New Nurses! What to Bring With You!

Описание: Hello My loves!
This is Caroline from EmpoweRN with some more Motivation!! 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 ☺
See you soon!!
Xoxo
Caroline

Disclaimer:
These videos are intended for entertainment purposes only. Please follow the policy and procedures that your institution requires.
Please note that the views, ideas & opinions expressed on this channel and in the videos on this channel are not necessarily of those of my employer or institution. The views expressed on this channel and in the videos channel do not represent medical advice. If you have specific medical concerns, please contact your physician. In order to protect patient privacy, all patient identifiers in all videos have been deleted or altered.
The views expressed on this channel and in the videos on this channel are personal opinions. I am not an expert nor do I dispense medical advice or procedural specifications. The information I present is for general knowledge and entertainment purposes only. You need to refer to your own medical director, teachers and protocols for specific treatment information. It is your responsibility to know how best to treat your patient in your jurisdiction.