Organizing your car

[Carla25]

Any tips on how you keep your car organized? I just have stuff thrown everywhere. Any products that you use to help you stay organized?

[amoLucia]

Don't do HH, but try to keep my car trunk organized. Take a walk in the auto supply dept of Walmart or some auto parts store. I even bought something from QVC. They sell hard-framed, but collapsible nylon organizers that have all kinds of partitions where I keep my jumper cables, screw drivers, flares, flashlite, snow scraper, even an empty gas can. See if something works for you. Maybe to buy 2.

[SeaH20RN, BSN]

I use a small card board box for paper towels hand wipe etc. / non sterile items. And plastic bin for dressing, NS. Etc /sterile items. The bag I take into the home: I like to use baby diaper bags they come in great colors. Came be wiped down, lots of pockets. good luck.

[amoLucia]

To PP - is your avatar Dixie McCall, RN?

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

I have a bin in the trunk. A file rack is on my front seat. A smaller bin with gloves, alcohol wipes, etc is on the floor in front.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Eh I'm kind of like you, OP. I have stuff just thrown everywhere. I have a box of saline flushes on the floor of my backseat that's probably expired by now. I have stat locks randomly scattered throughout the entire backseat. I have sample paperwork everywhere. My nursing back, however, is very well organized.

[Amj789]

The nurse I trained with used a 3 drawer plastic box system. So far I'm using one big plastic bin with plastic folders for paperwork and smaller plastic boxes for supplies. I'm thinking of switching to the 3 box drawer system because it just seemed so much more organized.

[Benedina]

This plastic file box, with plastic 2-pocket folders for each client and plastic files for other forms, patient education materials, clinical info, etc. (Plastic folders are also my working surface in the home--easy to open to a 11 x 17 surface, easy to wipe down.) The little pencil box on top holds pens/markers/stickies.

This Golite bag, with gloves in one front pocket, phone & pens in the other. Vitals equipment & disinfecting wipes in main area, with other supplies added only as needed for particular patients, to keep it light:

Also an open-top black shopper basket that holds:

1. an insulated lunch cooler with blood collection supplies;

2. all my remaining equipment: scissors, wound care supplies, ace wraps, whatever. This is what I draw on for particular patients.

I keep all these extras to a minimum and replenish PRN, usually weekly. Anything extra, like oil for the car, goes into a wicker basket at the back of the trunk.

And I loved putting together my nursing toys. I have a slight organizing fetish!

Dina

[MauraRN]

I used the plastic file box for paper, two tool boxes (tackle boxes work well too), one for IV/blood supplies, one for wound care supplies. Big plastic bin with cover for misc stuff like foley supplies, chemo spill kit, gowns, goggles. Clipboard with paper on passenger seat for making notes about cell phone calls, supplies used that day that need to be restocked. Makes it easier to remove work stuff from my truck when I need to use it for 'real life'.

[RNDixiechick]

Thirty-one bags work great for nursing bags.

[Joybelle517]

I have a large plastic bin for dry wound care supplies, a med bin for supplies that are wet and additional liquids like flushes and NS for wound cleaning, and a small bin for IV supplies and dsg change kits. I have a VERY LARGE bin in the house for extra supplies. I have lots of toys!