Receiving your admission letter into nursing school is probably one of the most exciting things to experience. It can also be an overwhelming time for you. Especially if you don’t know what your essential supplies are. Getting overwhelmed or feeling the jitters is normal and, frankly, a rite of passage for most nursing school students. However, walking into class unprepared is not the best way to make a first impression.
Nursing is one of the most important professions in the world. To become one, you need always to be prepared. Here are a few essential items that make up the ultimate nursing school survival kit.
Note-Taking Supplies
You cannot make it through nursing school without taking notes or writing down a few pointers. No matter how good you claim, your memory to be. Note-taking helps you to revisit points mentioned in class and prepare for your exams. Besides, noting down information helps to imprint it in your memory better.
Remember to include gel ink pens, highlighters or sharpies, sticky notes, large spiral handbooks, and a mini notebook when buying stationery supplies. Purchasing these items in lots of different colors helps you to develop a color-coding system in your notes. Highlighting major topics, essential points to note, and topics that give you a hard time allows you to categorize your strengths and weaknesses. This way, when the exams are approaching, you know where to start your revision.
Appropriate Scrubs
You might have already seen this as a requirement in your acceptance letter. What you probably don’t know is which type of scrubs to buy. Most nursing schools will inform you if you have to wear a specific brand, color, material, etc. Ensure you comply with the guidelines before purchasing a pair of scrubs that you cannot use.
However, pick one with many pockets if you have some wiggle room in the type of scrubs to select. Whenever you are doing hospital rounds or patient consultations, you will need a place to store your mini note pad, pens, sanitizer, etc. Unlike doctors who walk around in lab coats with large pockets to fit all their itinerary, a nurse’s uniform barely has any. So, pick out a scrub that frees your hands from carrying around all those supplies.
Good Shoes
We asked 100 nurses. Name something every nursing student and cme nurse practitioner should have. The correct answer would be a good pair of shoes. Whether you are taking online classes at Nurse Practitioner Pharmacology or are joining a physical class, your class credits heavily rely on your clinicals. You will be on your feet for the better part of your shift. You will have to deal with sore feet at some point in your student life and career. Uncomfortable shoes only exacerbate the situation by minimizing back support and increasing the risk of developing foot problems such as bunions and ingrown toenails.
On the other hand, investing in good shoes takes care of your back and feet and puts you in a good mood, increasing productivity. If your store allows it, walk around with the shoes before purchasing them to feel how comfortable they fit. Ensure they are slip resistant and have an ankle support mechanism. After 13 plus hours of hospital rounds, you will realize why these specifications are essential.
The Right Backpack
A sling bag and a tote handbag look very chic and fashionable, but they do little to help your back. When your pack includes those voluminous medical books, your laptop, iPad, notebooks, lunch box, etc., it will strain your neck, making you feel very stiff.
A good backpack should give you proper back support. It should also have a lightweight feel despite carrying all those books. You can also go a step further and invest in a rolling bag, especially if your classes are on a long trek across campus or you have mobility issues. Otherwise, avoid overloading your bag with unnecessary materials to minimize the strain.
Conclusion
There are so many essential items that you require to make it through nursing school. However, the most important one is an unwavering sense of motivation. This will come in handy when you start to experience those long nights of studies and long days in clinical shifts. Keeping yourself motivated will make nursing school feel like less of a burden.
