What's In Your Pocket?

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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:

I think it depends on what area you are working in. I work in STICU in a Level 2 trauma center, covering a 200 mile radius with 2 jet helicopters.

What I always carry in my pockets:

Scissors

Lots of alcohol pads

Yellow magic marker/red pen to highlight any abnormal findings on

my exam/report sheet

Safety pin for neuro exam

Black ink pen for general notes (we do all charting on computer)

Carpojet (? spelling) for use with MS type syringes

Small, good, bright flashlight (reusable with batteries)

Hemostat attached to hem of scrub top for those tight connections

on IV's, etc.

Direct phone line, laminated numbers to our Drs. (attached to my ID)

Fine tip black marker for dating drsgs./tapes/new lines

Hope this helps and good luck to you in your practice.

MidnightSn1

:penguin:

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Specializes in Med/Surge.

Front right pocket: scissors, tape, pen light, black ball point pens, black "write on/wipe off" marker.

Left front pocket: alcohol swabs, iPag PDA.

Right pant pocket: change and $ money for lunch.

Left pant pocket: tape.

I don't clip the hemostats to my scrub tops b/c they cause holes. I don't think I have ever actually had to use hemostats that I can remember.

Love my PDA and couldn't live with out it. I use it most to look up Drugs and teach the pts, calculations, and to look up odd dx or ones that I am have only seen occasionally, and for lab values.

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Are you guys carrying too much or am I carrying too little?! lol

Pocket - alcohol swabs, 5 cc NS flushes and a pen.

Hanging from my neck - badge and keys

In the beginning of the day I'll have my stethescope and a highlighter but by 9-10AM they're usually tucked away, though still easily accessible.

We keep most supplies locked in cabinets in the patient's rooms so other than alcohol and flushes which I use q4min, e/t else I can easily get to.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
Can anyone answer??? why a cell phone and how usful is a PDA???

Some of those who have responded may have been referring to hospital cell phones carried by all nurses at those facilities.

I'll carry my personal cell phone (turned off or set to vibrate) if I'm expecting an important message (yes, I do try have a life ...). The most efficient way to check it sometime within 12 busy hours is to carry it with me, and quickly check it on my way back from transporting a pt. to the unit or when I head to the rest room. ;) To keep it in my locker, & take the time to go fetch it ... just doesn't work time-wise. This is the same reason I carry money in my pocket - if we're ordering food, or I have a sec to run in the gift shop for a diet Coke, the only way to accomplish this is to have what I need with me.

I find my PDA very useful, but even though I have it in a hard case on a belt/waist clip, I still sometimes find it worrisome to have to be careful with it in the very physical environment in which I work.

It's interesting to read these posts - you can tell a lot about the environments in which we all work from our answers. Those of you who refer to some kind of paper documentation are the ones with the highlighters and different color pens. Computer charting cuts that down to just a black pen for signatures. Some need to carry alcohol swabs and flushes with them, other places are set up so that these are available in rooms.

So far I'm the only one with a pair of trauma shears on me, but many of you are not cutting off clothes!

Interesting reading! :)

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If your phone is off why carry it?

AmyD RN

When I get out of my car I stick it in my pocket, or else I am constantly searching for it when I leave. I have it turned off because our unit is beside the CVICU and you're not suppose to have them on by or in that unit. Plus I don't pick up any signal inside the hospital unless I'm close to a window so it drains my cellphone battery down quickly if it is on.

Add one more thing to my load, on my stethoscope is a roll of tape between the ear pieces, for those unexpected times you need to tape something.

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Front right pocket: scissors, tape, pen light, black ball point pens, black "write on/wipe off" marker.

Left front pocket: alcohol swabs, iPag PDA.

Right pant pocket: change and $ money for lunch.

Left pant pocket: tape.

I don't clip the hemostats to my scrub tops b/c they cause holes. I don't think I have ever actually had to use hemostats that I can remember.

Love my PDA and couldn't live with out it. I use it most to look up Drugs and teach the pts, calculations, and to look up odd dx or ones that I am have only seen occasionally, and for lab values.

Can you please enlighten me as to what a PDA does? I have never had one nor do I know anyone that uses one. How do you look up drugs? Do you put a program on it? Or am I totally out in left field?

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lip balm (it is sooo dry on our unit)

sharpie

yellow highlighter

red pen (noting orders)

black pen

pen light

calipers

other pocket: steth (around your neck actually breaksdown the steth over time)

alcohol wipes

saline and syringes to flush IV's.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU, Neuro/Trauma stepdown.

My stethoscope goes on a "hip clip"

how do you like the hip clip?

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Black pen, red pen, yellow highlighter, my PDA, a penlight, flushes, alcohol swabs, my notes, and $3 for dinner. Seriously I can get an awesome dinner for $3 at my hospital. I'm not lying to my paitents when I say, "Mmmm..that food looks good!" Stethoscope around my neck. Although it's been rubbing me the wrong way lately. I'm thinking about a clip of some sort for it. Or my pocket. I guess that would work too. :)

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What a great question!!! I'm coming back to this post with a checklist on my first day of work. I wouldn't have thought to carry half of these things if this question hadn't been asked and answered. Thank you!!!

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Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.

New nursing student here....what are hemostats and what are they used for?? Are they used enough that I should pick up one to keep on hand??

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Specializes in ED.

watch

stethescope

gum/mints

alcohol wipes

2x2's

bandaides

tape

scissors

blunt tips for IV access

Other needless IV access do-dads

all in a black fanney pack

I'm probably forgetting a few things though

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