What do you need before going to clinical?
It’s tough knowing exactly what’s needed for nursing school and clinical rotations, especially if you don’t have any previous healthcare experience. Some things may differ here, depending on your nursing program.
Here is a list of things that I bought for nursing school clinical rotations. I like being overly prepared and organized. So, I bought all of this stuff upfront in my first semester, though not all of these items are a requirement!
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I think organization is important. For me I need a big planner, where I can see the whole week laid out in front of me, and enough space to write under each day. I also like having side tabs, so it’s easy to flip to the correct month. This is the planner I use, and so far so good!
The more colorful the more fun. The pens on the top are the pens I use for creating my own study notes. I like making my notes colorful. And these are also great to use in the planner, pick one color for each class, and stay organized. The Pilot Pens on the bottom are ones I use for everyday life – notes in class, clinical, and everything else. I like them because they are gel-like and super thin.
This is a great case to store everything in, all the essentials slip right into the pockets. Perfect so everything stays put and you always know where to find what you need. Then just throw the whole case into your backpack, and you’ll have all your supplies in one place.
This is the stethoscope I ended up getting a few months ago. And I LOVE it! When I first started the nursing program, I had a very basic, way cheaper one, that I already owned before nursing school and it did the job. You don’t have to have the best stethoscope for school, especially because they are pricey.
I felt like I deserved a reward for making it so far, so I bought the one I really wanted. Plus it’s an investment into the future, right? I will have it and use it for years to come, so why not get the one I wanted 🙂 Plus it has better sound quality.
* Tip: Don’t forget to ask if you need a dual-head stethoscope (with a diaphragm and bell). You also want to make sure it is a comfortable fitting for your ears before you purchase it.
I like these ones, they use batteries, and seem to last a long time. Plus there are a few other color options.
You really only need one pair. But of course, I wanted the rainbow ones to match my stethoscope, so I bought those. But they are small and basic, so I ended up buying the bottom ones too.
These are small and great to throw in your scrubs pocket for clinical. Write the important stuff down and keep it on you at all times. (Vital sign parameters (if they’re not memorized yet), codes to the break room, lab values, supply closet code, your precepting nurses’s name and number, your instructors phone number…)
This is also great to keep all your clinical papers organized. It’s a clipboard that folds in half, and on the outside there are important nursing values and diagrams for reference.
This is the watch I bought, but I bought mine in white (I can’t find it in white now, and I like this color more anyway.) The white version shows every dirty mark, and now has black scuffs on it. We are not allowed to use smartwatches or smartphones during school or clinical in my program, so hence needing a basic watch with a second hand!
These are the nursing school shoes that I bought. To be honest, I don’t love them. We are required to wear white nonskid, waterproof, puncture-proof shoes. So, these are the ones I choose. They are expensive, and they do take some getting used to. Make sure if you choose these you wear them around the house for a few weeks to break them in first. They are supposed to have great support, for me my foot ends up sliding around and it hurts my toes. So, I have mixed feelings about Dankso’s, but they are better than other nursing shoes I’ve tried.
This is my most favorite water bottle. I had to buy several colors. There is nothing better than leaving your water bottle in the break room on the table for five hours and coming back to ice cold water. Plus you have to stay hydrated during those long clinical hours. The only bummer is that the bottle it so big and wide it doesn’t fit in cup holders or in backpack water bottle pockets, so make sure there’s enough room in your backpack to throw it in… or carry it (like I do)… Cuz this is a must have!
It took me a while to find a good lunch bag. I recommend one that zips up and has plenty of pockets. It’s nice to be able to throw your phone in the outside pocket and zip it up for easy accessibility. Also you need one large enough to hold all of your food storage containers plus snacks.
It’s nice to have a small little cosmetic bag for all your personal stuff, and it’s easy to just grab it and take it into the bathroom with you when you need it. I recommend keeping some chapstick, gum, feminine hygiene stuff, Tylenol, extra hair ties, and anything else you may need on hand. I also have two separate ones – one for each backpack (school backpack and clinical backpack).
I think this backpack is super cute, and I am going to buy it to try out this semester. So, I don’t have this one yet, I currently use a Herschel backpack for school, and a smaller Burton backpack for clinical. I’m just crazy about having enough pockets and storage room to know exactly where everything is.
I feel like I can’t ever have enough pens and pencils. I keep these little plastic cases stocked. One case in each backpack full of pens, pencils, and erasers, a separate one for highlighters too, and voilà never without a pen. I think it’s a good idea to keep a USB in the school case too, might come in handy.
Hopefully this list is helpful to you – and offers some guidance and idea of what to purchase before clinicals start!