New CNA, need advice on what to carry to work

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Dec 27, 2009

Don't hospitals have plenty extra scrubs if you really need to change? There is no need to bring another outfit, really. I mean where are you going to put all this stuff? If you have a permanent locker then maybe an extra pair of socks would do dome good but that's all you need.

Pen, definitely. Notepad, maybe, although I think a piece of scrap paper (Or your hand) is sufficient. Lunch and snacks, yes. If you bring that, then there's no need for cafeteria/vending machine money. In fact I would not even start with that stuff at all. It's a bad habit. A waste of cash, and you don't need to be eating junk. I used to bring money for treats, and... no. Just no. lol. Ibuprofen and badge, yes. You can always get the medicine from a nurse but I prefer to bring my own because it seems like my headache always becomes intolerable right after she sits down to chart or something! You probably won't need a stethoscope; the hospital should have them. In fact you will probably take most of your vitals with a machine.

This is what I bring to work: pen, chapstick, badge, gait belt. I usually stick a couple bobby pins at the name of my neck (I wear my hair up) in case my bangs start bothering me. Ibuprofen downstairs in my coat pocket. A small bag with my breakfast (a banana or yogurt), and lunch (last night's leftovers), and if I'm feeling really ambitious, a travel mug for my coffee/tea OR my good water bottle (but I usually forget to take those home and as a result they have gotten stolen).

A watch is a good thing to have, but I think they're a nuisance when you're washing your hands or dealing with a bad mess, and since i work in a nursing home most of the residents have watches I can look at when taking their vitals. I would just get a cheap watch and keep it in your pocket.

You really don't want to be saddled down with too much stuff. It's a pain in the butt. Especially if you accumulate stuff in your pockets throughout the day, like a cheat sheet, toothettes, highlighter, extra plastic bags, etc. If you have a locker keep the socks, aspirin, and a pack of gum in there, and maybe emergency money for if you forget your lunch (or just a container of nuts).

cryswms · Dec 28, 2009

I agree that you don't want to weigh your pockets down... But I too think I would keep all of those things in my locker with the exception of the stethoscope and extra scrub top.... you probably wont need the extra scrub top... Are you a nursing student? (just a random thought)

I think being new you will def want to have a small notepad.

Girl Scout · Dec 28, 2009

Thanks for the advice! :up: It's such a help. I agree now about not taking the extra top with me. But I think I may take that extra pair of socks. Thick, cushy ones, at least. If my feet are really killing me, they might welcome a change.

I have a backpack, and I assume I'll have a locker, unless for some reason (newbie status, space, or whatever) I don't get one right away. But I totally agree, I don't want to have a bunch of my stuff at the hospital.

The other ideas - Chapstick (which I use regularly), the nuts, the water bottle - totally doable. Stuff I use/eat regularly anyway. See, I knew I was forgetting something. I think I'm also gonna stick in a little bottle of Aveeno, since my hands dry out really fast.

I found out today at HR that I won't need cash to use the dining hall, they'll just swipe my badge and take it out of my paycheck. So that's one less thing.

CrysWms, I'm a general studies in nursing major, still knocking out my pre-reqs before I can apply to RN school. I thought about going to LPN, since my chances of getting accepted into RN school shoot up if I'm already a nurse, but since my hospital has stopped hiring LPN's and now only hires RN's, I don't think I could work full time there *and* do an LPN program. But my hospital will pay for half if I go for an RN. Umm... that's probably more than you wanted to know! :lol2:

cjcsoon2bnp, MSN, RN, NP · Dec 29, 2009

I think a lot of it depends on where you work.

In my old position as a CNA on an Adult Med/Surg floor the CNAs relied heavily on using a Dinamap machine to do their vital signs so you weren't required to bring in a stethoscope and the floor always had extras if necessary (for isolation rooms and stuff.) Personally I did not like using the dinamap as most CNAs used it because they would take their blood pressure, heart rate and pulse ox from it and would only count respirations, take a temp. and ask the patient to rate their pain but if something was wrong with the dinamap then your blood pressures, heart rates or pulse ox readings were off and you wouldn't even really know it. So what I would do is bring a stethoscope and take some of my blood pressures with the dinamap and some I would take manually (because manual blood pressures tended to be more accurate) take the apical pulse for the heart rate (none of the other CNAs did that), count my respirations, take a temp., take a pulse ox reading and then assess the pain level. Sure it might have taken a little longer but I knew that I had my skills down and if something was wrong with the dinamap (which happened a lot) then I wouldn't be running around with my head cut off. Oh and most people didn't wear a watch, instead they would just use the clock in a room. I always brought a watch because I figured it was easier to use the watch then to crane my head around to see the clock.

So here is what I would bring in my bagpack:

Badge

Two pens

Stethoscope

Watch

Money for food

When I moved over to the Peds. ER I found that while we do use dinamaps for blood pressures but that was it. We need to provide our own stethoscopes and watches because we must take an apical pulse for the heart rate and listen to the lungs in order to count respirations. I mean it is essentially the same as what I used to do but here every CNA does it. I do bring a few other things because my locker here is bigger and I tend to get a few more headaches with crying babies and the like.

So here is what I bring in my backpack now:

Two pens

Stethoscope

Watch

Money for food

Ibuprofen

Mini-notepad

Badge

Waterbottle

I sometimes toss other random things inside my bag depending on the weather (like a change of socks or packet of hot chocolate if its snowing or raining.) I don't think you will need a change of scrubs in your bag, even though someone said hospitals have plenty of scrubs this is usually only in the OR or related areas and not available for anyone who wants them. If you felt better then I'd take a scrub top and bottom with a pair of socks and put them in a plastic bag and roll them up tight and fit them in the locker if you can but otherwise I wouldn't stress too much about it. If I am working a 12 or 16 hour shift I might throw in a toothbrush and mini toothpaste because I don't like the feeling of my teeth if I have worked for that long without a brush at some point but that's just me.

!Chris specs:

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2009

Get a locker and leave a change of clothing, including underwear.

Remember a pen and your gait belt. The rest is there.

:)

TampaTech · Dec 29, 2009

Also...depending on if the pharm in your hospital is closed....bring some rolaids or tums....sometimes the hospital food can give you BAD indigestion.

dannyc12 · Dec 29, 2009

I feel like I'm forgetting something. Any suggestions? Thanks guys!

Man, I wish the CNAs at my facility had your attitude!

If you have a secure locker, you can probably bring all that stuff your first day and leave the stuff you won't use in your locker.

I would never, ever bring my stethoscope to where I work - too much stealing. If it looked like my locker had anything valuable in it, someone would find a way to get into it.

The main things I need as a CNA are the gait belt, pad, and pen.

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Dec 30, 2009

Here's what I brought to work when I started as a CNA....

a stethoscope that NEVER left my sight...it's important to make sure you know how to take a manual bp if the machine is too high/low, doesn't work...it's often faster.

a watch for pulses...a buck or two if I needed a quick snack. I would advise you to try hard to stay out of the habit of the swiping badge. some of our CNAs looked at their year to date on the paycheck stub, and found out they spent 400 bucks this year!

Bring your own tylenol/meds...i'm never comfortable giving someone else meds.

don't worry about the extra scrub...if you really need it, you could probably get ob to send one up...although you hope that doesn't happen.

don't forget a good attitude!