end of the shift: all of the above, plus some alcohol swabs, and possibly a half-used vial of terb, or an empty TDaP vial. I try to travel light, as the hospital scrubs only have one pocket, at the breast, and every time I bend over everything falls out.

NurseNora, BSN, RN · Jun 1, 2011

A pair of hemostats hangs from the top edge of the pocket with a small roll of tape centered over them. In the pocket are 1-5 pens depending on how far into the shift I am and whether it's a pen gathering day or a pen losing day, a tiny flashlight (I work night shift), a small pair of bandage sissors, a couple bandaids, a couple alcohol swabs, a ten cc saline syringe, lip balm (it's really dry here).

At the end of the shift I have 0 to 5 pens depending on the kind of day it's been, a few ID band ends that I've shortened so no one pokes an eye out, one or two temp probe covers, various notes written on lose ends of monitor paper.

FLOBRN · Jun 2, 2011

Hmm let's see here, a "wheel", pen, hemostat, scissors, small notebook for all my passwords (you wouldn't believe how many there are) and a pin on watch. That way it doesn't get wet when I "sanitize" my hands, arms etc nor does it get gooped on. Oh and I always have a roll of tape. It has saved many an IV during pushing phase. I also have a tiny flashlight - night shift here- but it's a flat one that hangs on my badge.

nurseynightnight · Jun 2, 2011

2 pens, report sheet, few alcohol wipes and that's it!

now i usually end up with 3 or 4 pens, and an empty vial of tdap or terb and sometimes another piece of paper if more patient's came in for me.

ischialspines · Jun 2, 2011

I know doing med-surg as a student I always had a pocket protector with sharpie, clicky multi pen, pencil, pen, dry erase pen, alch preps and IV caps, scissors, pen light; my stethoscope (I hate it around my neck), cell phone, flushes, stats & tape, brain.

I'd end up with random wrappers and notes and probably some supplies that I needed to credit back. And hopefully all of my stuff!

tb1234 · Jun 6, 2011

2 pens, my iphone, and lipgloss. During report I put my tool in there, and manage to loose it within about 10 minutes of shift start. At the end, pretty much the same, thing, but not usually the same pens. Those are constantly rotating thru the night. LOL I carry tape on my name badge. Those are the only things I use on a consistent basis. Everything else is either at the bedside, or a storage room a few steps away.

Mec_Happens · Jun 6, 2011

I always start with a few pens and a pair of scissors. By the end of the shift I either have no pens or a plethora of pens depending on the night and a bunch of notes scribbled on monitor paper. Occasionally I'll have a patient's strip left in my pocket that I forgot to put back in their chart. In that case I make a stop on our post partum unit to drop off the strip (b/c we never have tubes for our tube system) on my way out the door.

JRP1120, RN · Jun 14, 2011

I've seen a few of you say here you put your "brain" in your pocket. Are you referring to your report sheet you fill out during report?

Mec_Happens · Jun 15, 2011

I've seen a few of you say here you put your "brain" in your pocket. Are you referring to your report sheet you fill out during report?

Yes :)

klone, MSN, RN · Jun 17, 2011

Argh.

Yesterday - 20 mcg of Fentanyl that was supposed to be wasted. Instead, I put it in my pocket and went home with it. I had to drive 30 minutes into work today to waste it. :-(

nocturnalnurse · Jul 19, 2011

I always carry a double pair of latex-free gloves (allergy) ever since the precip I had when I didnt have a pair with me-yuck. usually my cell (yes my personal phone, its an addiction I swear) and an odd assortment of other items depending on the day I'm having (half-vial of terb, empty vaccine vials-god forbid they go anywhere but our "black box", sweetease syringes, K-Y packets, alcohol pads, assorted IV start-kit items, gause, usually a paper towel or glove with notes scribbled on them...) and I NEVER had pens! the holes in my pockets must be pen-sized :lol2: