Nurse Essentials for Optimum Working Conditions

It’s no real secret that nurses and other healthcare professionals are busy. Nor is it a secret that what they do is incredibly important, often a matter of life and death, or at the very least the reason patients are safe, comfortable, and hopefully getting better.

So, it’s not a surprise that whether they are on their rounds or dealing with emergencies, staff need to have the right nurse essentials to hand to save time or carry out crucial practice, without having to waste time hunting down the right equipment.  

Everyday nurse essentials  

There are several items that nurses need to carry at all times in order to do their job smoothly and with minimal fuss. These are not necessarily medical items, but all serve an incredibly important function in the everyday work of any nurse. These nurse essentials include:

• Pen: Useful for jotting down symptoms, filling in monitoring charts and more. It may also be a good idea to keep a highlighter pen handy to draw attention to specific information.
• Scissors: Scissors are useful for all sorts of everyday nursing tasks such as cutting bandages or gauze, as well as in emergencies for removing clothing.
• Comfortable shoes: Nurses spend a huge amount of their working day on their feet, so they need to do what they can to keep them as comfortable as possible. Shoes also need to be easy to clean, supportive, and safe for use in medical environments.
• Pockets: As you can see, nurses need to carry a lot of equipment, so having a place to store it all is important.
• Hand sanitizer: An essential for any medical professional who needs to clean their hands on a regular and swift basis.
• Light jacket: Temperatures in hospitals can fluctuate, depending on the conditions required by patients in different units. A light jacket is often a nurse essential for staying warm and comfortable throughout their shift.
• Badge reels: Security in hospitals and medical facilities has never been more important. And staff are generally required to wear identification at all times, often needing to swipe in and out of various sectors of the building, which is when a badge reel becomes very useful.
• Penlight: Often when examining patients or looking for symptoms’ nurses will need a light to get the best view
• Water bottle: Working such long shifts and being on the go all the time means staying hydrated is especially important. A reusable and portable water bottle is a great way to always make sure you have fluids to hand. This will help to keep you hydrated and on top of your game.
• Watch: Medical care often depends a lot on timing. These days we have phones to keep time but it’s not always easy or possible for a nurse to carry a phone on shift. So, a reliable wrist or clip-on watch or fob watch can help to ensure all deadlines are met.

  

Medical essentials

As well as the above general essentials, there is certain medical equipment that nurses may be required to carry at all times. These include:

• Stethoscope: An essential tool of the nursing trade used for monitoring heartbeats and breathing. Despite more complex equipment now being available, the stethoscope is a portable and lightweight tool for making an initial analysis of a patient’s condition.
• Thermometer: Needed to take a patient’s temperature, a thermometer is a key part of the assessment and monitoring procedure. A high or low temperature is an indicator that a patient is in need of further assessment or treatment.
• Pulse oximeter: The third vital piece of monitoring equipment along with the above, a pulse oximeter is used to take a patient's oxygen levels. This is another essential task of any initial assessment or routine check-up.
• Scrubs: Like doctors, nurses need a steady supply of clean and lightweight scrubs so that they minimize the risk of infection and feel comfortable throughout their working day. There are various types and colours of scrubs available for nurses, with personal preference, branding, job type, and seniority determining which is most suitable.
• Face masks: An essential since Covid 19 but also a highly recommended general item for preventing the spread of infection and protecting sensitive patients. Nurses may need to carry several face masks as it is important to change them regularly.
• Bandages: Changing dressings and supports is part of the bread and butter of any nurse’s daily routine. Although they won’t be able to carry huge amounts of bandages at any one time, having some elasticated bandages and gauze pads to hand is often a time saver.
• Medical tape: Sterile medical tape is the easiest way to secure bandages and gauze, as well as serving countless other purposes throughout any shift.
• Pain relief: Nurses are often required to carry pain relief with them to reduce travel time and alleviate suffering for patients on their rounds.
• Blood pressure monitor: Another key indicator of health or well-being is blood pressure. These days, blood pressure monitors are compact and portable, so nurses can carry them with them on their rounds.
• Dosage charts: Administering medication is a serious business where you can’t afford to make mistakes, so carrying dosage guides around is a way to ensure that patients are always given the right types and amount of medication.

 

Nurse essentials in summary  

As you can see, there is a lot for the average nurse to think about, and a lot to carry around in order to be able to do their job efficiently and smoothly. Depending on the exact nature of the nursing role, not all of the above may be required. But equally, some specialist nurses may need to carry other equipment or essentials to fulfil their role.

In some cases, the above equipment may be provided by the employer or medical facility. But that’s not always the case, and some nurses prefer to have their own equipment to hand. Browse the full range at Medshop to see what nurse essentials you might want with you on shift.