It’s August, and you know what that means…back to school shopping! If you’re anything like me, the words “back to school” carry with them a sense of excitement and dread at the same time. For nursing students, especially first-timers, the excitement and dread can be very overwhelming. Being prepared for nursing school is essential. If you’re unprepared on the first day, you’re already behind. Luckily, we’ve put together a list of some essential nursing school supplies to help you go back to school with confidence!
7 Essential Nursing School Supplies
1. Scrubs
Hopefully this one’s obvious, but let’s start with the basics. There are all kinds of scrubs out there, but nursing schools typically have specific guidelines regarding scrubs. Before classes start, make sure you know what type, color, or brand of scrubs your school requires. They’re definitely not cheap, and you don’t want to end up buying scrubs you can’t use! No matter which ones you end up buying, make sure that your scrubs have pockets! Chances are, you’ll be carrying around a bunch of small items like pens, paper, or your cell phone. So, be sure to buy scrubs that have plenty of pockets.
2. Comfortable Shoes
Any nurse will tell you how important it is to have comfortable shoes since nurses are on their feet constantly. Without the right shoes, you’re going to be in pain. Some nursing schools have guidelines on which shoes you can wear, so be sure to check with your school before making the purchase. While there are shoes specifically for nurses, many nurses just prefer to wear a good quality pair of sneakers.
3. A Good Watch
There are some watches that are made specifically for nursing students, but any analog watch will work. Just make sure that you buy one with a second hand since you’ll need to measure time precisely. When it comes to nursing school supplies, a good analog watch is a must-have!
4. A Planner
Any nursing student knows that there’s a lot of work during nursing school. From clinical to class, you don’t want to forget anything or lose track of time. During nursing school, a planner is your best friend. It may be a good idea to plan out your week on Sunday nights to get an idea of what you have coming up for the week. Try to develop a planning system that works for you and stick with it!
5. Colored Pens and Highlighters
When you’re taking notes for class, colored pens and highlighters are very useful. Consider coming up with a color coding system when highlighting your book and/or taking notes. This will help you to organize your thoughts and information without things getting too chaotic.
6. A Pocket Nursing Guide
There are lots of different pocket nursing guides out there. These handy guides contain tons of important information, all in a tiny booklet that can fit in the pocket of your scrubs. Since nursing students are bombarded with a huge amount of information in school, it can be difficult to pull out what’s really important. That’s when these guides come in handy! While most schools don’t require them, pocket guides are extremely useful for nursing students.
7. A Good Stethoscope
A good, well-made stethoscope is integral to nursing school. Be careful when buying these, though, because you really do get what you pay for. Money can be tight while in nursing school and, while it may seem like a financially-savvy decision to buy a cheaper stethoscope, a quality one will definitely pay off in the long run.
While this list doesn’t include everything you’ll need for nursing school, it’s a great start! No matter your school, it’s important to have the right supplies!
What other nursing school supplies do you think are essential? Let us know in the comments section below!
