Nursing Kit for a First Year Student

[RNfouts]

Hey everyone!

I have all of my supplies for labs/clinicals, but I am stuck on what would be the best thing to carry them in. Does anyone have a specific brand of purse/bag/ANYTHING that has made their life easier? I was picturing maybe a cross-body bag, but what is best?

Also - What other essentials should I add? I have a stethoscope, BP cuff, hammer, light, clipboard, and pens and sharpies all ready to go into a bag... should I get bandage scissors?

Thanks ahead of time for your awesome advice

[northmississippi]

one thing I got was a little plastic box that has lots of compartments, i got it in the fishing section at sporting goods. actually, its about a foot long and nine inches wide, and inch and half deep..

if you get a nice digital camera, you can video record the teacher doing the skills so you can look at it later.

[RN403, BSN, RN]

Bandage scissors couldn't hurt...I also carried a tiny portable calculator with me, keychain size. It will come in handy on occasion and you can easily keep it in your pocket

[StudentOfHealing]

Clinical:

You do not need a bp cuff for clinical. Hospitals will not permit use of personal bp cuffs/pulse ox.

You need a regular backpack to carry your drug book and maybe a little RN pocket book. Maybe a health assessment book.

You don't need anything except your pockets to carry your scissors, tape (sometimes you can snag some from the facility ... on accident), stethoscope, pen light, red/blue/black pen, and a little notepad. No need to carry a giant clipboard, those things are security blankets.

[rob4546, ADN, BSN, MSN]

Pick up a few dry erase markers. I always had one and when my assigned nurse couldn't find hers she appreciated that I had one for her. Now that I am a nurse I hope my assigned student will have a dry erase marker because I can never find one now!! Bandage scissors are a great idea.

[LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN]

Penlight, steth, pens, a small little spiral notepad. I would keep these in my scrub pockets. I did bring a closing clipboard with my clinical paperwork in it, but you can mostly leave that in your tote bag in the breakroom. We had to do clinical analysis on our patients the first year so I needed my clinical paperwork there, plus you may have skills check offs that can be done at clinical, so your skills check off sheet has to go somewhere. I'd get those out of the way early on any chance you get! Otherwise, at the end of the semester you will have to do them in lab and to me that is more pressure than doing it on a patient.

[Stephalump]

I don't think the bag matters so much...just whatever seems sized for what you have to put in it. You won't be carrying around your bag at clinical, so it'll just be tucked away wherever they want it. I just used one of three over the shoulder bags I already owned. I usually just had my stethoscope, my brain sheet and blank paper, pens, penlight, and my ID in a badge holder with my debit card behind it. Drug guide was on my phone.

What's up with the hammer?

[mri1004a]

My school only allows black pens ....black is only allowed for nursing documentation...so just be aware of that!

[StudentOfHealing]

My school only allows black pens ....black is only allowed for nursing documentation...so just be aware of that!

While that may be true for legal documents. It's a smart idea to get in the habit of utilizing red for critical labs, blue for meds due or meds you need from pharmacy, and black for just general information. That's why I said multiple colored pens.

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

While that may be true for legal documents. It's a smart idea to get in the habit of utilizing red for critical labs, blue for meds due or meds you need from pharmacy, and black for just general information. That's why I said multiple colored pens.

Not all facilities permit this practice. It used to be black/blue day, green ink eves & nights red ink. For personal notes fine but check with site P&P. all of my employers and clinical sites require black ink for documentation

[StudentOfHealing]

Not all facilities permit this practice. It used to be black/blue day, green ink eves & nights red ink. For personal notes fine but check with site P&P. all of my employers and clinical sites require black ink for documentation

That's exactly what I'm saying though. For anything going on the permanent record yeah... black. My employer can't tell me what colors to use on my brain sheets though. Sorry I didn't mean to cause confusion...

[hawksrn2014]

I used an organising tote from 31. It was great. Had small pockets. My must haves were pens, banadge scissors (you'll need a pair), stethoscope, black sharpie, post it notes, a small notebook that I kept important info in. The totw had small pockets for all of those then the main part of the bag held my drug books, clipboard, and necessary care plan papers.