What's In Your Pocket?

Nurses New Nurse

Published

wanting to hear from you first year nurses about what you carry in your pockets and why, what could you not live without. I know I need a good watch, stethescope, hemastats, ............what else?

:confused:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatrics Only.
wanting to hear from you first year nurses about what you carry in your pockets and why, what could you not live without. I know I need a good watch, stethescope, hemastats, ............what else?

:confused:

-Alcohol wipes- never know when you are going to need these, and its good to clean your stethoscope inbetween patients.

-Bandaids - a necessity

-a 2x2 (in case an IV came out I had some gauze)

- Medical Tape - retaping IV's, marking IV bags, etc

- Sissors - just a good thing to have. I used them a lot.

-Hemastats

-2 Pens

-A Penlight - in order to check pupils..

-My report sheet

Stethoscope around my neck, watch on my wrist.

hope that helps!

Meghan

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.

Sharpie, red pen, black pen, PDA, chewing gum, money for the soda machine and a bottle of ibuprophen for the aches and pains that are a certainty of the shift.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, telemetry, LTAC.

Two pockets. I'm freaky and separate things into two groups, and always expect to find the stuff in the correct pocket.

Right pocket: two pens, narc keys, lotion, fingernail clippers, scribble paper/pad.

Left pocket: penlight, scissors, hemastats, alcohol wipes, electrode pads. If I have a rubber band on my wrist it's from the charge paper from some bag of fluids, and the paper wound up in the left pocket. Rubber band is to remind me to do something with the paper.

Watch on wrist, steth around neck... heaven help me on the day I wear the jacket with four pockets, then stuff winds up in all the wrong places and I can't find any of it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CVICU.

I carry in my pockets -

  • My PDA - but I am not sure how much longer. Since I have access to a computer in the patient room and desk I can look up drugs etc and don't use the PDA as much as I did in school.
  • Two pens - my favorite that I use and a second to give to anyone that needs to borrow one for "just a second"
  • Gum - since I work with a preceptor all day and don't want kicking breath.
  • My report cheat sheet - info on my patients :)
  • Alcohol pads end up in my pocket by the end of the day

In my backpack at the nurses station

  • Drug guide book
  • Stethoscope
  • Sissors
  • Pen light
  • Critical care book
  • Orientation paperwork.

Most of the stuff I thought I would need is at the bedside in the patient room or usually one room over.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Seems like I carry my life in my pockets!

(I usually have four pockets.)

tape

alcohol wipes

2x2

opsite

pair sm. gloves

hemostats

scissors

calipers

heart rate card

important # card (house doc, nrs sup, rt)

electrode pads

tele battery replacement

pens/pencil/dry erase marker

phone

watch on my wrist, clipboard in hand with my brains on it, steth around my neck, med key on my arm bracelet thing and i am good to go.

hope that helps : )

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Transplant, homecare, hospice.

-permanent marker

-black pen

-red pen

-scissor

-hemostat

-alcohol wipes

-blue IV caps (cap IV's when they finish infusing)

-front breast pocket--> pack of gum

-in my back pocket --> folded notes on my patients

Stethoscope can usually be found draped over the back of my neck.

wanting to hear from you first year nurses about what you carry in your pockets and why, what could you not live without. I know I need a good watch, stethescope, hemastats, ............what else?

:confused:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics.

the things i cannot do without are my highlighters!! different colors mean different things and i would be lost without them!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neuro ICU, Neuro/Trauma stepdown.

what do nurses carry hemostats for?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.
what do nurses carry hemostats for?

To twist off stubborn IV caps. To twist off leur locks that are on too tight. To untie patient gowns that are tied in a knot at the back of the neck. To my embarrassment, I once had on a pair of scrub pants that tie at the waist. They are very difficult to untie.......I had to use a hemostat to untie the pants so I could go to the bathroom :roll

Hemostats are also called Kelly clamps.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.

I wear an apron....I could never fit in my pockets all the stuff I need all the time. In apron - about 5 black pens, sharpie, calipers, hemostat, scissors, tape, pencil.

Right scrub pocket, lots of alcohol wipes and sometimes 3cc and 10cc syringes, EKG sticky pads. Left scrub pocket - my PDA. Left pant pocket - car key and locker key. Right pant pocket - liversaver mints. Cargo pockets - sometimes cell phone and money. My brains I like to carry in left breast pocket on my scrub tops. If I don't have a pocket there, then they go in right scrub pocket. Steth around my neck........which I could probably get by leaving in my locker after initial assessments. I constantly get them tangled in IV lines or monitor lines!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I carry hemostats, scissors, pens, dry erase marker for pt boards, car keys, cell phone(turned off of course), alcohol pads, bandaids, cheat book got from the army recruiter that came to my school all kind of neat things you need to know at times. My patient list with why they are hear. My badge has my locker key on it. Stethoscope around my neck and watch on my left wrist.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment