Oops! I always go home with...

Published

What's the most common, weirdest, funniest things you always forget to take out of your pocket before you leave and end up going home with?

Me, I aalways go home with a floor supply of alcohol pads and gauze. The other night I went home with a blood draw set, complete with needle, tourniquet AND red top lol. How did I not feel that?!

Specializes in ICU.

I empty my pockets and take nothing home. I don't want to have "drug paraphenalia" anywhere near me unless I am at work. Guess I'm just paranoid!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Obs & gynae theatres.

Vial tops? Which ones??

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in PACU.

Nothing makes it home with me as I always change in the locker room, but I often have extra pulse ox probes, lancets, alcohol swabs, puke sacks, and other miscellaneous odds and ends stashed in my locker to return the next shift.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatric Cardiology.
Vial tops? Which ones??

Like the tops on insulin, narcotics, basically any liquid med that comes in a vial. Usually they just go in the trash but they are good for crafts. Everyone on my unit has a flower clip for their badge made of them!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

i have come home with gloves, tape, flushes, alcohol wipes, syringes, conveens, gauze etc..........:uhoh3:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg,Cardiac.

Alcohol pads. More than I could ever need.

Gauze. Again, more than I'll ever need.

Tele batteries.

Dry erase markers.

Flushes.

A emebag.

Empty syringes.

Gloves. Sterile gloves.

An IV start kit.

A cathelon or 2.

Lube (peds rectal temps)

Post its.

I always return medical supplies that I'd never ever use (iv stuff). Kept some stuff that I didn't think would do good going back.. Eek :/

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR.

just the other day, i came home with 4 other nurses and as we sat in my lanai we empty our pockets to see who had the most items from work and a sweet seasoned nurse won, she had everything you would need to assist in any given medical pt. situation, i gave a pair of tickets to a concert :cool:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in PACU, presurgical testing.

EKG lead pads. In the PACU, the ones from the OR came off all the time, so I'd often throw a new one in my pocket to have on hand. Amazing how with just one supply drawer on either side of the bed, I was usually on the "wrong" side to replace what was needed.

By the way, these were new ones with the backing still on, not used ones with chest hair! Those did make it into the trash!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Any nurses out there want to trade some small flip off lids or even sell me some for crafts. I am in need of small red and purple.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Do you guys ever get any small reds or purples you like to get rid of I need them for a craft and I'll pay

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Besides the usual...alcohol, IV stuff, dead end caps, pens, tape, tegaderm, tons of saline flushes, syringes, the work phone and pager (hate that the most because you have to drive back!)

When my hubby worked ER, I would do wash and find nearly empty vials of dilaudid clicking in the dryer. Then we'd have to figure out if it was him or me. He hated taking them back to the hospital to waste them and document...embarrassing...oops!

One of our nurses saves colored caps and diprivan pull tabs too.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatric/Sub Acute, Home Care.

alcohol packets, blood sugar pokers, tape......SOMEONES HEARING AID.....ugh....that was bad.....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion