What's in your bag?

[jazziejp89]

Im a new nurse (LPN in OK) and tomorrow is my first day of work. Its a medium size nursing home with a skilled hall on it. What should I pack in my bag for tomorrow and days to follow. I have my stethoscope, pen light, scissors, pens, and what else?

[wannabe2008]

Yikes! If those supplies are not already available in the cart and at the nurses station, it probably is not the facility to be working at. They spend the money on that, not you. Just make sure you know where they are even if it means making a list of everything MyHartSings4U mentioned and where they are located so you can go right to them when needed, On the other hand, the advice relating to everything else is right on! YES I know I am replying to an old post but I am posting this in the hopes that another new nurse might find it useful.

[MedChica]

I bought a nursing bag that was way larger than expected. It's cute but it's big.

- Steth + cuff

- Automatic B/P cuff

- Penlights

- Thermometer (temp and oral)

Supplies

- Note pads + stickies

- Pens

- Mini-tape measure

- Scissors

- Med book and guides

- One of those 'thingies' that scores pills

- Disposable therm covers

- Alcohol wipes

- Hand sanitizer

- phone charger

- Spare set of scrubs

- A folder with copies of all paperwork because they completely shaft us on the weekends. Or...they used to. Things are different, now. They probably got tired of the photocopied hodgepodge handiwork I was turning in every week...and, yeah, that was purposely done.

I didn't use my master copies. I went through the file cabinet and 'worked with what they gave us'. I didn't even make front/back copies. Just 7 sheets of crap stapled together. My coworker would ask me if I I had spare copies (b/c he didn't have master copies) and I'd hand him my crappy copies on which to do his work.

I did this for 2 straight weekends. On weekend 3, things were magically in order. The (A)DON to put a fire under the butts of the day/eve shift and made them properly stock the nurse's station.

Let the end justify the means.

Had I just taken it upon myself to do everyone's job for them and made a bazillion and 1 copies, I would've still been burning up 15-45 minutes of my shift looking for the correct forms...tinkering with the copier at the nurse's station...then, trying to find someone with keys to the main office who could unlock the damned door and give me access to the fax machine that ALWAYS works.

[sharpeimom]

I agree with the above posts, but I always carried a ten dollar bill in my pocket and stuck a tampax into my pocket even if it weren't "that time of the month." I kept a small box of them in my locker too.

[Fiona59]

I have to agree, BP cuff, clamps,alcohol wipes, thermometers, etc are the responsibility of the facility.

Small tubes of lotion four personal use.

You shouldn't be carting around a ton of equipment that should be provided by your employer

[kayak007]

I know this may sound a little strange....a headlamp....my friend, who is an RN, keeps a headlamp on him....he uses it to insert foleys...trust me, I have used it to examine scalps...they light up everything and your hands are free. With everything myself and everyone else is suggesting you might want to consider a suitcase instead of a bag...just kidding. I found it useful to have a small pulse oximeter and alcohol scrubs, in edition to scissors, tape and a penlight with me. Having a small pulse oximeter kept me from running around on the floor either in search of one or in search of one that worked. Considered buying a thermometer, but for just doing clinical, wasn't worth the cost. Yes, definitely invest in a nursing software program for your phone. Your first day will tell you what you will possibly want to buy or do without.