Nurse Go Bag

[SchoolNurseK, BSN, RN]

What does everyone have in their Nurse Go Bag? Just had an incident and realized mine is packed more for orthopedic/bleeding issues than anything else. This is my first year as a school nurse and none of the people in this position prior to me had a bag, so I am kind of figuring this out as I go. I hate feeling unprepared and I totally just did because I had no idea what I was walking into. Any seasoned School Nurses have some insight for a newbie?

[mainecoonRN92, BSN, RN]

Background: I am mainly at one building but respond to emergencies throughout the district.

If I am responding to another site: stethoscope, manual blood pressure cuff, pulse ox.

If I am responding in my building/emergency evacuation bag: stethoscope, pulse ox, bandaids, a couple 2x2s and 4x4s, maybe one roll of packing gauze, glucose gel, and that's about it.

I don't go crazy with my go-bags. If its an emergency, I always have plenty of onlooking staff available to run and get me anything else I might need.

[BrisketRN, BSN, RN]

Agree with above & adding juice boxes/quick acting glucose source, if you've got it stock Epi, Benadryl, gloves! lots of gloves, CPR shield, instant ice packs. I like to have a lot of gauze. I've had 2 instances where I've needed to put a lot of pressure on a wound and the gauze has been terribly helpful.

[Bulldogs, CNA, EMT-B]

I cover the entire district. my Backpack goes with me everywhere. I have a stop the bleed bag that covers gauze and tourniquet, chest seal and other things. Then I have my bag filled with stethoscope, pulse ox, gloves, Bp cuff and plenty of bandages.

[tining, BSN, RN]

Spiral notebook for notes, wound wash, cold pack, scissors, plus everything the above mentioned. I will be adding juice or glucose gel - thanks for the idea!

[guest464345]

I fit all this into one smallish duffel:

RESCUE MEDS

• Epi pens
• Narcan
• Albuterol MDI
• Glucose gel (or glucagon if I have a kit for a student)

BLEEDING

• Stop the Bleed kit with quickclot & tourniquet
• Nosebleed clamp
• Bunch of gauze

DIAGNOSTIC & BLS & MISC

• Pulse ox
• BP manual cuff
• Cheap stethoscope in case I don't have mine
• Trauma shears
• Penlight
• Sharpie
• Timer (big simple buttons, quicker than getting to my phone for seizures etc)
• Ambu-bag (collapsed, with O2 tubing attached)
• OPAs

PPE & INFECTION CONTROL

• Gloves
• Surgical masks
• Splash/safety goggles
• Small bottle hand sanitizer

FIRST AID & OTCs

• 4X4s & 2x2s
• One folded-up chux (this is solely to cover up any drops of blood/vomit/etc that will freak out my anxious teacher bystanders)
• Alcohol wipes
• Abd pads
• Coban & tape
• Wound wash
• Eye wash
• Benadryl
• Tylenol
• Instant cold packs
• SAM splint, folded up

We also have an AED, an O2 tank w/cart, and a commercially prepackaged OB emergency kit (from School Nurse supply)....which for some reason we are required by state law to have in schools. Both the AED and the OB kit are gathering dust separate from my emergency bag, and I hope to never open either one!

[dosharn, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

I come from a medic/EMS background so am used to carrying lots of things in my "war chest". May or may not be overkill but I'd rather have it and not need it than vice versa. All of this surprising fits into a very manageable sized bag. It's all in the packing!

• hemostats
• trauma shears
• tweezers
• penlight
• tongue depressors/bitestick
• 5x9 trauma pads
• 4x4 gauze
• Band Aids
• Telfa
• rolled gauze ("cling")
• 12x30 trauma dressing
• cat tourniquet
• eye wash solution
• small bottle sterile H2O
• ace wrap
• coban
• cotton tip applicators
• cravats
• cold packs
• tape
• alcohol prep pads
• SAM splint
• gloves
• bp cuff & stethoscope
• pulse oximeter
• oral airway set
• hand sanitizer
• CPR barrier
• facemask w/eye shield
• bvm
• glucose tablets/paste
• chewable diphenhydramine
• Epipen
• Sharpie marker

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

18 hours ago, BiscuitRN said:

Agree with above & adding juice boxes/quick acting glucose source, if you've got it stock Epi, Benadryl, gloves! lots of gloves, CPR shield, instant ice packs. I like to have a lot of gauze. I've had 2 instances where I've needed to put a lot of pressure on a wound and the gauze has been terribly helpful.

I prefer the paper washcloths. I use them all the time for my nosebleeds!. They are pretty inexpensive and VERY absorbant!

[ARN]

I have a giant evacuation bag that has the gammet. splints/scissors/bandages/gloves/stethescope/b/p cuff/thermometer/ice packs/abd pads/tweezers/triangular bandages to make slings.

I keep a small plastic container on my counter with my daily and in building emergency kit. It has stethescope/b/p cuff/thermometer/pulse ox/pen light/cpr shield/glucometer/stop the bleed kit. If i get called out of my office to see anyone I grab that so I can at least check vitals because I usually get minimal info when I am called out. I also keep a smaller first aid bag next to that container that I can grab that has a variety of bandages/gloves etc.

my epi and narcan are locked up in my medication cabinet which myself and three other people in the building have a key for so I would have to have one of those three get it for me likely.

[SchoolNurseK, BSN, RN]

18 minutes ago, NutmeggeRN said:

I prefer the paper washcloths. I use them all the time for my nosebleeds!. They are pretty inexpensive and VERY absorbant!

Are these something your order from your supply vendor? Not sure I know what these are.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

35 minutes ago, SchoolNurseK said:

Are these something your order from your supply vendor? Not sure I know what these are.

https://www.schoolhealth.com/disposable-latex-free-washcloths-500-case

https://www.schoolnursesupplyinc.com/Economy-Washcloths_p_2672.html

[BrisketRN, BSN, RN]

1 hour ago, NutmeggeRN said:

I prefer the paper washcloths. I use them all the time for my nosebleeds!. They are pretty inexpensive and VERY absorbant!

Good idea! I think I'll add that to my supply list next year.