What's in your [white coat pockets]?

[Bearby]

Hey kids,

I know that a lot of you are not on clinics yet, but some of you are. I'm trying to figure out what you find most important to have in your white coat pockets at all times.

Obviously pens, highlighters, a notepad, thermometer. What else?

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[DVMDream]

Bandage scissors. I know, I am not in clinics, but I always found it handy to have a good pair of bandage scissors within close range.

 

[cowgirla]

I haven't had a SA rotation yet (yay for being able to wear jeans and boots out at the ranch!)
But, I've been told that I should have a black pen, yellow highlighter, leash, hemostats, stethoscope, thermometer, bandage scissors, penlight and other misc tools depending on the rotation. Ive got a little black belt thing that most of the crap lives in. Also keep some change in there in case I need an emergency soda, and an extra hair tie.
My iPad mini also fits in my white coat pocket

 

[Bearby]

I haven't had a SA rotation yet (yay for being able to wear jeans and boots out at the ranch!)
But, I've been told that I should have a black pen, yellow highlighter, leash, hemostats, stethoscope, thermometer, bandage scissors, penlight and other misc tools depending on the rotation. Ive got a little black belt thing that most of the crap lives in. Also keep some change in there in case I need an emergency soda, and an extra hair tie.
My iPad mini also fits in my white coat pocket

Extra hair tie is a great idea!

What apps do you have for the ipad mini that you find useful? I have a regular ipad, barely use it because I'm apple illiterate, but feel like I'll need to use it on clinics.

 

[cowgirla]

Extra hair tie is a great idea!

What apps do you have for the ipad mini that you find useful? I have a regular ipad, barely use it because I'm apple illiterate, but feel like I'll need to use it on clinics.

I can access our computer record keeping system from the ipad, I can access our bloodwork/labwork database. Docstogo to edit or create any MS Office documents. Dropbox for online storage. Outline+ to access all the OneNote files I've created over the past three years. I've got a bunch of e-books and PDFs in the iBooks app, the Bookshelf app for other online textbooks. Links to Merck, Plumbs, VIN, other online resources. Goodnotes for writing with a pen. The app for my wireless printer.

Havent used much yet but: chocolate toxicity calculators, CRI calculators, VETPDA through UCDavis with other calculators, and other random vet apps I stumbled across but have yet to use lol

 

[primatevetjess]

Extra hair tie and a couple of bucks for the vending machine are great ideas.

What's currently in my white coat pockets: small notebook for notes/jotting things down (each page is dedicated to a patient and I put that patient's sticker at the top of the page), a great pair of bandage scissors (they are NOT all created equal), a pair of hemostats (come in handy for all sorts of things), 2 pens, a sharpie, a pen light, and the CSU Formulary (seriously fantastic resource, you can find it here: http://www.vettext.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=11702 - I use this all the time).

My stethoscope lives around my neck, and there are thermometers and leashes all over the hospital so that I don't need my own.

 

[sunshinevet]

I have a really cute pickpocket crammed full of stuff as we dont wear white coats, only horrid looking dentists coats!!!

But I carry on me:
-extra hair ties, notepad, pens, whiteboard marker, sharpie, small animal medicine nerdbook
-haemostats, bandage scissors, normal scissors (all with a cute, matching pattern ) penlight, thermometer, thermometer shields, lube, red bi-bungs, roll of catheter tape, mini calculator, reflex hammer, nurses watch (as I dont wear one)
- i also usually have some random needles/syringes in their packets and a flush or two
- i also carry my id on me

It seems like a lot to carry but our clinicians love hard on you if you can have everything they want so.... its also pretty much what i would carry on me at work anyway.

 

[cowgirla]

I have a really cute pickpocket crammed full of stuff as we dont wear white coats, only horrid looking dentists coats!!!

But I carry on me:
-extra hair ties, notepad, pens, whiteboard marker, sharpie, small animal medicine nerdbook
-haemostats, bandage scissors, normal scissors (all with a cute, matching pattern :love: ) penlight, thermometer, thermometer shields, lube, red bi-bungs, roll of catheter tape, mini calculator, reflex hammer, nurses watch (as I dont wear one)
- i also usually have some random needles/syringes in their packets and a flush or two
- i also carry my id on me

It seems like a lot to carry but our clinicians love hard on you if you can have everything they want so.... its also pretty much what i would carry on me at work anyway.

