Hello My loves!
This is Caroline from EmpoweRN! Just wanted to give my new nurses (and soon
to be nurses ;) some tips to help them prepare for their jobs and/or clinical
rotation....
One question that I have heard repeatedly is this: What should I be carrying around with me?
Well honestly this will vary somewhat depending on which unit you call home,
however I try to pay attention to the things that I do over and over.
If I do something on a daily basis, I
figure out a way to make it a habit. Whenever
a new task is added or I start to see a new medication more often that requires
something specific, I find a way to make administration easier. For example, let’s just say our
hospital started ordering Dilaudid IV 2 mg in a glass vial. I will start carrying with me filtered
needles so that I’m not running up and down the unit looking for a filtered
needle while my patient suffers in pain.
I’m very methodical about how and
where I place things in my pockets. Because
my goal every day is to move faster and faster on the unit, this involves
knowing where everything is that I need to get my job done. I take what I do very seriously. I’m grateful every single time that I
have the opportunity to care for an individual. I am so grateful for the hospital and
the administrators who run the organization that gives me a place to do this
awesome job. You should
feel the same; I know you worked hard for this, but it is still a privilege. With that said, let me tell you
how I prepare to do an outstanding job.
I’m going to first list the supplies that
I keep in my pocket on a regular basis:
Left Shirt Pocket
1. Alcohol swabs
2. Sticky notepad
3. Flushes
4. Wrapped 18 gauge blunt needles 2 or 3
5. Filtered needles 2 or 3
6. Empty 3 ml syringe 1 or 2
7. Telemetry leads 1 or 2
8. On the outside I have a banana hair clip
Right Shirt Pocket
1. Scissors
2. Highlighter
3. Black dry erase marker
4. Red dry erase marker
5. Black Sharpie
6. Mechanical multicolor pen
7. 2 mechanical pencils
8. One pink (or turquoise) uni-ball pen
9. 2 black mechanical pens
10. Transparent tape
11. Pen light
12. Telemetry calipers
In my pants pockets
1. Pulse oximeter (right pocket)
2. Temporal thermometer (left pocket)
In my bag
1. Pill crusher
2. Another pair of medical scissors
Each item is important to my
work. I usually work as a
Telemetry/Cardiac nurse. I
say “usually” because I am also a float nurse, which means I can go to multiple
units. I have been floating
for almost three years now, so I am trained for a number of different
specialties. I am giving
you my base list; however, keep in mind that for your specialty, this equipment
list may vary quite a bit. The
main goal is to have your frequently used items available so you can do your
job in a timely manner.
I hope you find this helpful!!
Please thumbs up and post a comment if so J
See you soon!!
Xoxo
- Caroline
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