Nursing Student Kit Essentials: A Comprehensive Checklist
Embarking on a nursing career is a challenging yet rewarding journey. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, there are roughly 4.7 million registered nurses across the United States. Nursing has become one of the fastest-growing professions in the country because it offers incredible job security, benefits, and a chance to help people. Starting nursing school is an exciting time, and being well-prepared with the right supplies can significantly contribute to your success. This guide outlines the essential items for every nursing student's kit, ensuring you're ready for classes, clinical rotations, and beyond.
Essential Uniform and Apparel
Scrubs
Scrubs are the de facto uniform for nurses and nursing school students alike. Landing the right pair will secure your comfort throughout the day. The right pair of scrubs will also help you present yourself as a professional to patients, coworkers, and potential employers. Aim for something comfortable; not too loose, but not too tight either. Remember, when you aren’t doing clinical rotations, you’ll be interviewing for long term positions. It might take some time to find the right brand for you, so plan accordingly.
Before purchasing any garments, check your school's requirements to see if you need one. Your nursing school might have specific rules about the color or type of scrubs you can wear, so make sure you check your school’s guidelines. When you’re ready to buy, look for high quality brands-you’ll need something durable to last through long shifts.
Scrub Jacket
Hospitals are known for their colder temperatures which help prevent germ growth. A scrub jacket can keep you warm and provide a lot of extra pocket space to stash pens and other items.
Comfortable Shoes
You’ll be spending a lot of time on your feet during simulation lab and clinicals. A pair of comfortable shoes is an essential nursing school item. When your clinicals start, you may find yourself spending long shifts on your feet, often on concrete floors. That’s why most nurses will tell you that investing in a good pair of shoes can make a huge difference-and help you avoid the pitfalls of back and leg pain.
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Good quality footwear will ensure that nurses stay comfortable on their feet, which can reduce fatigue symptoms. Look for footwear with extra cushion material in the insoles. Options like laces, slip-ons and hook and loop straps are available as well. Check with your school before you purchase them. Some schools require a specific color shoe (usually black or white).
Compression Socks
Compression socks provide support that helps reduce soreness, improves swelling, and protects against varicose veins, blood clots, and other conditions caused by spending too much time on your feet. Compression socks are also essential to have in nursing school. These socks enhance circulation while you’re on your feet all day. They discourage blood from pooling in your feet and helps combat the pain and fatigue that can result from walking and standing all day. You can choose from different styles and lengths, including knee high and thigh high socks.
Underwear
Getting a pair of beige, nude, or dark brown-toned underwear would help you look neat and well put together. It’ll add extra support. We’re recommending ExOfficio, particularly because these are full-cut, mesh briefs, sure to keep air circulation going. These will also make you feel confident.
Essential Medical Equipment
Stethoscope
Perhaps the most critical piece of equipment is the stethoscope. A good stethoscope is essential for every nursing student. In fact, it’s one of the most vital tools on this list as it’s invaluable for helping you assess a patient’s health. Doctors and nurses use stethoscopes to listen to patient heartbeats and other internal sounds. Listening to these sounds can help nurses and doctors assess a patient’s current health condition or status.
While you’re likely operating under a tight budget as a nursing student, this is one item that’s well worth spending a little extra money on to get a quality model. If you skimp and buy a cheaper stethoscope, you likely won’t be able to hear well enough to accurately assess lung sounds, and you’ll eventually have to buy a more expensive one before starting your nursing career. Many nurses choose Littmann or Prestige brand stethoscopes, so we’d recommend starting there. You may be able to save money on these brands by considering an alternate color, or looking for sales or discount codes online. You should get a durable stethoscope that produces high-quality sound.
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Make sure you get a strong and sturdy stethoscope case in which you can protect your special stethoscope. It’s a bonus if you find one in which you can put in other supplies too. Get one that’s easy to clean and lightweight but long-lasting.
Blood Pressure Monitor
A blood pressure monitor is equally important, as it helps clinicians measure blood pressure. This device helps measure blood pressure with ease and speed. A blood pressure monitor enables nursing school students and nurses to get important data about the patient’s cardiovascular status. Measuring blood pressure levels can tell much about a patient’s health risk and cardiovascular health status. There are two types of Sphygmomanometer - a mercury column and a gauge with a dial face.
