New nurse-what do I bring daily for work?

[Kebby1016]

Hi All!

I've accepted a full-time RN position on an adult ortho-neuro floor. We were required to bring everything but the kitchen sink for clinicals in school, but I'm wondering what you all find to be necessities now that you are working. So far I've got a list that includes the following: steth, penlight, pens/highlighters/sharpies, scissors, personal items, and an extra set of scrubs. I also plan to keep my drug guide, lab book, and patho book in my locker for reference when I need them. What else do you guys use frequently that I may need to bring along? I've been out of school for a little while now, so I'm sure I'm forgetting things! Also, does anyone have a link for a great "brain sheet?" I'm open to any advice ya'll might be able to throw my way! Thank you! :)

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

The only thing I ever brought when working at the bedside was my stethoscope. Anything else the hospital should be providing. If I needed extra scrubs while at work, I took them from the hospital's supply.

Some hospitals make you jump through so many hoops to get scrubs from the hospital's supply that the body fluids will be drying to your body before you get any. I kept a small "packing cube" with a spare set of scrubs, underwear and socks for "just in case" in my locker if I had one, in my car if I did not. Came in handy during the great blizzard of whatever year that was. The year that we had three feet of snow on the ground here in Maryland just before the THIRD blizzard hit us. Also came in handy during a hurricane.

Stethescope, pens and Sharpie. I also brought my lunch and snacks.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

Betty Gaharts IV medications book. .....The absolute best IV medication book and a new one comes out every.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

Every year

[nurseactivist]

(I am retired from the ancient days) Clipboard bright color because it helped me hold onto report, cheat sheets without losing or setting down a single sheet of paper. (No time to be searching for things). Bandage scissors (ortho-you might prefer a larger pair) pen light, hemostat, pens, highlighter. Calipers if working tele.

Locker would contain breakfast bars, in case I didn't make it to lunch. ID, RN license, CPR certification always in purse in locker. Don't forget your new name tag. Locker also would have tampons, tylenol, advil. If nights might keep an extra sweater or warm socks. If catastrophy struck, would get extra scrups from ICU, OB.

Pockets always had alcohol spounges, tape, 2x2s. I liked a pocket protector to hold pens, scissors etc. In ICU I had specific cards with information on drips. I also made my own tool which I used for taking & giving report. Previous VS, I/O, my VS, I/O, meds, blood draws and when they needed to be done.

More recently, you may want a tool, book, card to keep a clue for a thousand different passwords. (I never wrote whole password down). Also started a tool with frequently called phone/pager numbers.

[mtjoanna]

Pepto bismol or tums; Vicks vaporub or an essential oil of your particular chosen scent (sweet orange or lemon verbena work well) to dab under your nose when you have one of those patients with a really smelly wound or bad diarrhea. I also like to keep a small packet of those premoistened facial cleansing cloths--it is extremely refreshing to have a clean face partway through a nasty busy shift!

[Creamsoda, ASN, RN]

Keep it simple.

Pen

Brainsheet- I just write mine out the same way as ive been doing for years, but some like a pre made one

stethoscope

Scissors (maybe, i rarely need them, but some like to have them all the time)

Dont stress about too much more to be honest.

having one of those mini-sharpie's that can hang from your badge so you never loose it is a good idea too.

[wannabecnl]

Absolutely get the mini-sharpies with a keyring that you can loop around your badge.

On my person I carry 2 pens, a penlight, 2 brain sheets (I made my own after a couple of months), scissors, Kelly clamps from the Walmart fishing department, and calipers to measure weird stuff on the 3-lead ekg. Stethoscope and badge with Sharpie and that's it on me.

In locker, I keep a lot of the same things people have mentioned: deodorant, toothpaste/toothbrush, dental floss!, face wash, spare brain sheets, index cards, ACLS/PALS reference cards, lip balm, ibuprofen, and benadryl (I have a food allergy). Tea bags and a few small snacks.

I don't keep reference books in my locker anymore--too big, and we have them in the department. The one book I do keep in there is McGraw-Hill's Medical Translation Visual Phrasebook. Lots of languages, and as long as your patient can read, you can point to a question translated into their language. I have used it once or twice.

[Meeks0505]

I bring a box of fruit energy drinks from walmart, a box of protein bars, dry cereal for my breakfast (I work the nighshift), Emergen-C packets. Pens, I don't bring, I use the ones from work. I do buy my own colorful highlighters to highlight reminders on my brain in different colors and leave those in my locker. I also leave my stethoscope in my locker.

Extra set of scrubs, I don't bring because you can use the ones from the OR if needed. We also have flashlights at work, so I don't bring that. I don't bring reference books because we have micromedex for cross referencing drugs, compatibilities, and lippincott available online at work. And we also have google, LOL.

[Nursinglady28]

Hi! It sounds like you pretty much have everything you already need. As you begin working, you will also realize what things you really need and what things you can do without. I know the normal reaction is to think you need everything but you do want to keep it simple so you're not bogged down with too many things while you're working. One thing I didn't see that was listed is to also have a small notebook with you to take notes as you are working. There's alot you'll be learning so you want to be writing all this down somewhere. I actually just created an infographic about this topic about the type of supplies you need before you start working on the floor if you want to check it out. Congrats on the new job! Take care!

-Nurse Chioma

[GaleSRN, BSN, RN]

If you have a cell phone, you download the medication app and also the nurses manual. You will need to following, which many nurses keep in a fanny pack: pen (2), sharpie, scissors, penlight (especially for neuro and ER), stethoscope (buy one in a color the doctor won't like. I usually did something horridly fluorescent). You might include a tape measure for measuring the size of bloody dressings (make sure you can clean it after use or find a supply of disposable paper ones). Most important, find someone willing to act as a mentor for you and be willing to soak up all the knowledge you can. By the way, the easy way to put on compression stockings is by putting the plastic bag they come in over the foot and slide it on. You pull it out through the hole in the toe area.

[NurseRebe2015]

I bring my stethoscope, scissors, hemostat, and a pen. I have a tiny flashlight hanging on my name badge that I bought at the store, it works much better than a pen light. That's it. You can get spare scrubs from OR, tape from the hospital, and as far as brain sheets go I found that I preferred a blank piece of paper. I never found a use for highlighters. My hospital provided markers.