What's In Your Pocket?

[AmyD_RN]

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?

[kimmymom]

At the beginning of my shift:

Left pocket: carpuject, scissors, chapstick, tape and alcohol wipes

Right pocket: pens, sharpie, post-it notes, pager and keys for our narc cabinet.

At the end of the night one could add a whole bunch of tabs and caps for IV bags, etc. among other things that I've acquired throughout the shift:)

[neneRN, BSN, RN]

I carry a couple of black pens and a yellow highlighter in my pocket, stethescope around the neck, and Spectralink phone (hospital portable phone-each nurse carries her own and has her own extension) clipped on my hip. It helps that we have a fully stocked supply cart and Med-select in each room, so no need to carry around the rest of the junk.

[arizonanurse]

Stethoscope (I don't like wearing it around my neck, so it goes in my pocket)

Tape

Alcohol wipes

Bandage scissors

IV caps

Lots of pens, since I always seem to lose them

My report sheet

My cell phone

My car keys with a calculator key chain (can't count how many times I and the pharmacist have used that tiny little calculator to calculate creatinine clearance or pediatric drug dosing)

Watch on my wrist

ID badge around my neck with the doctors' phone numbers written on a sticker on the back, and mini black and red sharpies attached

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

Speaking of pockets:

Am I the only one with a ritual? I've noticed that I almost always follow a pattern when I'm loading up stuff from my locker before my shift.

As in: Steth first, then the right pockets, left pockets, back pocket and finally front pocket?

Or do y'all just grab stuff and shove 'em in with no particular order or reason?

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

Hmmm, I only have 2 pens (1 black, 1 red) and my report sheet, which is written on a blank sheet of paper.

But I have a cool bag that has all my reference books in it, and some cookies, some treats, maybe some gum...

Oh, and some money in my back pocket.

[jbendi2]

im excentric i have three pockets.

On my back pants pocket i keep my handy dandy 4 alcohol wipes ( you never know when it comes in handy) and my cellphone

Two front pockets on my top scrub:

on the right pocket: GUM, two dollars (for soda) , penlight, red pen, blue pen, green pen, and black pen

on the left pocket: scissors, 4x4 gauze, band aids, saline flush, and my pocket drug book

[meandragonbrett]

Only thing I carry on me is alcohol wipes, steth, and two pens clipped to my shirt. All of our supplies are in the room.

[Miss Ivy]

What a fun question this is! And interesting to read the replies. I work as an LPN in a peds office. I always carry 3 pens, breath mints, a couple of bucks and a couple of extra band aids.

[SillyLilly]

I either have a scrub top on or a lab coat--either way, I must have 2 pockets.

I have a little pocket organizer which is not too organized. I have 2 pens, a highlighter (lost the combo), alcohol wipes, pen light, scissors, bandaids and tape. Also, my tele pager, PDA, and yes, my cell phone (the only thing in my pant pocket.

We have to still draw up our own flushes, so i carry around a blunt needle, lil saline bottle, and syringe, just in case I need one while in a room.

Other random things end up in my pocket by the end of the day-like stips/lancets, labels, iv tubing because i thought this one room needed tubing change and IVF dc'd last minute, several half empty lil saline bottles, straws/spoons (wrapped of course).

Steth goes around the neck that has a mini stop watch attached.

I have a multi pocket folder from target that has my flow sheets for each room. My own report sheet is taped to the front, with a second sheet underneath to write down what I need to do (document this specific thing, check intake, call this doctor at this time, etc). If I do not write everything down, I will remember 2 days later!

[DarciaMoonz, LPN]

My pockets usually contain the following:

-a couple of pens

-alcohol wipes

-sm. bottle of hand sanitizer

-extra gloves

-note pad

-lpNotes

-suture scissors

-sharpies

-tape

-bandaids

-calculator

[Becca608]

Pens, etoh wipes, note pad, scissors, hand sanitizer, benadryl (I just never know when someone is going be on the floor with some strong perfume on!).:smiley_ab

[RedWeasel, RN]

Extra gloves. For when you cant get to a box. For emergent situations only. IV pops out blood spurting etc.