Something for an RN

[Ned the Red]

I posted this on the Hospice forum but haven't received many replies so I'll toss it out to everyone. My wife just started a job with a hospice company. She'll be "working out of her car" for this job and seems to have gotten organized for that part of it. She also has all the usual nurse stuff - bp cuff, steth, cell phone, pager, lab coat, etc. What I'd like to find is something different that she may not have thought of that will be usefull to her in this position. I saw a post somewhere else on these boards from someone asking where they could buy a particular clip board (with calculator and reference info that RNs use all the time on it) that's not available any longer. That's what started me thinking about this.

Any suggestions for something (inexpensive) that's just really handy to have for someone in this type position?

Thanks

[Erin RN]

Hi Ned

I too, now work from home or out of my car as a workers comp case manager. I used to do home IV infusion which required me to be going from one place to the other most of the day. I had one of the clipboards you sre referring to...helpful. Now I am thinking about buying a PDA for phone numbers to MDs, equipment co's, employers and claimaints. Your wife could download a program with all of the pain control meds etc on it as well...They probably aren't incredibly cheap but I wish they were available when I was doing the home infusion stuff. Anyways, just a thought..Erin

[Erin RN]

I forgot..another REALLY helpful thing was a fanny pack for pens, thermometer, alcohol wipes, place to put the keys, cheat sheets etc... I was lost without mine

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

When I did rural Child and Youth clinics for the Health Department my husband made me a flat surface for the backseat of my car. it was basically an L shaped hinged sheet of plywood covered with laminate. The larger portion rested on the seat and the vertical end had a U cut out to go over the "hump" in the back floorboard.

It helped keep my stuff organized and was easily removable for using the car for normal thngs. He tried a front seat version but I didn't like it as much and hardly used it.

A small accordian file in a milk crate (yaffa block) and some other miscellaneous compartments in yaffas made it quite an office on the go.

Now days I guess a laptop, powersource, maybe a battery operated lamp and a coffee maker would be there too.

[ktwlpn, LPN]

bands to put around her pants legs when she has to go into a flea infested house...