1. Scissors
Wherever you're assigned, a pair of scissors saves time. Nurses tape and cut constantly: bandages, clothing, wrappers. Even if you never grabbed a pair, one somehow appears by the end of the shift. Ask any ER nurse who reached into a pocket mid-trauma and found bandage scissors they don't remember picking up.
2. Tape
If you've had a patient who keeps tugging at an IV line, you know to keep tape close. The catch is you never remember to take it out until you're home.
3. Candy wrappers
Twelve hours of nonstop work means you snack on the move. Candy fits in a pocket, you pop it in your mouth, and the wrapper goes right back in. By end of shift you've collected a small pile.
4. Pens
Pens appear and vanish at will, and they change color and type while they're at it. You start with a black pen and sign out with a four-color click pen you've never seen. Lose enough of them to coworkers and patients and you start gluing your photo to the barrel.
5. IV tubing caps
Breaks are short. When you're rushing back from one, you cap the line, pocket the cap, and wash your hands to save a step. Most nurses find one or two caps per shift, sometimes not until the scrubs hit the washer.
6. Alcohol pads
Alcohol pads earn their pocket space: cleaning IV ports, prepping skin before an injection, wiping down equipment. They also have a way of migrating right back into your pocket after you use them. One caution worth keeping in mind: the CDC notes that an alcohol-based rub works best on hands that are not visibly soiled, so the pad in your pocket never replaces a real handwash when your hands are dirty (CDC Clean Hands).
7. Tongue depressor
A tongue depressor isn't just for an oral exam. It also stirs your coffee or scoops your lunch when you forgot a spoon. Patients sometimes ask why it's in your pocket. The honest answer is usually that you skipped breakfast.
What ends up in your pocket?
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do nurses always end up with scissors in their pockets? Nurses cut and tape all shift long, from dressings to clothing to packaging, so a pair of bandage scissors gets borrowed, pocketed, and forgotten. By the end of a 12 hour shift, one usually turns up even if you never grabbed it.
What is the thing nurses lose most often? Pens. They walk off with patients, coworkers, and visitors faster than anything else, which is why so many nurses end up clicking a four color pen they have never seen before.
Are the alcohol pads in my pocket a substitute for handwashing? No. The CDC says alcohol-based products are the preferred way to clean hands in healthcare settings only when hands are not visibly soiled; when they are dirty, you still need soap and water (CDC Clean Hands).
Should I empty my scrub pockets before washing them? Yes. Caps, wrappers, tape, and the occasional tongue depressor have a way of surviving the laundry. Empty pockets before the scrubs hit the washer to save yourself the mess.
Why do nurses keep tape on them? A patient tugging at an IV line is reason enough. Tape secures lines and dressings fast, so nurses stash a roll and only remember it is there once they are home.