Supplies a new grad ER Nurse should carry

[Belle2013]

I start in the ER next week. What are some items you can suggest that are important to carry with you (especially as a new grad)? So far I'm thinking:

-A small notepad to carry in my pocket and write things down I want to look up once I get home

-a sharpie that I can attach to my badge

-trauma shears

-click pens with different colors

-lock for my locker

-extra pair of scrubs for my locker

What else?

Thanks!

Shouldn't be any need for different color pens or sharpies unless your department is still doing all documentation on paper.

One exception... I use a red fine-point sharpie to time/date my lines and bags and to label lines when I've multiple lines running pressors and sedatives.

I use a bold sharpie (on my badge) to label my IV sites

Also need a pen to occasionally drop notes in front of the doc while they're on the phone or away from the desk.

Among other things, I keep:

A tape measure (to measure wounds)

An LED mini-mag

Bandage scissors (shears are serrated and some hung up on kerlix)

As many flushes as I can stuff in my pockets

A spare angiocath (22,20,18)

A few iv line caps

IPA swabs and chlorhexidine

2 18ga needles and 2 3-cc syringes (to draw up meds or to grab a blood sample from a finicky line)

a couple filter needles

a mini composition book

a couple of black pens

a lab timer (I detest wearing a watch, especially in a hospital)

tape (1/2" silk, 1" plastic stuff)

a 3-way stopcock (after one time of finding the drawer empty with a symptomatic SVT waiting for his adenosine push)

3 needless hubs (because the EMS guys don't all have them on their lines)

1 needle-to-needless adapter (see above)

carpuject

magnifying glass (my eyes can't always read the fine print on the vials)

"ears"

a pocket full of gloves

a bite stick (rarely needed but when you need one, you don't want to be hunting for one)

Other stuff, too...

I never presume that (a) the drawers will be properly stocked nor that (b) I will be able to get to them through the jumble of people that sometimes end up in the trauma rooms.

[Wolfe24]

Wow you guys carry a lot of stuff! When I hit the floor I grab pens, alcohol swabs and flushes. I have a small tote bag with other misc stuff like crit care and emergency references, extra hair tires, gum, phone charger etc, but I just throw that under the desk when I get to work. Never needed my own trauma shears or stuff like that in my pockets or even my bag. The less junk you have to carry the better!

[jacobyme]

I make sure to have my shears, a sharpie, a couple ink pens, and my stethoscope (MDF 777) Oh and a pen light. That is to a well stocked ER. To other places I bring my pulse oximetry and wrist cuff and temporal thermometer as well because I know they have malfunctioning equipment and I have no other way to monitor my patients. :/. Either ER I hit the floor and grab a pocket full of flushes and if catheters so I am ready to start lines on my patients.

[Ciale]

As cheesy as this sounds, the best "thing" to carry with you is a good attitude and the ability to laugh at yourself. Also a new grad ER person here and the only supply everyone benefits from carrying around constantly (in my ED anyway) are shears. It's nice to have a stethoscope on you as well but I end up chucking mine in a drawer until I need it. In codes, we usually take them off the doc's neck or the paramedic student's neck. :)

So far I've learned that attitude is everything. Don't argue, DO ask "stupid" questions all day long, LISTEN, respect your elders, clean up after yourself, ask "what do you need me to do for you??!", teach the techs things (re-solidifies your knowledge). Sorry if this isn't answering your question. This is more of a personal reflection of my last two months. LOL!

It's nice to have a stethoscope on you as well but I end up chucking mine in a drawer until I need it.

I keep mine in a holster on my belt. I don't like the plastic ones but I have a nice leather one that holds it very securely. I don't like having to go get it when I need it.

So far I've learned that attitude is everything. Don't argue, DO ask "stupid" questions all day long, LISTEN, respect your elders, clean up after yourself, ask "what do you need me to do for you??!",

Well put.

I'll add:

1) Don't make excuses.

2) Learn to anticipate what the docs need in order to help the flow of emergent situations.

[pattyweb]

Shoes to wear and keep at hospital. While I never worked ED, the STUFF on the units was bad enough. Definitely did not like to wear my work shoes home, no matter where I left them when I got there.

[docomo]

other than the obvious, pens, stethoscope, scissors.

1. candy or granola bars.

2. "pocket pharmacopoeia for nurses". because 90% of what you do is giving drugs, and when it comes to questions like "over how many minutes should this drug be administered?" or "what precautions to be aware of?" this little pocket book will be the best $10 you ever spent. I never work without it!

3. fine tip hi-lighter, to hi-light things in your pocket drug book so looking up info on a drug you've already given will only take you 5 seconds.

[NICUmiiki, DNP, NP]

Nurses in my ER tend to have with them:

stethoscope (usually not the expensive cardiology type and most leave them at the desk)

Hemostats (provided by hospital)

Tape (provided by hospital)

Black good pen (to use for charting and stuff)

Black troll pen (to let people borrow and let patients sign things)

Trauma shears

Sharpie

[brewski09]

pens (one color is fine unless you paper document), stethoscope (I have a Littman Classic II and have seen many ED nurses use this one as well) (maybe not depending on your ED - they may be laying around everywhere), trauma shears, hemostats (always hard to find when you need them).

The lock is a good idea. a notepad is also useful. i used to grab a sheet of paper when i got to work and just organize myself that way so it wasn't so big in my pocket, but many ED nurses i know do carry a notepad. The scrubs are unnecessary (to me) because our hospital provides loaners if you get something on you. also, if its small, just clean it with some hydrogen peroxide or saniwipes.

throw some flushes and alcohol wipes in your pocket when you get on shift. you can carry the sharpie, but it isn't used that much and skin marking pens are always available.

look stuff up while you are there. you need to know it sooner than later in most cases and can get a quick idea of what you are looking for from intranet searches or other resources supplied by your hospital. just look at what the MD uses to search for their information and get familiar with the same system if you can, it will help a lot.

good luck

[suiteums, MSN, RN]

I'm a new grad starting in the ER I precepted in too! Coband, lots of coband...and tape.

[Belle2013]

So after 3 weeks here's what's commonly in my pocket.

1) trauma sheers

2) tape around my stethoscope

3) pin light attached to my badge

4) sharpie attached to my badge

5) 2 pins

6) Chapstick

7) mints or a Baggie or raisins/pretzels since lunch is a rare thing!

8) and I always have a watch on!