By Josephine Reid
There are endless possibilities for when it comes to uniform scrubs pocket storage items. There isn't necessarily a rule of thumb when it comes to what should be stored, unless it's hazardous to the work atmosphere.
The pocket discussion came up on allnurses.com which gives us more insight on what healthcare professionals tend to keep in their uniform scrubs pockets:
teeniebert carries:
I carry a pocket organizer in my right (hip level) shirt pocket. It has 2 black pens, a red pen, a black Sharpie, 4 highlighters (yellow, orange, pink, and blue), a pen light, and 2 pairs of scissors. Also in the right pocket is my hand sanitizer. In my left shirt pocket I have my pocket drug guide, keys, and inhaler. Sometimes my assignment sheet (brain) is in my left pocket, but I usually keep it under the MAR book on the med cart. The cargo pocket on my pants gets things like lancets, extra gloves, tape, and alcohol wipes. I try to make sure that everything gets back in the right place--if not into the organizer, at least into the correct pocket. One night I put my keys in the right pocket instead of the left and almost freaked out the next time I reached for them. It's not a foolproof system, but it works for me most of the time.
Deb123j carries:
Here's how I organize my stuff. My top has 2 pockets and cargo pants 2 pockets. We don't use lanyards, we have a retractable clip that holds our badges on it.
Shirt:
Right pocket - multi-colored pen, dry erase marker (we have boards in the pts rooms to write names, plan for the day, when meds are due, etc.), permanent black marker, alcohol wipes.
Left pocket - keys, scissors, penlight, folded up sheet with all my written information on it.
*attached to the bottom of my shirt, underneath my right pocket, I have a pair of hemostats with a roll of tape on it. Comes in real handy when you need take quickly.
Pants:
Right pocket - phone (we carry around so other nurses, patients, etc can get ahold of us)
Left pocket - statview (monitor alarm system device)
NotNow carries:
In my pockets I have: one pen, one sharpie, extra gloves, alcohol swabs and my tiny notebook. My stethoscope is around my neck.
Depending on the day, you may find a snack or two stashed in a uniform scrubs pocket for those times in between patients. Use your discretion based on the medical facilities safety guidelines.