Thermometer
Measuring a patient’s internal temperature is one of the most common things a nurse will do before the patient sees the doctor. A thermometer is the device used to perform this task. The nurse puts it under the patient's tongue and leaves it there for a few seconds to get an accurate reading of their internal temperature. Infrared thermometers have become popular during this pandemic. Most outlets use these to measure the temperature of individuals coming in.
Pulse Oximeter
Nurses regularly care for patients suffering from health conditions that impact their breathing and blood oxygen levels, such as asthma, anemia, heart disease, lung cancer, and pneumonia. Part of this care requires nurses to use a small pulse oximeter device to monitor their patients' blood oxygen levels. This is a non-invasive and painless test that measures the peripheral oxygen saturation level ( SpO2 levels) to identify early hypoxia in patients and analyze the effectiveness of oxygen therapy. It’s a small clamp that can be attached to the finger or toe.
Penlight
A pen light is a critical item to keep in the pocket of your scrubs. A penlight is a small cylindrical device used to conduct preliminary examinations. Nurses use penlights to shine a light to inspect wounds, eye pupils, and other body parts. Pen lights play a vital role in conducting neuro exams and in assessing your patient’s mucus membranes. They are inexpensive and we think you’ll find them incredibly convenient to have within reach. We recommend retractable penlights to make them easier to store in nursing kits. And if you can find one with a pupil gauge feature, that would be even better. If you want to incorporate an extra layer of preparedness into your nursing school experience, get a penlight before starting the semester. Medical professionals and nurses use penlights as diagnostic tools.
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Scissors and Hemostat
Medical scissors, often referred to as bandage scissors, are a pair of small, sharp scissors used for conducting various medical tasks, such as removing the clothing of an injured patient or cutting off bandages and casting material. The scissors should not be lengthy, but make sure they are short and sharp. Keep the scissors in a holster or case designed to fit them. Having a pair of scissors or shears will come in handy in all kinds of ways you couldn’t anticipate. Scissors are great for cutting medical gauze, removing dressings, opening medication or IV bag packaging, cutting off clothing in emergency situations, and in many other applications. Just make sure you label your scissors with your initials or a piece of colored tape, so that someone else doesn’t accidentally pocket them. Not all scissors are created equal.
A hemostat is another great tool to have in your nursing school survival kit. It can be used to clamp IV lines, hold a needle for suturing, clamp a bleeding artery, and for many other applications. Its many uses make it a valuable item to keep in your nursing bag. A hemostat helps control bleeding. It clamps and holds blood vessels so that the wound can be cauterized. You can also use it to move small objects, like pieces of bone in a wound.
Infection Control and Safety
Face Mask
A face mask shields a nurse's face from transmitting airborne germs and viral particles to patients and blocks them from being transmitted to the nurse from the patient. A face mask has become an essential component of our daily lives today, mostly due to the coronavirus outbreak. But this isn’t a new practice for nurses and other medical professionals. An added benefit is that a mask can protect you from air pollution, too. And they come in whites, nudes, and other light colors that make them easy to clean. Your kits should contain a high-quality face mask made with several layers and approved by an official medical association.
Hand Sanitizer and Antimicrobial Wipes
Nurses must grow accustomed to constantly washing and sanitizing their hands to prevent the spread of germs in a healthcare work environment. Hand sanitizer kills up to 99% of all the microscopic bacteria and germs in your surroundings. This is very important to protect your own health since you will have to work with sick people all day. Nurses have a duty to clean and sanitize their hands, medical equipment, instruments, surfaces, and anything else exposed to patients because they want to prevent them from getting infected. That is why nurses should always carry around antimicrobial wipes in their kits. Antimicrobial wipes contain a special antibacterial solution to decontaminate surfaces and eliminate the bacteria and microbes on them.
Protective Goggles
The importance of protecting and shielding the eyes goes without saying. Nurses should have extra goggles in their nursing kits in case they need to shield their eyes from potentially infectious viral particles or toxic materials or equipment.
