Nurses Tools of the Trade

Introduction

Nurses who worked hard during nursing school finally graduated and became nurses. They deserve a big congratulations. That is a huge accomplishment. They rose to this level, and they must be aware that being fully equipped will help them become as prepared as possible.

That’s why they have to be aware of the nurses’ tools of the trade. Without them having an awareness of what they require to have on hand, failure of preparation can land them into trouble. Before nurses begin to start working, they have to become well-equipped by having several of the following items on hand listed below.

A Medical Bag Is A Must-Have

On any nurse’s first day working at the clinic, they must have a medical bag to put all of their supplies into so they have it on hand. Any medical bag that is with nylon will work. As long as the bag is spacious enough to place all of the items into works. Nurses are assigned lockers where they can store the bags when they don’t need to lug it around. That can only become quite heavy for them, especially if they have larger than normal shoes to help them with their achilles tendonitis or other typical ailments suffered from over working.

There are plenty of high-quality medical bags around that will last them for years. Since quality and space are the two things that they want when shopping for a bag, they’ll accept that they’ll have to pay extra for it. Another quality of the type of bag for them to purchase is how easy it is to clean. They shouldn’t buy the first nursing bag that they see as it is best for them to price different bags around. Evaluating the quality of different ones is essential for them to do as well.

A Stethoscope

One of the critical nurse’s tools of the trade is the stethoscope. Any type of stethoscope that is free of lightweight latex, and affordable is suitable. Nurses need it to measure the blood pressure and to make any other physical assessment. An entry-level stethoscope is just fine as well. The only time a nurse needs this specific type of tool is working in a specialized field such as cardiac or pediatric care.

Their medical professors tell them where to purchase stethoscopes. However, they are available on Amazon. Nurses need to read the reviews quite carefully as well written by other nurses. If they prefer, they can ask other nurses about their opinions on the best type of stethoscopes to purchase. An easy way for nurses to connect is by joining relevant Facebook groups. Examples of functional groups are Nurseup.com, Nursing First, and Exceptional Nurse. Another benefit of nurses joining those groups is that they can connect with others in the same field, even if they work in another specialized medical area.

Proper Nursing Shoes

Nurses must invest in a pair of proper nursing shoes that are slip-resistant. Slipping and falling is a primary concern for nurses that are continually walking across slippery hospital floors. Those floors are wet from being disinfected often. They are hard, which means if a nurse fell, serious injuries can occur.

Slipping and falling is not the only reason that an essential item that is one of the nurse’s tools of the trade are nursing shoes. They’re on their feet for 12 hours. They can quickly end up with problems with their feet, such as bunions, if they aren’t wearing proper shoes.

Proper nursing shoes must have a thin heel and be wide and made with flexible and breathable material. Those shoes are expensive. However, they will keep their feet protected. Those shoes keep nurses protected as they walk quickly across the slippery floors of the hospital corridors. Nursing shoes are comfortable as well, so their feet will not be in discomfort after wearing them for long periods.

Books And Journals

Non-academic books and journals are a must-have as well for new nurses. Journals written by experienced nurses are a good investment. These books cover each aspect of what nurses experience that are not relevant to academics. These issues range from compassion fatigue, coding patients, as well as bullying among nurses. Unfortunately, bullying is an issue in the healthcare field as it is in school and other work settings. Nurses need to be aware of that.

Additionally, they’ll need guidance on how to navigate technology in the clinic or hospital. Plenty of books written by nurses will cover that. Nurses need their journals to write to and jot down important events that have happened during their hectic days. Nurses will be experiencing plenty of emotions, and a journal can be a great release for that. The bottom line is that nursing is a difficult job. Last but not least, nurses require other apparatus, discussed below.

Other Important Nursing Apparatus

Nurses must have hand sanitizer of their own on hand, so they stay clean and sanitized as they handle patients. Sinks will not always be accessible to them, which is why they need those sanitizers. Lotions are also crucial as after cleaning their hands often, they’ll become dry and cracked. Therefore, in addition to the sanitizer, they need cream. Those are the cheaper items.

The more costly items that are necessary are work watches as well as penlights. The penlight is essential to deliver a beam of light to shine into the patient’s pupil to assess the dilation. That is the way that a diagnosis can be made right at the time of examination. In addition to that, watches are essential so that they can keep track of the time. There are plenty of stylish, durable, and affordable watches for them.

Conclusion

Nures must be well-prepared before they begin working. The excitement after graduating from nursing school consumes their minds. However, they must know about the nurse’s tools of the trade to have the items on hand that are essential for when they begin working at the hospital or the clinic. Nurses should start shopping for those essential items long before they start working. Honorable mention goes to adding a pack of shoe glue to your medical bag as shoe soles are commonly separated from the shoe frame, this is an easy to do DIY fix.

They can read and study the recommended books, so they know what to expect in the workplace. They require some time to look for the right pair of nursing shoes, the right watches, and the right nursing bag. Any nurse would not want to start working if they’re not prepared.