Crap! Am I a crusty old bat nurse?? Carrying pens...

Self claimed pen snob here...Uniball 207.... took a class from the DEA and they showed us how patients alter prescriptions. 207 ink is tamper proof...only pen I use...and to make me more pathological, they sell pink ones during breast cancer month, and I replace the guts with one from another black uniball, because my doc would not write with a pink pen...always got my pen back!

I use my pen ALL DAY, writing notes to myself, filling out lab sheets, signing off for this and that, etc. And yeah, it's a huge pet peeve of mine too, for a new CNA, or one that rarely works with me, to say 'Oh, do you have a pen?'. I feel like saying, what am I, STAPLES? If I have to remember to bring my scissors, Sharpie, pen, little flashlight, and even other work-related paraphenalia, I'd think others can at least remember a pen. At my old facility CNA's had to chart using a pen, but I do have to admit that at my new one they do it on the computer. But still.

Thank you, Coffee Nurse!! Maybe you are just better educated than my 18-yo. Mom has a pen on her All. The. Time. Perhaps that's why she never has a pen?

An 18-year-old in 2018 isn't a millennial. Millennials are defined as being born in 1981-1996.

I'm an "older" millennial and I always carry a pen. Two, actually! One nicer ballpoint pen for me to write with and one junky pen for me to give to patients/family members when they need to sign or write something.

I broke my G-2 doing CPR... 💪

Rule#2 Make it a black pen.

office depot 3.50

I HAD THOSE! I was given them as a nursing gift, the kids loved them lol

I'm in a unique position as both a crusty old fart and a nursing student. I always have pens. At least 2, one for me and one for a classmate that forgot their stuff that day. Not always the same student, but there is always one.

I have noticed an expectation in the 20 somethings. They still think they are in grade school. I think its worse in LPN school because the collegiate system hasn't trained them yet. When I was a 20 something, we were called the slacker generation. We thought we had our stuff together but probably didn't. I just think 20 somethings are still learning to be adults. Public schools did not require any personal responsibility like having pens. Its new to the young ones.

Our nurse manager just gave each of us a four-color pen that also has a pencil in it for Nurses' week. Best gift ever LOL!

As a former-CNA, former nursing-student, and current new grad nurse (at 29).... I may have misplaced my car keys, left the phone on my COW, been personally responsible for leaving the bladder scanner in a patient's room, etc... but I have two fine-point InkJoy pens in my left pants pocket and no, you may not borrow them. Here, I have a leaky complementary pen advertising some college in an off-color ink in my bag you can borrow. I expect it back at end-of-shift.

I just want you all to know that I now have $30 worth of pens in my amazon cart based on the glowing recommendations here.