Disposable Gloves
Every nurse should have several disposable gloves in their nursing kit. They must be medical-grade gloves made of nitrile, latex, vinyl, or poly. Patients with allergies may have a negative reaction to latex, so consider an alternative material like nitrile or vinyl.
Time Management and Organization
Watch
While a watch might seem old school - doesn’t everyone just check their smartphones now? - it’s still a critical tool for anyone working in a hospital or other clinical setting. As a nurse, you’ll have to rush around so much as it is. The last thing you need to worry about is whether your underwear is showing through your scrubs. If not, you’ll either have to hunt down a wall clock or wear a watch yourself. You might not have a spare minute to do anything, especially search for a clock.
Also known as a nursing watch, these devices allow nursing school students to keep track of time when providing medication to patients on a scheduled basis. Figure out which watch face is right for you. You might want one that follows a 12-hour cycle or one that displays the military time. Smartwatches like from Apple watch and FitBit are also becoming increasingly popular across the field. Do a little research, and purchase accordingly.
Calendar or Organizer
If you’re preparing to start nursing school, it’s important to come equipped with solid organizational tools in place. An organizer or calendar is essential for keeping track of your classes and clinicals. You may prefer to get a daily or weekly planner that you can carry with you-or you can opt to go digital. If you go with the latter, Google Calendar can be a valuable resource, as can Google Docs and Spreadsheets. Once you’ve decided on the type of organizer you’ll use, develop an organizational system that works for you. You could try color coding your different classes and activities, planning out your week every Sunday-anything that helps you stay on top of your studies and schedule. Once you’ve found a method that works for you, stick with it. That way, you won’t spend your valuable time trying to learn different organizational methods. A planner is an essential item for any nursing student. You can list down all your important dates, and information related to your patients, create a calendar, to-do lists, and so much more.
Nursing Clipboard
A heavy-duty clipboard can be super helpful for organizing and storing all of the paperwork that you have to carry with you as a nursing student. A nursing clipboard is a convenient, compact solution. You can buy a clipboard that’s specifically designed for nurses, which often includes a medical reference sheet, but you don’t have to. As long as the one you choose is durable and includes storage compartments for papers, reference sheets, and other essentials, you should be good to go.
Notebooks, Highlighters and Pens
You’ll be taking lots of notes while attending nursing school. Whether it’s in the classroom, labs, or clinicals, there will be many things to remember and write down. It’s a good idea to invest in some quality notebooks. As you comb through your books and notes, highlighting important information will help you study for exams. Highlighters with various colors may help to stay organized. Brightly colored highlighters can help nursing students keep all notes well-organized. This nursing school essential will save you a lot of time if you’re looking for a particular printout or datasheet during work. You get highlighters in different colors.
Simple, cheap, and easy to carry, pens are absolutely essential for getting through nursing school. You may be wondering, “does it really matter what kind of pen I buy?” In our experience, when it comes to retractable pens, it absolutely does. You’ll be amazed by how quickly you can lose standard pen lids in nursing school, which can lead to pens drying out or ink leaking onto your bag and important papers. That’s why we suggest you buy inexpensive, retractable pens with black ink that don’t require a lid. According to those in the field, the “clicky” pen remains an industry favorite.
Notecards and Memo Pads
You’re going to be taking a lot of notes in nursing school, and you’ll need a system for organizing and using those notes. Memo pads can be useful tools to have available, and notecards are handy if you like to create flashcards. There are also apps available that you can use to create and share flashcards if you prefer a digital option.
Pocket Nursing Guides
Many nursing students find it helpful to carry pocket nursing guides with them. These tiny booklets contain tons of vital information, including lab values and medication guides. A popular alternative to a guidebook is ScrubCheats-a collection of 4×6 nursing reference cards on a ring, designed to fit into your scrub pockets. They include vital information on Cardiac, Respiratory, Neuro, Labs, Pharmacology, OB/Peds, and Fundamentals. ScrubCheats also offers an app if you prefer a digital format to something you keep in your pocket.
