What did you need ot start?

bsnrnoh · Mar 13, 2005

You need to know what kind of visits you will be doing to determine what you will need. Post-op: bandages, wound measuring devices, lots and lots of gloves, steri strips (you will want ot know whether you take dispoable suplies, company delivers or is pt expected to get them), IV: who is the home pharmacy and what do they deliver vs. what you need to bring. And peds can be a whole other matter, but I have never one peds at home so I do not know what you would need.

Good Luck

My company suppied all equipment, including b/p cuff and stethescope. You could use your own if you wanted to though.

Tomskatt · Mar 13, 2005

Thanks!!!Do you use a specific type of bag? In NY no company ever supplies anything!!! :)

Traveler · Mar 13, 2005

I have copied and pasted what I posted to another board about this same question. I think I did leave some things out. I believe I missed liquid soap, paper towels, and barriers for my bag. The company should supply most everything. I use my own steth, my own bp cuff, and my own tympanic thermometer. They would supply these things for me, but I like the tympanic and I like my Littman. So out of my own pocket are the thermometer covers and antiseptic wipes to wipe down my bp and steth between patients. (That's a pet peeve of mine. Most people don't.) I have probably left some things out- but I think that's it:

I work as an RN in home health. You never know what you will need so it's good to carry a little bit of everything. In my bag that I take into the home I carry a stethoscope, bp cuff, thermometer, pulse ox, pen light, soft tape measure, 3cc syringes, insulin syringes, 12cc syringes, wound care supplies (skin prep pads, 4x4's, telfa, calcium alginate, silver dressing, duoderm, Versiva, Combiderm, paper tape, Hypafix, Opsite, abd pads, sterile qtips, abt oint, bandaids, Xeroform, Kerlix, stretch gauze, wound cleanser, saline, wound measure tool), alcohol pads, glucometer, scissors, tongue depressors, venipuncture supplies, gloves, cpr mask, gown, spill kit, sharps container. Since I have been in the field more than once without what I need, I carry a box in my car. In it I have straight cath tray, add a foley tray, silicone and regular cath, foley bag, leg bag, sterile gloves, staple and suture removal tray, urine cup, IV start set, port access needles, central line dressing change, heparin and saline flush, irrigation syringe, IV tubing, various IV adapters, Unna boots, CoBan, Heel protectors, a cooler to transport specimens, cold pack. I probably have more than that in there but I think that's basically it.

CardioTrans, BSN, RN · Mar 13, 2005

The company that I work for supplies all the needed equipment. I do however use my own stethoscope. As far as the bag, its supplied as well. We have car boxes, but it has the minimal things in it, (extra foley, syringes, and small amount of wound care like 4x4s, rolled gauze and tape). I have been doing home care for almost 15 yrs and to have been in the home without something, so I keep extras in my car. But at the beginning of the week, I look at my schedule for the week and order all my supplies for the patients, and that way I dont have to go into the office unless I have to. I order enough supplies for 10 days for ea pt, that way if the visit has to be moved forward or back a day or two, they still have enough supplies.

Reference materials are however, not furnished. You need a good drug book, (the computer system we use has drug teaching on it though). A lab book, I have a book on wound care, and also one that talks about Medicare guidelines. I cant think of the name of it at the moment, or who the author is, but its one that is updated as things change. I think the authors name is Tina something. I also made up an OASIS reference book for my own. I change it out, as Medicare changes the OASIS info. It gives step by step infor on how to answer the OASIS questions. You will find out quickly, just when you get OASIS down, they go and change how it should be answered.

I also have some info regarding what skills are paid for, for example, Procrit injections are only paid for when certain diagnosis are given. And also, Vit B12 injections are covered with certain diagnosis and certain blood tests are on record.

Clear as mud, right?? You will learn as you go, just know that its always changing and you will be learning things day to day, even after 15 yrs.

hoolahan, ASN, RN · Mar 13, 2005

My agency supplies everything, and I won't repeat what is said above. I also do like my own tympanic thermometer, but I also have a digital oral thermometer in case I run out of covers, or I want a double check of a temp. My agency supplies the tympanic, but I had a lot of problems with it, so I found one that used the same covers at Walmart, so I don't need to buy covers. I do buy the plastic covers for the oral one though, bt they aren't expensive.

I used to buy a drug book, but now the agency supplies that too. The reason is, they wanted everyone to use only thier book to teach about meds consistently. I also have a small Englis/spanish medical terminology book. The books weight you down!

So, for that reason, I use a backpack from L.L.Bean. It has tons of little pockets. I keep alcohol packets in one pocket, hand cleanser in anout outer pocket, and it even has a larger pocket in the front that can hold my sharps container.

I also bought 2x2 sized band aids for those people who are post cath or have a large dressing S/P CVP line placement that needs to be replaced with something smaller.

In my car, in the trunk I have another box of bigger supplies like the foleys, irrigation sets, etc. I also have pt ed materials in there. Esp Lovenox injection directions, insulin inject directions and lots of diabetic instructions.

Someone mentioned insulin syringes. Don't leave home without them. If I had a dollar for everytime a pt got D/C with insulin but no syringes...ugh. But worse is the insulin pens w/o the required needles to attach, since we don't have those, but at least you may be able to draw up insulin for a few days for the pt until they can get the needles. This will only happen on weekends when pharmacies are closed and you can't get the doc on the phone.

Tom, I do believe you MUST be supplied with personal protective equipment, that is OSHA law.