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1. The Stethoscope
you’ll want one you can recognize or customize it with charms, people lose these in school and later at work as a nurse and every single time its a tragedy.
Littmann is a popular brand, both for baby and experienced nurses
You can also find stethoscope and blood pressure cuff combos which will definitely come in handy while learning your skills
2. A watch with a second hand
I bought an Apple Watch for this express purpose and then was disappointed to find that there are no watch faces with a second hand that stays displayed when it enters rest mode even with the “always on” feature unless you have a watch that has data enabled.
3. Hair Accessories
You’ll need to pull your hair back for clinical. not just because it’s a rule. trust me, you’ll want to.
These clips are plain colored (to fit your uniform rules), but still cute
4. Compression Socks
I can’t talk these up enough. I had 12 hour clinicals and these saved my feet. I still wear them to work!
I have this exact set, but check your clinical uniform rules
This is a set that will meet uniform requirements if you need white socks
5. A Lunch Box and Water Bottle
all that money going into a campus meal plan won’t help when you’re off campus for a clinical day!
This lunch box has a bunch of color options and under $20!
Stanley has seemed to have gotten its big break recently, but it is also a popular brand for hydration on nursing units because of the closure.
6. A Penlight
Once you get your head-to-toe assessment down, you’ll need one of these!
This Weltool penlight has a millimeter scale on the side to measure pupils
They also come in colorful and cheaper packs!
7. Hand-care Products
your hands take a beating from washing them all the time on the unit, and most schools have a “no nail polish” clinical uniform policy.
This travel-size lotion will help take the edge off when you’ve washed your hands 50 times by the end of the day
This matte clear coat will fake out your professors while allowing you to protect your nails from drying out
8. Cute Goggles
maybe its the COVID nursing student in me, but I do think these are essential, not just for patients on COVID isolation precautions, but also for tasks with the potential to be messy like trach care
These Stoggles come in 11 colors and 2 different shaped frames
9. Pens
Colorful click pens. colorful so that you know which ones are yours when everyone in your clinical group asks to borrow them and clicking ones so that you don’t have to keep track of caps
This pack has funny and cute phrases that you’ll love
10. Handy tools for organization
like a clipboard or premade brain notebook
This brain notebook has a template to organize yourself with information you’ll need through your shift
This clipboard folds to fit in a scrub pocket and has lab value cheatsheets!
Bonus Advice:
My father (also a nurse) told me before I went to my first clinical, “get your hands dirty and be the first to volunteer to see or do anything” and I always did and it always served me. The more you see, the more you’ll learn and it is better to see and do as much as you can while you’re a student and everyone knows you’re learning and is eager to teach you. Enjoy clinical!
What kinds of things make your clinical days easier?
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