The Eight Must Haves They Didn't Tell You to Get in Nursing School
When you start nursing school, they give you the usual list of supplies to have for clinicals: pen, pen light, scissors, stethoscope, blood pressure cuff (Protip: Don't buy this one, they'll have them at the hospital or your skills lab. I don't know why it's even on the list, I never used it!). Those supplies are all good, so I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here to tell you the little secret items nurses need at the hospital to stay efficient AND chic!
- Stethoscope Holder
- Supplies Organizer
- Coffee Mug
- Cute Lunch bag
- Cute ID/Stethoscope Badge
- Watch
- Nursing Shoes
- Drug Book Phone App
1. Stethoscope Holder
I own a Littman lightweight stethoscope and it's at least 2 oz lighter than the classic. I wear it around my neck, but eventually, it still starts to hurt my neck. Not to mention when I lean over to help with the patient, it starts dragging around everywhere.
Problem solved with Prestige Stethoscope Holders which are less than $5 and you can clip on to your scrubs pants. And they come in fun colors like pink and purple, or you can just get plain black or white.
2. Supplies organizer
It's great to buy scrubs with lots of pockets! I love my cargos. But I still end up scouring around my pockets for the item I need. I'd try to limit what I carry so I wouldn't have to scour as much -- but that still worked against me because sometimes you really do need that eye chart! During my Rehab rotation, I saw my nurse using a little organizer bag and it could carry everything in a quick easy to spot way -- pens, penlight, markers, highlighters, drug book, scissors, eye chart, alcohol swabs, and so forth. I'd be rummaging through my pockets and she could just pluck an item out of her bag and be like, "Here!" I would recommend something that looks like this super cute $15 Allegro Baroque cosmetic tote or $13 Lexie Organizer.
3. Coffee Mug
It goes without saying that we nurses need our coffee to function! The Contigo Coffee Mug is my personal pick for a coffee mug, with an Autoseal lid that automatically seals between sips to ensure no spills, double-wall vacuum-insulated technology that keeps coffee hot for approximately 4 hours (or cold drinks cold for about 12 hours), AND it comes in this wicked hot berry pink color!
My parents never bought me a lunch bag when I was a kid. They figured why buy that when they can recycle an old plastic bag for free. When I got to nursing school, I finally decided to get one for myself. The $8 Raya by Thermos coolers have the most adorable designs! I especially like them over tote-style bags because I can lay my tupperware flat instead of vertically to prevent any spills. They are insulated inside to keep food fresh, cool or warm, and have a little pocket on top where I keep a napkin or utensils. My only complaint is I can't fit bottles or my coffee mug, although it can fit soda cans just right.
5. Cute ID/Stethoscope Badge
Unless you're a Hello Kitty or Betty Boop fan, I've never particularly liked any of the usual ID/Stethoscope badges in the regular medical stores. Then I came across Reeldifference.com and they have absolutely fabulous badges from $25-30! Whether it's animals, sports, Hello Kitty, or holiday badges, you know it is going to be one-of-a-kind! They also make $10 beaded bracelets which you can ingeniously wrap around your stethoscope instead of using a normal stethoscope badge.
to buy beads and make your own!
6. Nursing Watch
I'm not entirely sure how decided I am on what kind of watch to recommend wearing at a hospital. As much as I would love to wear that diamond Rolex, I'm not sure how much I would trust myself with that kind of jewelry around a ton of diseases, then bringing it home and out to private parties. I do remember one of my professors wore a Burberry watch, so it might actually be the way to go. For the sake of utility, I bought myself a Timex Sports watch in the color purple--gotta throw in a hint of style somewhere! I did do a quick survey (and by survey, I mean I asked four of my friends), and the most important thing about watches for the job is that they show the seconds. Another great suggestion was using a watch with military time. Ultimately, whether it's a cute sport watch or a feminine silver watch, just make sure you sync it with your hospital time!
7. Nursing shoes
Like the watch, I am not completed decided on what kind of shoes to buy for nursing. My first pair was from Sketchers, mostly because of how slim and stylish they look, and I figured they had to be comfortable if they were sneakers. After a 12 hour shift though, my feet still hurt. A friend has recently suggested Merrell to me, which prides itself in providing comfort, support and stability. The full grain leather styles are also waterproof (hopefully that means bodily-fluids proof too?), which make it easy to clean. When it comes to my feet, comfort is definitely the way to go! I just wish they came in more cute colors too!
8. Drug Book Phone App
I know most nursing schools probably don't allow phones in the clinical setting. But honestly, almost all the nurses I worked with used their phones. Secondly, even if phones are against hospital policy, we need to take advantage of technology! Imagine if nurses could have all patient charts on iPads? And to think some hospitals still use paper charting! How can we be pioneers and advocates in the medical field if we cannot even incorporate simple phone apps that will help us be more efficient in our work? In the words of Dr. Spencer Johnson, change always happens, so adapt to change quickly and be ready to change quickly again. If new technology comes out, use it and be ready to use even newer technology again! There's my quick spiel on that.
As for the Drug Book Phone App, I unfortunately haven't found any good ones that are free. McGraw-Hill Nurse's Pocket Drug Guide does have a 7-day free trial, then costs $12.99. However, I would recommend buying the Nursing Central app because it comes with five different apps in one:
- Davis's Drug Guide
- Taber's Medical Dictionary
- Davis's Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests
- Diseases and Disorders
- Medline Journals
Everything you need for a quick reference at your fingertips! I do admit it's extremely pricey at $159.95 (buying each app separately is at least $200), but with all the nursing books I had to buy in school and some I barely even touched, I think this is actually worth it!
Do you have any essential tips for the nursing fashionista?
*Disclaimer: None of these websites/companies have paid me to advertise these products. They are just things I've discovered on my own or are my own preference.
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