Friday, February 23, 2007

The four essentials

Mother Jones has tagged me with a meme: “Name four things that, as a nurse, you can’t live without, and one thing that you covet.”
The tunic I wear only has two pockets, a small breast one, and a larger side pocket. Within them, I carry all my essential equipment that I need to nurse. I carry pens (black and red), scissors, pen torch, and the printed report. All of these are replaceable on the ward, so if I lose one, I can easily get another. One thing I carry in my pocket that I can't live without, is my tape measure. I use this for measuring patients' calves for TED stockings. I hated searching the ward for one, so I found one in our sewing box and I've kept it in my nursing kit ever since.
Sister got me a mug for Christmas with a picture of a grinning animated squirrel from Over the Hedge. I keep it on the ward for my coffee breaks. I can't live without that now.
I can't live without reading material. I always buy an Independent on my way into work, and every fortnight, a Private Eye. Once I've finished them, I'm forced onto a diet of Metros, Cosmopolitans and OKs, whatever is in the room, I'll read it. Breaks are interminable without them.
The last thing I can't live without is my holdall. It holds my uniform, sandwich box, biscuit - banana - and yoghurt container, hat, gloves, umbrella, the aforementioned newspapers and various pieces of paper-based detritus.
The one thing I covet is one of those fancy tourniquets that clips and tightens round the patient's arm. The ward only supplies ones made of rubber and velcro.
I tag anybody who wants to join in the fun. You don't have to be a nurse, just adapt it to whatever job you do.

3 comments:

Amy Paige said...

Hi Deacon! The four things I can't live without for my job are; a phone with a headset, a cordless phone, a computer, lots of hot tea (or some wine). One thing I covet is a much better laptop with a good built in webcam that has a remote control. Stay warm out there!

Interrobang said...

I'm a technical writer (you'd call me a "technical author"). I mostly write help files for software programs. Four things I can't live without, occupationally speaking, are:

1) A computer
2) An authoring software package of some sort
3) A screen capture program of some sort
4) Lots of Coca-Cola

and the one thing I covet is a new copy of Help&Manual Pro, so I don't have to use stupid RoboHelp anymore.

There, wasn't that edifying?

Mother Jones RN said...

I hear you on the need for reading material:-)

MJ