What's in your clinical book bag?

[SANART11]

Hey, I cant wait for my first day of NS, and ive read a couple of really helpful tips on preparing for nursing school. I really agreed with the advice on buying two book bags: one for lectures and one for clinicals. Anyway, i was wondering what do you guys keep in your clinical bags and if you dont mind me asking what kind of bag do you wear. Im not really intrigued by the idea of rolling bookbags because public transportation can be really crowded. Thanks for any input.

[NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN]

Here's whats in my clinical bag:

The syllabus

Diagnostic lab book- to llook up patients' labs

Clinical Companion book for Medsurg- Have every disease, nursing intervention, treatment, and etc.

Drug book

Flash cards/drug Cards

Lotion

Snacks

stethoscope

lots of pens and highlighters

Cell phone-on slient ofcourse

extra supplies such as penlight, scissors, and etc.

[CDeniseGo]

It is best to try to get just a cheap standard backpack because at all my clinicals, they didn't have dedicated space for our stuff so it may be on the floor! Don't spend a bunch of money on it. Also, I found that I usually only needed my syllabus, drug book, stethescope, penlight, pencils/pens/highlighters, a notepad, and a clipboard.

[shann106]

We have to keep our bags in a waiting room where pts families are in and out of all day. We are asked not to bring a bag because we have to pile our stuff in one chair so there is not much room to take a bag. I just take my clipboard and keys. I bought a clipboard that opens and can hold my drug book, keys and money. I would love to take more, much more but it is just not doable. I am afraid that if I take a bag and leave it in the waiting room it will get stolen.

[Sarah Hay]

We're not allowed to take bags to the clinical site.

[ErinJane]

Our bags go in the Nurses locker room but we keep them all together and out of the way.

I have:

My drug book

Stetho

Name Tag

Scissors

A snack

Money in a pouch in case I forget my wallet

Pens, Pencils, highlighters

A Clipboard

A bottle of water

A notebook

My IPOD (after clinicals we had 20 minutes for lunch before post conference, sometimes I was less in the mood to talk or the other students were stressing me out)

Notecards with important lab values and info to calculate I and Os

Wet Wipes

[EleniRN]

I echo all of the other posters.. however, I always also have:

Tums

Excedrine

Advil

A small stick of deodorant

Extra hair ties

Lots of mints

HTH

Helen

[ShortStackRN]

My clinical bookbag is filled with the following:

ID Badge

A clipboard--> a MUST have for filling out paperwork when there isn't an open spot at the nurses station or in the breakroom

SNACKS!!! High protein snacks!

Stethescope

Pen light

Bandage scissors

Sharpie pens...these are GREAT for initialing IVs and such because they are small like a pen but don't rub off

Highlighters

RNotes, MEDSURGNotes, OBnotes...whatever rotation you are on get these...they are awesome

Drug Guide

Lotion for my poor cracked hands

My own hand sanitizer

Extra hair ties

Advil/Excedrin/Tylenol/Aleve...whatever is handy

Pepto...just in case

MINTS!!

Diagnostic lab book (because I just CANT remember all those normal levels)

Cell phone

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Wow, I guess I prefer the bare bones approach. Anything I need for the day will be on me.

[sh1901]

I have my stethoscope, pen light, scissors, drug book, notecards (with various information on them), pathophys book, RNnotes (I agree with pp, these are GREAT), snacks, notebook paper, my syllabus, copies of forms required by my program, my cell phone (on silent) & then my little "emergency kit" which has: a spare tampon, midol, aleve, imodium and cold and/or sinus pills.

I don't leave money in my bag because it's not always in the safest places. I got a little change purse that holds my ID, money, etc. and I keep that in my pocket.

[cursedandblessed]

stethoscope, pocket pal thing with the scissors, penlight, alcohol wipes, pens, my patient rnreport card notebook for my patient's info. single serve crystal light packs-the ones with caffeine in them. ibuprofen, tampons, pepto tabs, mints tiny little tins of altoids like sold at walgreens. quarter's strewn around the bottom, always enough down there for lunch jic i forget my $$, but not enough to make it worth stealing. pocket procedures manual that goes along with our text. couple of granola bars, a brush, some hair things, clips, pony holders, my name tag-it never leaves the car or the bag. if i leave it on my uniform it will get washed in the washer and ruined or i'll leave it at home (you can get sent home at my school for not having it.)