I'll be starting nursing school in January or May and I'm looking for input. I know a lot of schools require specific scrubs, stethoscopes etc. but I'm wondering what other unforeseen supplies I may need. I'm working now and want to get as much as I can now while I have some extra cash coming in.
What did you find incredibly useful during school? Any particular study guides, study devices, bags, organization materials etc.
Thanks for your input!
P.S. I'm hoping to be in an Accelerated (14 months) Bachelors program...in case that matters!
I would just buy the basics until you get your official list from the school.
I bought two giant binders (Avery Heavy-Duty on amazon). One for A&P and one for my nursing class. They are seriously huge. Pencils, pens, sharpies, highlighters, sticky notes, index cards, watch with a second hand, you can never have enough sanitizer, a quality stethoscope, and some comfortable white shoes. My clinical instructor didn't ask for much in terms of supplies we need to bring to the hospital: Black pen, black sharpie, hemostat, bandage scissors, stethoscope, miniature tape measure.
I do have a WhiteCoat clipboard with my name engraved. I start class on Monday, so I can't say anything about using it in the clinical setting, but I'm really excited to use it. If I'm not able to, I will definitely use it as a RN. Word of advice, buy the "damaged" ones. I did, saved $10, and I can't find a single thing wrong with it.
I definetley suggest a great calendar!!! I love the ones that are day to day it REALLY does wonders to write everything in your calendar out ahead of time!!! I organized it by three different colors....in pink I wrote my school stuff (lecture time,lab time,clincals, any time I was going to be studying..,etc) in purple I put my work schedule, and then any free time for myself I put in blue. This helped me because if i planned to study two hours one day and I didn't get a chance to I could move it to a future date to be held accountable for it! Also scheduling free time helped me be more sane!!!!
I also think a clipboard would be good for clinicals. I used a small binder for my clinicals,but a clipboard is much more handier!
I bought a tiny notepad with a pen to put in my scrubs pocket to record any patient data at clinicals. This was helpful to me to jot down a persons vitals. I forget things very easily so to have that handy helped a lot!
I reccomend a heavy duty bookbag, mine has tears in it already from just one semester!!!
I love gel pens in different colors, just me being a pen snob lol.
You can buy your own BP cuff, I bought one, to practice at home on any willing participants!!!
Lots of penlights they die so easily! Don't spend too much on them! Just buy the regular ones, nothing fancy.
Hopefully this is a good start for you!!!
Good luck everyone and I hope you will love the first semester as much as I did! I am on my break now and I can't wait to go back even remembering how stressful it can be!
Beachynurse is right - don't take your own stuff into the hospital. You will have BP cuffs, pulse ox, etc all there for you to use. Not only is it not allowed at most clinical sites, its incredibly unsanitary. You will learn real quick after being in MRSA, VRSA, C-diff, VRE rooms to never, ever let anything that has been in the hospital come into your house. My shoes stay in a grocery bag in my car, (I change shoes in the parking lot) my clinical/work backpack is just that - it gets used for NOTHING else, AND gets washed in hot water once a week. Uniforms for work and school, including my compression stockings and socks, get stripped off in the basement, and even my watch gets scrubbed with soap as soon as I make it (in my underwear) to the kitchen sink. Do not introduce multi-drug-resistant organisms into your personal space by taking your personal stuff into a hospital. Those people are there for a reason. They are sick.
I got my compartment clipboard from walmart. It was a black $10 plastic clipboard, but I may invest in a better one I found at Staples. (I need to go school supply shopping ASAP!)
I found my nursing bag on Amazon. I think it is this one, but I remember the price being different. It said it was made for nurses, but it's pretty much a regular bag with little pockets on the inside. It works okay and fits all of my equipment, my drug book, and my care plan book. You could probably find a better one at walmart.
My B/P cuff is a royal blue prestige aneroid. I bought it at the beginning of fundamentals because my professor wanted us to do it "ole fashioned". I rarely use it in clinicals - most facilities have the portable vital pole thingy that does everything in one. I would recommend an electronic wrist B/P cuff like anyone of these. They are worth the investment being that they are so small, quick, and easy to use.
I used my pulse ox every day in clinicals! It also takes pulse rate, which saves so much of your time. Our second semester clinicals were at a rehab facility, which had only two LPNs and a zillion CNAs. The CNAs and CMAs would come to me to start respiratory therapy meds or work on the oxygen tanks, so I quickly became the makeshift respiratory therapist in clinicals. Having my own pulse ox was wonderful! Your clinical facility will have one, but good luck trying to swipe it off of a CNA! I use this one and it works faster than some of the $50 ones I've used.
I forget what brand my TED hose were. I bought them at a local athletic shoe store. They measured my legs and found the correct size for me. I'm sure you could find some cool-looking ones at Academy or Dicks. Just make sure to try them on to make sure they fit correctly! And, trust me, you will love how better your legs feel after spending 6 hours walking in them. I started my BSN program at 19 and all the older nurses told me to take care of my back and legs/feed. I take that very seriously! I don't want to have problems later in life. (I'm actually looking into getting a lightweight back brace, too, like this one.)
I've never been stopped from using my own equipment in class or clinicals. I've done clinicals in nursing homes, hospitals, and rehab facilities - none have squawked. It actually got to the point where the nursing staff were stealing my equipment to use!
I always keep a stash of alcohol swabs to wipe off my tools between uses.
Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Hey, JustBeachyNurse!
I've never been stopped from using my own equipment in class or clinicals. I've done clinicals in nursing homes, hospitals, and rehab facilities - none have squawked. It actually got to the point where the nursing staff were stealing my equipment to use!
I always keep a stash of alcohol swabs to wipe off my tools between uses.
Alcohol is only a partially effective disinfectant. There is a reason hospitals don't clean with alcohol only and use bleach solutions, caviwipes and other hospital strength disinfectants. The equipment manufacturers list the recommended cleaning and disinfecting procedures in the product instructions or online. Something to think about with the high risk for cross contamination these days. Sometimes a good spray with Lysol is all that is needed.
Each facility has rules regarding outside equipment hence why I said check with your school and clinical facility for policy/ permission.
A pocket calculator is a must! And make sure to know hospital policies on outside/personal equipment. Most places do not allow it due to infection control. 3 color BIC pen and pencils. A small notebook to put in your pocket.
SKay226
254 Posts
Wow, great tips! Thanks! :)