What do I NEED??? Help!

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I have orientation at my first hospital job, starting tomorrow as an RN... and I can't think of all that is useful for me to have at work, or necessary really. I was at a doctors office for about 5 months, so I never brought anything other than a stethoscope and watch. PLEASE, any suggestions would be great!!! Anything I should take with me to work in my tote bag, and things to put in my pockets :) This is all I can think of:

Stethoscope

Watch

Sharpies

Bandage Scissors

Pen light

Pens

Pencils

Calculator

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Specializes in med/surg tele, postpartum, mother baby.

maybe a hemostat?

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Specializes in Hospital - Internal Med, Onc.

A small notepad or a few sheets of folded plain paper - something that will fit in your pocket. I use it for writing down report, labs, dx, hx, meds, questions that I had or wanted to look up later, door codes., etc. Oh, and a tape measure might be nice to keep handy. Working on a medical floor, it always seemed like I had at least one pt that need something measured daily. I didn't always have it in my pocket, but it was in my locker. I also have a small magnifier card for those hard to read labels on tiny little vials. They are about the size of a business cad and you can get them at most bookstores for a couple of dollars.

Congrats and best wishes for your new job!

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Specializes in Developmental Disabilites,.

food =)

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Specializes in Emergency Medicine.

I work in an ER so I always have the "basic neccesities" on me. Stethescope around my neck, little notepad in my pocket, I keep a roll of tape on my hemastats and keep the hemastats clipped onto my pocket or waistband and a tourniquet clipped to it, penlight, red pen, black pen, bandage scissors, trauma shears, and chap stick. I also keep a pocket full of saline flushes and extra 20gauge iv needles. That is what I keep on me. I have a RN notes handy pocket guide, hand lotion and a little note pad I keep for little things I need to remember when I filling out this form or that form or what to order when the dr. orders this test, or that test. My little cheat sheet. Hope that helps. Good luck on your new job.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept, Med-Surg.

A small notebook to write down door codes, phone numbers, etc

A hemostat when not being used for its purpose can also be used to keep your tape handy

A highlighter or two to highlight your meds/labs etc on your brainsheet or kardex

Granola or some kind of fiber bar to grab on the run

Good luck and congratulations...I'm a new nurse in orientation and am loving it!!!

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Specializes in Med surg, LTC, Administration.

For my first day of orientation I would bring, myself, my ears and a great attitude! Believe me, those will suit you very well!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Nsg QA.

Drug handbook?

I kept a small address book in my pocket and used it for calling different doctors and hospital departments. I used it to keep track of rounding nurses, too.

I also had several pages of references in the back of my clip board.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Psych, Tele, ICU.

some sharpie markers, a clip board

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Food, pencil, multi-ink pen, trauma shears, and scope

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Might as well start to form a "brain" sheet. Bring one you might have used in clinical, and start to change it around once you start with patients.

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