Nurse Supplies
Once you start applying for nursing school you should think about what nursing school supplies you need. You can find nursing school supplies from scrub stores, medical supply stores, amazon, and Etsy! Go to this blog article if you want a free downloadable nursing school supply list.
Nursing Stethoscopes
There are budget-friendly stethoscopes that get amazing ratings on Amazon for someone who just needs a stethoscope to get through school. There are also highly-rated cardiac stethoscopes that range in hundreds of dollars that create amazing acoustics.
Budget Friendly Stethoscopes
Cheaper stethoscopes are great if you need something just to get by with in nursing school, especially if you have a nursing job that does not need a stethoscope in the future, such as cosmetic nursing. These are great if you are simply wanting to try out other nursing students' stethoscopes. Not all nursing stethoscope need to be expensive.
Mid-level Stethoscopes
Mid-tier stethoscopes are great if you want a reliable stethoscope to get you through nursing school and your first nursing job. They work great but do not have the great acoustics that typically cardiologists would have. These are great options for those wanting a reliable nursing stethoscope that is within an affordable price range.
High-Quality Stethoscopes
High-end stethoscopes are amazing if you wanted one for the rest of your nursing career and especially if you plan to be a critical care nurse. You do not need to be a critical care nurse to benefit from using a high-quality stethoscope. A high-quality stethoscope can catch subtle murmurs and sounds in the lungs that you might not hear with a lower-quality stethoscope. High-quality stethoscopes are a vital tool to have for nursing school supplies.
Stethoscope Supply Case
When you have a lot of nursing school supplies, you will realize there are a lot of loose items that could be nicely gathered into one case. Supply cases are tough, cheap, and convenient. One case can fit your stethoscope, badge reels, penlights, pens, trauma shears, and more. Once you start accumulating more nursing supplies in your career, you will realize that having everything together in one spot is very nice. It doesn't have to be organized, but being all in the same bag or case is very handy.
Nursing Penlight
In order to pass nursing school you have to do PEERLA exams. You need a substantial light source such as a penlight in order to constrict the pupils. There are cheaper packs of penlights or pen flashlights with no ability to change the battery. They are extremely cheap but have to be thrown out after they die. I would suggest slightly nicer pens that you could recharge or change the battery with. Nurse penlights are perfect for nursing school and great to have when looking at wounds too!
Trauma Shears
Trauma shears or bandage scissors are an absolute must-have tool and a nurse. trauma shears are great in emergencies to be able to shred off materials or open packaging very quickly. In a code or medical emergency, being able to open several packages quickly can be beneficial in speeding up patient care and safety. There are different sizes and quality levels of trauma shears. Smaller shears could be used for babies or pediatric patients, and heavy-duty trauma shears would be great for the ER. Trauma shears are one of the best nursing school supplies you have to have.
Nursing Badge Reels
Nursing Badge reels are some of the top accessories everyone needs. Nursing badge reels have cute pictures, funny quotes or symbols for your specialized field. Many additional nursing accessories can be attached to nursing badge retractors as they can hold badge reel reference cards, mini sharpies, mini highlighters, and more. Badge reels can have low quality clips you might have to buy badge reels that are extra heavy duty.
Mini Sharpies
Mini Sharpies and mini highlighters on nursing badge reels are great tools to have on the job. Mini Sharpies can be great for writing on lab labels or quick notes. Sharpie keychains are cheap and weightless on the badge. Mini sharpies for the badge reel are great to have in an emergency or for daily use.
Nursing School Equipment List
Here is a quick photo you can keep for the best nursing school supplies.
Nursing Supplies
For nursing school, it can be cheap and easy to find supplies on Amazon to utilize before you figure out what supplies you should really spend money on.
It is also important to determine what kind of nursing specialty you want to go into when finding nursing school supplies. If you are interested in cardiac and icu nursing, you should probably spend more money on a higher-quality stethoscope versus a labor nurse. It would also make sense for an ER nurse to spend more money on trauma sheers versus a medical nurse. So just keep in mind with your budget, what supplies are worth spending money on!
I hope you enjoyed this article and made a list of some of the top nursing school supplies you need. Some nursing supplies included a penlight, stethoscope, trauma shears, badge reels, and a stethoscope supply case. Supplies can be found on Amazon, Etsy, or medical supply stores. You can get these nursing supplies on a budget, especially if you are waiting until you become a nurse to buy some high-quality expensive supplies. Unfortunately, there is still a minimum you have to spend on supplies and if you need to, you might need to include your supplies on the loan with nursing school. However, if you pay for nicer supplies early into nursing school, you can have the same nursing supplies well into your nursing career!
