Season HHNs, what' in your bag/trunk?

What supplies to you always have? Any trunk organization tricks? Any help is so appreciated, thank you!

[anh06005, MSN, APRN, NP]

Well my office gives each of us a big Rubbermaid tote. It got annoying with everything being thrown in together so I bought a few of the smaller shoebox size totes for some supplies to go in and labeled them (IV supplies, lab, wound care, etc). That way I have my smaller boxes in my big box but still have room for catheters and my cavi wipes.

And I've had an IV pole for a couple of weeks now I keep forgetting to take out of my car

I have 2 under the bed style totes in my truck. I like to use gallon size zip locks or shoe size bins for organization. I like to keep plenty of lab supplies, cath change supplies, and wound care supplies. When I take something out I always try to replace it. I have found keeping a "shopping list" on my phone so I don't forget something I need when it get in the supply closet at the office.

I have also found an organizer designed for toiletries in luggage is very helpful keeping my bag organized. I keep a few small things in there such as alcohol pads, 2x2s, lab stuff and small wound care things just in case I run into something unexpected in the home. I hope this helps!

Don't forget to have a receptacle specifically used for soiled or dirty items. I also keep a large sharps container in my trunk.

I have a black folding stool that I originally thought I would use to sit on, but I now bring most everywhere and use it as a small table to hold my bag. I have too many patients with cluttered homes and no place to set down a barrier for the bag other than the floor.

[pnkgirl25]

Whats in my trunk:

2 packs of 4x4's

box of alcohol swaps

2 urine collection cups

5 tiger, 5 red, 5 lavender and 5 blue tubes

10 butterflys

20 diabetic needles

Rec forms

hazmat bags

sharps container

2 straight caths

2 bottles spray NSS

2 rolls paper tape

glucose meter, strips and lancets (extra set of AA batteries)

2 boxes of gloves

10 abdominal pads

1 tube of Zinc, 1 tube of Amerigel, 1 tube of Bacitracin, 2 packs of xeroform

2 Tegaderm Waterproof Transparent Dressing

5 iodine swabs

2 ace bandages

5 rolls of gauze wraps

small folding stool

5 chucks

Spanish/English dictionary

2 print outs of the most common dx for teachings (ie DM, CHF, hypertension etc.)

extra route sheets

16fr, 18fr, 20fr and 22fr, caths

2 sterile cath kits

20 pack of pins

roll of small trash bags

1 box gallon ziplock bags (I usually put all my supplies for each patient in the bag the night before and lable with last name. When I go in to the home I grab that bag, my stethoscope and my thermometer). I try not to take anything else in with me

I go to the office once every 2 weeks to refill in supplies.

I wish I could post a pic of my trunk but it won't let me.

I I have an under bed tub fitted with smaller containers that are designated for 1) gels/ointments 2) IV/injection 3) rolls 4) anything 4x4 or smaller..gauze, drain sponges etc 5) double size container for longer/larger dressings. Then a larger tub for catheter supplies and another for lab draws. And a final one that holds my sharps container, disinfectant and extra box of gloves for disinfecting etc.

i keep most of the tubs open during work week and cover them when I remove it all on time off.

I I keep most types of wound care supplies.

Gauze pads and rolls varying sizes

drain sponges

telfa

abds

foam

alginate

hydrocolloid

transparent

adaptic

Xeroform

compression (both unna and multi layer)

coban

ace

wound cleanser

NS

sterile water

skin prep

Wound gel

silver gel

skin barriers

tape

qtips

tongue depressors

catheter supplies

lab draw (can never have enough specimen cups)

picc dressing kits

statlocks

biopatch

Injection caps

IM and SQ needles and syringes

syringes

my bag has my glucometer and coaguchek