Essential gear for school?

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 11, 2018

If you get a watch, get an analog one. There won't always be a clock in the room when you're taking a manual pulse or timing something...and with digital watches, you're likely to be thrown off by the changing digits and so usually come up with a pulse of 60.

A clipboard is always handy to have, because there may not be a spare one at your clinical site to borrow. A perfectly plain clipboard from Walmart will work just fine. If you want to get fancy, you can get a medical/nursing one that has printed on it normal lab values, VS, PERRLA scale, and other handy info. If you like to bring notes, extra pens and highlighters, or other supplies with you, you can get a clipboard that has a storage compartment.

A dollar-store calculator is excellent to have for doing drug calculations. Yes, you may have to do them.

And bring extra pens. No, you don't need an entire box of them, but bring 2-3 black pens and a highlighter with you. Pens can be hard to find at clinical. If you're wise, put your name on the pens because pens tend to get lost or "go missing."

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 11, 2018

One other thing...you could consider a small (pocket-sized) drug guide, but most clinical sites will either have one at the nurses's station or have electronic resources that you can use.

I hesitate to recommend a drug-guide or nursing app since a lot of clinical site forbid cell/smartphones and PDAs. Also, even if you're pulling out your iPhone to look up something in Medscape, it's easy for a patient, staff or your CI to misconstrue things and believe you're doing something that you shouldn't be.

Rb72390 · Apr 12, 2018

In reference to using phones to look things up, I know that our clinical sites strictly prohibit them being used. A friend said that youre not even supposed to bring them inside with you. I will definitely get a pocket drug guide and small calculator in that case!