Top 6 Tools for Nurses and New Graduates

Most of what nurses do for their patients is done with knowledge, compassion and healing hands. But sometimes, nurses need help with nursing tools and equipment to make the job a bit easier. Hospitals and clinics often provide the tools nurses and nursing students need to do their work, but there are other must-haves for nurses that you might consider having as a new graduate nurse.

Here are six tools for nurses to begin to gather as you prepare for your first job as a nurse, and a few tools not to waste your first paycheck on:

You might not always be close to a computer to enter notes about your patients, so having a small notepad can help you remember important details about patient vitals or what a wound looked like under the dressing.

Now that you are prepared with the nursing tools for your nursing clinicals or starting your first nursing job, you can be confident that you have the right equipment and education to provide the best care for your patients.

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The stethoscope helps nurses to listen to, or auscultate, heart murmurs, bowel sounds and lung sounds.¹ When selecting a stethoscope be sure it meets these criteria:

• Properly fitted and adjustable earpieces
• Balance quality with price — a higher price does not always mean higher quality
• Check warranty information — some brands offer lifetime tube and head replacement

As exciting as it is to gather all the must-haves for nurses when starting a new job, there are some items that just aren’t practical to buy for yourself:

• Fancy scrubs — at least not yet. Depending on where you land your first nursing job, you may be required to adhere to a specific uniform policy, or even wear hospital-provided scrubs as is customary in the surgical area.
• Blood pressure or monitoring equipment

Many of the nurse tools in this list make great graduation gifts but make sure you have the specific item picked out when family and friends ask what you might need.

As a new graduate nurse, it is impossible to know everything. Having a quick reference guide may be helpful for things like labs and EKGs.³

Some quick reference guides are available as apps on your smartphone, but before you download them, ensure your phone is allowed in the clinical setting.

As a nurse, you’ll be on your feet a good portion of the day. Make sure your shoes are up for the task. Proper footwear must be closed toe as you’ll likely be working around heavy equipment like hospital beds and supply carts. Your choice of footwear should also be easy to clean.

A watch can come in handy in many different nursing scenarios. You may need to manually palpate and count your patient’s heart rate or measure their breaths per minute and a second hand can make it easier to handle these tasks.⁴

Bandage scissors are a helpful nursing tool especially in the emergency room if you need to cut a garment off, or when removing a bandage or cutting tape. As always, remember to properly clean and disinfect bandage scissors after each patient use.²