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?
If no jacket, everything in my chest pocket except paper goes in back pocket and tape goes on hemostats hanging from pocket.
I must be a more experienced nurse now, because I can remember which pocket I always have things in. But when I have the narcotics keys, I don't always drop them in one pocket or the other, so I have to search when someone needs them. Funny how I can usually find them immediately when I need them though!!
Well, it doesn't look like anyone uses the fanny packs. I used my scrub coat pockets again last night. Too much stuff to carry around. It hurst my shoulders after awhile. Then I had to take my coat off as the hospital "forgot" to put the A/C on and the place was an oven!
Hi everybody, I'm a newbie here. This looked like a good place to get my feet wet. I'm an LPN, working toward ADN, and I work in a Special Ed school. Severly multi-handicapped kids. I'm on the go all day with G-tube feeds, meds, yadda yadda... anyway... I have to carry a lot of stuff, cause a kid always needs a band-aid when I'm across the school from my office! LOL BTW, half the school is Alternative ED... ADHD,etc. My fanny pack is part of me like my scrubs! I ran out of pockets, cause I carry my cell phone in case I need 911 and I 'm in a classroom, or the RN is covering her other building and I need to get her quickly. I also got myself a really nice CPR mask, that I carry and it takes a lot of room. And I recently got myself a stethoscope cover, and it is a god-send to my neck! OK... I guess I introduced myself, so talk to you soon! This is a great site!!
Please forgive me all, but when you have been doing this a "couple of days", you too' will also be fortunate to remember what a bandaid scissor is, let alone............
and of course, I am sure I am in the minority here.................
but just had to say................
go to the bookstore and buy...............
"Don't Sweat The Small Stuff at Work"
and other 'small stuff' books.............
come on people, there is more to life than this.........
I got a small pouch with 2 pockets when I was in Nursing school. It fits well in scrub pockets. In it I fit 4 pens, a black marker, a highlighter, 2 hemostats, a ruler (thin), and a primacor chart. All fits in my right pocket. Left pocket has tape, note book, swabs, and a postit pad. In my chest pocket I have normally 5 pens (you want a colour, I've got it) and my ID. On my belt I have my PDA and flashlight. I thank God that I only have 3 pockets, as I can only guess what I'd carry if I had more. I saw some great ideas here that I might try.
I guess I'm a minimalist like Heather! Left pocket has my cheat sheet, and pen. Right pocket has hemostats and scissors. Stethoscope goes around the neck. That's it. In the ICU where I work alcohol pads, tape, tegaderm and practically everything else you can think of is kept in the patient's room. Keeps it simple. Of course I still have my humongous nursing bag with everything but the kitchen sink which I keep in a drawer at my station. I know several nurses who use the id badge clips to hook their scissors, hemostats, etc to their belt loops or pants pockets.
whipping girl in 07, RN
697 Posts
Right jacket pocket: 2 pens, tourniquet, tape, paper for notes, report sheet
Left jacket pocket: hemostats, coke $$, lipstick, eye drops, sudafed 12hr (1 pill)
stethoscope around my neck.
If no jacket, everything in my chest pocket except paper goes in back pocket and tape goes on hemostats hanging from pocket.
I must be a more experienced nurse now, because I can remember which pocket I always have things in. But when I have the narcotics keys, I don't always drop them in one pocket or the other, so I have to search when someone needs them. Funny how I can usually find them immediately when I need them though!!