1) Where do you find cute matching patterns for tools?
2) What are red bi-lungs?
3) Do you use the nerdbook a lot? Is it as awesome as its supposed to be? Debating if I should get my hands on a copy, but I don't know if I need anything else to carry around. I have a ton of textbooks on the ipad and I can also access most of them from my phone although the search feature is a little slow on that.

 

[dyachei]

1) Where do you find cute matching patterns for tools?
2) What are red bi-lungs?
3) Do you use the nerdbook a lot? Is it as awesome as its supposed to be? Debating if I should get my hands on a copy, but I don't know if I need anything else to carry around. I have a ton of textbooks on the ipad and I can also access most of them from my phone although the search feature is a little slow on that.

I hardly ever used it, cowgirla

 

[cowgirla]

I hardly ever used it, cowgirla

Good to know. I'm not a big fan of flipping pages in general, let alone while I'm on the go, so I just couldn't really see myself being a huge fan of it.

 

[dyachei]

Good to know. I'm not a big fan of flipping pages in general, let alone while I'm on the go, so I just couldn't really see myself being a huge fan of it.

It really wasn't as super easy to navigate as I wanted to be able to flip pages quickly and I could just as easily run and grab a textbook for SOAP notes later. My copy still looks like new.

 

[sunshinevet]

1) Where do you find cute matching patterns for tools?
2) What are red bi-lungs?
3) Do you use the nerdbook a lot? Is it as awesome as its supposed to be? Debating if I should get my hands on a copy, but I don't know if I need anything else to carry around. I have a ton of textbooks on the ipad and I can also access most of them from my phone although the search feature is a little slow on that.

1) I got mine from: http://www.enurse.com.au/eshop/nurses-equipment-supplies/scissors-forceps im sure you can find similar things on US nurse equipment websites. I also have a purple penlight and reflex hammer, and a winnie the pooh thermometer. My partners mum made my nurses pouch out of cute cat and dog material. I did all this in the hope that no-one can steal my stuff lol...

2) Red bi bungs are like a two way male/female bung for the end of syringes/iv lines etc, we use them heaps at work for connecting/disconnecting patients, flushes etc (because we're "sharps free") and they come in individual sterile packs, so I usually carry a heap around with me. I still find them useful at uni.

3) I personally did/do use my nerdbook a fair bit. I also bought a smaller book produced in australia that is a handbook of small animal medicine but there is lots of stuff in it thats wrong, so I stopped using it. I also carry a book with me with the stuff I personally use commonly - info on common drugs, history and toxin lists etc. I originally made it for work a couple of years ago but I still use it now.

 

[skittles12]

My white coat feels really heavy sometimes haha. I usually have the following in mine:
- two pens, pencil, sharpie, highlighter
- bandage scissors, hemostat, suture scissors (which I haven't used yet)--these are all in a little pocket organizer
- thermometer, leash
- small notebook, our pharmacy formulary notebook, and our drug dosage card
- and sometimes a snack!

 

[bunnity]

Definitely an underachiever... I have a pen if one of the clinicians haven't stolen it yet. I try to avoid the white coat whenever possible though; the sleeves are too small and it's so uncomfortable.

 

[Angelo84]

Pen (until I leave it somewhere)
Hemostats, bandage scissors, suture scissors--label all and guard closely--they WILL walk away from you
Reflex hammer on ER/neuro
Cheat sheet anesthesia drugs--I made up little mini index card sized typed laminated sheets
Little book of info--drug doses, mini protocols--address book works well for this and is already alphabetical--I suppose could also use smartphone/mini electronic device of your choice
Small Animal Differential diagnosis book--helpful especially early in clinics when you are trying to come up with differentials at 5am
SNACK--granola bars etc there were many days on clinics that lunch consistent of a bathroom break to eat the two granola bars in my pocket and I did not have time to go to where every my coat etc were stashed

Little notebook for keeping track of inpatients--I would give each patient a sheet stamp their card at the top (all animal info and id number in computer) and things I had to look up for case, call owners, write discharges etc