Identification and Personal Items
Lanyard or Badge Clip
Nurses must bring their access cards and personal identification to work every day. A badge holder allows nurses to secure their identification cards in a durable holder with an attachment mechanism. The mechanism makes it easy for nurses to attach the holder to their shirts, which can be visible to everyone as they move around the healthcare facility. A small, but important item for your nursing school survival kit is a lanyard or badge clip that will keep your name badge secure. A plastic badge holder can help protect your name badge, and many holders even offer a retractable cord, which can be handy when you’re scanning your badge to access secured areas.
You can keep your personal information listed down on a badge, such as your designation, phone number, blood type, and other essential personal info. Also, it’s a quick introduction for your patients when they first meet you! Some like to wear a lanyard because a patient can grab hold of it, but others prefer it.
Personal First Aid and Health Items
Remember when we talked about those long shifts? Many nurses find it helpful to keep a personal supply of items on-hand to help them stay healthy and comfortable in school and on-the-job. These can include: Band-Aids, hand sanitizer, pain relievers, eye drops, facial tissues, dental floss, a toothbrush, hand cream, lip balm-whatever you need to make those long shifts more manageable! Just remember to only pack the items that you’ll actually use, so you’re not too overloaded with stuff.
Water Bottle
This one is pretty self-explanatory, but many nursing students find it’s essential to carry a water bottle to help them stay hydrated through the day. Stay hydrated with a stainless-steel water bottle. Choose one with a leak-proof, easy-to-open lid.
Snacks
You may find it helpful to have a snack bar or some small chocolates in your survival kit. They may be just the thing to help you and your fellow students get through the long stretches where you can’t take a break.
Nursing Bag
A good nursing bag will help keep many nursing supplies and other items organized and in place. A nursing bag will help keep many nursing supplies and other items organized and in place. It’s so important if you have to undertake clinical rotations. There are a lot of supplies you’ll need for clinicals - a stethoscope, pen light, scissors, notebooks, and more. You don’t want to forget anything during that early-morning wakeup for clinical day.
Once you have all of your nursing school survival essentials, you’ll need somewhere to put everything, including your textbooks. Every nurse has their favorite type of bag, so choose the one that’s right for you. There are totes made especially for nurses, which come equipped with many different storage options. You could also choose a standard backpack, or a rolling backpack to reduce shoulder and back pain. Whatever you choose, find something durable and easy to transport, and dedicate that bag solely to your nursing school needs.
A backpack is especially useful for keeping your study guides, college assignments, laptop computer, lab coat, badge clips, and other supplies for nursing. Just like any other school, you’ll need textbooks for your nursing school classes.
Technology and Learning Aids
Laptop or Tablet
A laptop or tablet is essential for a student nurse or any school student. It will help you meet many of your nursing student needs.
Phone Apps
There are many different phone/tablet applications that can support you during nursing school studies. These applications are often available for both iOS and Android devices.
Nursing Atlas
This is an atlas that shows you human anatomy. It is essential for nursing students - in school as well as when you’re outside doing your clinical rotations.
Additional Useful Items
Vein Finder Device
Ever been in a situation where you just can’t find a vein for a blood test? Such events can be really frustrating. That’s where the vein finder device comes in. It will help you locate a vein without any unnecessary hassle or trauma to the patient.
Portable Back Massager
Long hours and numerous shifts later, a nurse or a nursing student is bound to develop back pain, leg ache, or undergo body strain. A portable back massager is just the ticket to ease your pain.
Voice Recorder
Anyone who’s ever spent time in school knows how hard it is to capture every detail of every lecturer. Do yourself a favor and get a voice recorder onto the list of nursing school supplies you need before starting school. You can also take your recorder with you when practically assessing patients.
Permanent Markers
In nursing school, you will find infinite uses for permanent markers-labeling meds, marking your initials and dates on dressings, writing on stickers, etc. You may find it most helpful to purchase one regular point marker and one fine point marker for different applications.
Sticky Notes
You’re going to be referencing multiple different books during nursing school classes. Some topics / chapters may come in handy later during your studies, so marking important pages will make them easier to reference at a later date.
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