To my instructors -- and also students with helpful ideas, too....

[la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN]

Hi everyone,

I'm a faculty liaison for our student association and many of the faculty, especially those in critical care, are concerned about the supplies the incoming students are purchasing, namely the kelly clamps and bandage scissors. Now, I've purchased these as a new student, wide-eyed and not knowing the different between garbage and useful supplies and, after using them, the clamps are really only for sutures and the scissors are good when I can't open a bag of something but not really anything else. The call has been for curved kellys and better scissors. I'm curious as to what you all do for supplies like this. Also, any instructors who have any input as to what they think we should be buying and what is truly necessary, especially when we get into more advanced areas. Finally, if anyone has any input as to what vendor they use (i.e. if they get theirs through the bookstore or if their schools recommend where to get them), I would appreciate this as well. Thanks!

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

There are websites that cater to the EMS crowd and they sell these things. Personally, I got the 8" bandage scissors (!) because you can cut something small with something big, but you can't cut big with small. Besides, they were big enough to engrave c my name* and I was the only one with them so everybody knew they were mine. :)

* make your classmates happy and buy a small buzzing engraving tool at MallWart or a hobby store, and do everybody's stuff for them, or share it at lunch.

[Jenngirl34RN]

In my school the scissors and clamps and really everything like that is included in the lab kit we have to purchase. This is where our kits come from: https://www.meaok.com/default/supply-kits.html

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Give me Trauma Shears! Kelly's at least two curved. A penlight. My own calipers and a small pocket calculator. A good drug book with weight conversions.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

:) I have my trauma shears in my kitchen now that I don't do blood and guts and gore in the ICU anymore. They're great for cutting up chickens.

[la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN]

Thank you everyone! I am having such a hard time finding anything that will deal directly with the school as our club likes to sell them to help fund pinning. Hopefully we can sell something REAL now.