Packing up for your 1st clinical, let alone your first preceptorship day can be so nerve wracking!! Using your nursing mindset you want to be prepared for anything & not have to ask for too much stuff.. so of course I bought a few unnecessary things… aka- never used the utility belt I just knew I needed. But, pictured above were my essentials!
-I definitely got a separate bag from my school backpack… it’s so nice to know you have everything organized at the beginning of the week without moving too many things around
-The foldable clip board was a game changer! Allowed me to have a place to write patient information during report & keep things secure with a simple fold, it also fits very easily in your pocket & is covered in cheat sheet info! Linked- here
-ALL the ink pens & highlighters! You can never have too many, they seem to always get lost during a shift & there is no time to look around
–Five Star Flex Notebook, it works like a binder + a folder… I can’t explain how much I enjoy being able to keep hole punched pages organized but not have to deal with a bulky binder… this is what held all of my clinical paperwork & care plan documents… so it was very full by the end of the semester! Linked- here
–Mini Sharpies for the win!! They can easily hang on your badge & are ready to go when you need to quickly label a cup, atrium or bandage, so helpful!
-Self care Items- a 12 hr shift is a longggg day & anything is possible, I have a mini bag filled with- eye drops, facial wipes, extra hair ties, chapstick
–Grab & Go Snacks!! Clif bars, Chewy bars, NutraGrain bars… a lunch break is never known or guaranteed so having a snack bar close by can save you!!!
–Littmman Stethoscope this is your time to PRACTICE! So take the opportunity to listen as much as possible and compare with your instructor the more you listen the better you will get at identifying sounds 🙂
–Reference Materials its nice to have some study materials with you, this way you can refer to your mentor for help or sneak in some extra studying when there is down time, I really appreciated the Mosby’s Pharmacology flashcards- super helpful & easy to flip through quickly to learn. Linked- here
-& don’t forget your watch, uniform + name tag! with a swivel badge reel!
Happy Clinicals!
