LKMFleming

I definitely agree with everyone! I personally find that whatever has a lot of protein ALWAYS keeps you fuller, longer. My choice is always protein bars, but after a while, they can be pretty hard on the wallet. One day, I caught an episode on the Food Network (Alton Brown's Good Eats), that featured homemade protein bars. Not only were they delicious when I made then myself, but they were easy to make. I also found that in the end, the homemade bars ended up being around $.50 each, versus the more expensive in the store. I like that I can make them in big batches, and the recipe has room for creativity, so you can add chocolate and anything else you prefer! Here's the link, it was, and is, really a lifesaver: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/protein-bars-recipe/index.html

11. A small bottle of hand sanitizer. They have them all over the hospital, but you just never know. 12. A black permanent marker. 13. A tremendous about of black pens. It seems like everyone will only want you to write with black ink. I have Papermate Grips that are actually click pens and come in a big bag. 14. A good, reliable, water-resistant watch with a second hand. I wouldn't go crazy here, you really just need one with a second hand. I actually went online and got a cheap keychain watch that I clipped to my belt loop, as I don't like things around my wrists and didn't want to harbor any bacteria. A few of my buddies had wrist watches and found the best success were watches with a rubber or vinyl band, so theat it could easily be cleaned with an alcohol wipe. 15. TONS of alcohol wipes and a role of paper tape...these are items that you can get from the hospital itself. 16. A mini calculator keychain from Staples. I found mine by the register at the local Staples for $.99. I am comfortable using it to double check my math skills! 17. A clipboard...the jury is out on this one with my friends and I, but I always carried one around clinical. I got a cheap plastic one at CVS that lasted me the whole year (and is still good). I liked it because we are required to do a bunch of paperwork and research on our patients, and I found a clipboard to be neat and easy when writing, with something to lean on when standing or sitting at the bedside. 18. A bunch of mini notepads. You will need something to write down all the vital signs and so forth that you can whip out quick that should fit in your pocket. 19. A smile...you're on your way to be a NURSE! Congratulations and all the best!!!! :-)

Congratulations to you! I just finished my first year of nursing school. Very exciting! Welcome to the world of Nursing! A couple things that I REALLY found helpful... 1. I don't know about your school and its uniform policies, but our school requires girls to where navy blue scrub pants. I am a "pocket person" and really need pockets for a lot of my stuff. I found the best place to get scrub pants with carpenter pockets for women is Wal-Mart. They have a section on scrubs in a variety of colors, which I found to be very convenient. You can never have enough pockets! 2. I wear Shoes for Crews white Euroclogs. They have a website, and I really love them. They are nonslip, which I need. Also, I have a very high-arched foot, and these particular shoes accommodate the arch nicely. 3. Someone earlier posted this...but, have two bags--one for class and one for clinical. You have no idea the germs and bacteria you will being home from the hospital. I leave my clinical bookbag in the car, along with my clinical shoes (I keep the original shoebox they came in in my trunk, and I just put them back in the box at the end of the shift). I also change and shower the minute I get home from clinical! 4. I went to Rite Aid (I'm sure CVS had them too), and I bought a plastic school box for, like, $3 bucks or so. It has several compartments and is extremely economical to keep all your tools and stethescope in--everything in one place, so it's not floating all over your bag. 5. Check your school policy about socks...I wasted some money buying tons of white ankle socks that I loved, only to find out later that the school policy is for white kneehighs. 6. Invest in a great stethescope. I went to Allheart (awesome site) and got a Littmann for under $80, got to choose a great color, and even got my name lasered on it. 7. Speaking of names...I would put my name on everything, labels or written in permanent marker. Everything in nursing school that you have can grow legs. 8. A good penlight, with lots of batteries. 9. Not sure if they provide you with these, but you would need a good hemostat and pair of tape scissors. 10. A pill cutter (I got mine real cheap at the dollar store).