I was wondering, what do you nurses out there carry your supplies in? You know what I mean. All those pens, tape, scissors, hemostats, alcohol wipes, EKG calipers, mini calculator, etc, etc, etc. Since I've been an RN (five years this August), I've always worn a scrub coat with pockets and carried all my loot in them. All that stuff gets pretty heavy after awhile and I've noticed that it's causing the pockets to rip off some of my jackets.
So, while I was at Wal Mart today, I bought one of those Fanny packs. Like the "nurses" on ER wear around their waists. Do any of you use these? What about the apron? Are they practical? Or should I continue to load up my pockets?
In my right pocket I carry 1 red pen and 2 black pens, and my scissors and hemos that are connected by an allergy band (got tired of always losing one or the other, now I never lose either of them).
In my left pocket are my brains and a couple of bucks.
There's 2 of us, so 2 ThanksGiving Squirrels, scanned from a greeting card Unfortunately had to shrink it to get it to fit as avatar!
We're sorta old-fashioned like that, and are Preppers, ready for earthquakes in the Cascadia Subduction Zone, Doomer-type stuff, so the pic is apropo, heeheeheheheheheheh, plus an old joke
We tried the lab jacket but have to wear short sleeve scrubs with 3 pockets and an apron to work fast enough and have enough handy for these poor ole tired feet n legs ...
When we first started posting here we used that little lab flask bubbling one that comes with the vB software, but then we used the Squirrels, hasn't changed ... doubt you're crazy, just squinting :roll
Speaking of image morphing, we did a lot of eyeball adjusting before we realized what NurseDennie's avatar was! LOL! These little pics are a blast! Something we really enjoy :)
we usually have a table or counter. I have a pencil case for odds and ends, I collect funky pens. In my pocket, I use an empty 50cc I.V bag for my pens, the ones with 4 colours in em, a pencil, sissors..and what ever else I pick up. Rolls of tape go around my stethescope. My pockets still get pen marks, ripped, etc....ohhh well..all part of the job!
When I work the floor each nurse has her own med cart, so I may use the fanny pack and keep it on the cart, just not attached to my waist. Thanks for all your input.
After too many years with all my nursing paraphanelia in my scrub top and lab jacket pockets I have changed my ways to accomodate my sore shoulders. All that weight is just too much. I bought a couple of pairs of scrub pants with 2 pockets on each leg. The pockets are doubled on the mid outer thigh which makes it easy to reach what I need. The only problem with these pockets is having things fall out while sitting or running. Someday I'll suggest to the makers of these scrub pants to sew a flap on the pockets which would help the problem. I modified mine with a small piece of velcro. I still keep my pens and money in my scrub pockets along with a few alcohol swabs and other things I pick up during the course of nursing. It makes it easy to leave all that stuff at work at the end of the day.
I keep all my "goodies" in my scrub top pockets and my pants pockets, I wear those types with the pockets on the legs. Some nights I carry enough keys and things that I feel like my top and pants are being yanked down! :)
Cascadians - thanks! I see it now - two squirrels and the thing in front is like a big Indian corn!!!! I sort of thought it might be a stage, with the big pilgrim hats as decoration above risers. Low visual acuity.
Unfortunately had to shrink it to get it to fit as avatar! 
OBNURSEHEATHER
1,961 Posts
In my right pocket I carry 1 red pen and 2 black pens, and my scissors and hemos that are connected by an allergy band (got tired of always losing one or the other, now I never lose either of them).
In my left pocket are my brains and a couple of bucks.
I'm a simplist
Heather