What kind of personal medical equipment are nurses allowed to use at the hospitals?

Zookeeper3 · Feb 3, 2010

a manual sphygmo, stethescope, penlight, scissors and hemostats(two). Thats all I bring.

EVERYTHING else in my facility has to be calibrated through clinical engineering. So I couldn't treat the results of anything that wasn't tested each year and had a sticker. Even our patient fans and portable radio at the nurses station has stickers on them.

mamamerlee, LPN · Feb 3, 2010

I never had my own BP set until I worked Home Health. The pulse ox meters that are for general sale are usually marked 'not for hospital use'.

So stethoscope, penlight, bandage scissors, hemostats. I used bright red nail polish to mark my stuff - - easy to spot, won't come off w/alcohol. Or tag them in some way.

Up2nogood RN, RN · Feb 3, 2010

It's a big no-no to bring anything besides stethoscope, penlight, scissors, hemostat. I believe a manual sphygmo would need to be cleared by biomed engineering also at my hospital. Why would you spend your own money on CBG machine or pulse ox when the hospital supplies these?

rachelgeorgina · Feb 3, 2010

^ That's what I want to know.

When I worked nursing home there was an AIN/CNA that brought her own auto-BP machine that fitted around the wrist to.. "save time" but I've never seen anyone use their own equipment aside from the very basics. Most nurses I've seen don't even carry their own steths.

lpnflorida · Feb 3, 2010

Stethscope is the only thing I have bought. Everything else is supplied. Each patient gets their own bp cuff due to possible cross infection.

Siddhartha · Feb 3, 2010

pet peeve cross over here...wrist BP cuffs...very inaccurate and generally not policy. Most facilities require equipment to go thru some testing and verification periodically. Why would I want to pay for a glucometer and strips out of pocket for a facility, when that stuff is part of patient charges? Advocate for your patients in what they need for assessment tools.

Piki · Feb 3, 2010

Why would you want to buy and bring in your own medical equipment? Glucometers every place I've seen have special hospital docking units to download blood sugars into the computer. Every patient here uses the B/P cuff in their room, as mentioned above, using it from patient to patient increases the risk of cross contamination. The only thing I bring in is my stethoscope and scissors, but really, we can use the scissors that come in the sterile packages for suture removal. And several nurses just use the cheap stethoscopes at work that are provided for patients in isolation.

I honestly can see no benefit in spending your money on equipment that should be provided by your hospital, and also runs the risk of being damaged or stolen at work.

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Feb 3, 2010

I'm a new nurse who is starting unit orientation on Monday and I was wondering what kind of medical equipment you can bring on your wn..like I have read on this board that some nurses buy their own pulse ox,do you guys buy something else and carry it to work like blood sugar machine or your own blood pressure kit?? I noticed that some of the blood pressure machines are made in the way that it can fit into your pocket..I just want to be adequately prepared and save myself time instead of looking for a pulse ox or something of that nature..please share your thought,experiences,advice..thanks.

The only medical equipment I bring is my stethoscope!! There should be hospital supplied thermometers, glucometers, blood pressure cuffs and anything else you might need. Personally, I wonder if a hospital would even allow you to use equipment you brought in from home if it was not checked by clinical enginerring for accuracy.

BluegrassRN · Feb 3, 2010

We only bring our stethoscopes, pens, penlights, scissors and clamps.

All our other equipment is supplied by the hospital.

CBG machines are docked and download the info automatically into the patient's electronic medical record. Some of our vital signs equipment has the potential to do the same, and once all of it does, all the pts' vitals will be automatically downloaded. Pulse ox is part of the vitals cart, EtCO2 monitors are a part of the PCA, which in turn is a part of the IV pump, which does have the capability to download into the pt's electronic record but does not at this time (apparently will in the somewhat near future).

Don't bring your own equipment. You don't have the money to buy the quality of equipment that is needed, nor is it standardized and probably even allowed, unless you are working in a very casual, low key, low tech environment.

mappers · Feb 3, 2010

Well, I've recently considerd a pulse ox, but realize it wouldn't have been cleared through biomed. This really ticks me off. The unit bought these manual BP Cuffs and pulse oxs in these leatherette pouches. They numbered them and put them with our phones. We had to sign them out and in every day. This worked for a while. The monitor techs were responsible for keeping track of them or at least the sign in sheet. No one really used the manual BP cuff except for when the dynamap one looked wonky and they wanted to get a manual.

After about 3 months, the pulse oxs slowly started to disappear. How does this happen???? Of course no one will admit that they have one at home, or in their car. And I'm really sure someone from another floor took them (sarcasm implied.)

Then I found out that two nurses, one nights and one days, were secretely passing one back and forth to each other, so they'd always have one. WHAT??? Why can't we be adults here. They don't belong to you. You're stealing. If you accidently leave it in your pocket and take it home, BRING IT BACK!!! :banghead: :flamesonb

So now the only pulse ox's are on the dynamaps that the aides usually have, that have to be drug from room to room and we only have 4 on the floor anyway. SIGH.

missdeevah, NP · Feb 3, 2010

i'm guessing that the op either works in a nursing home or in home health. that is the only area, i could see one having to, or being allowed to bring their own equipment to work.