11 Items To Always Bring To Clinical Rotations

5 Comments / NP School / By
backpack, vintage, skin

Today we’re going to talk about what items to always bring to your clinical rotations. These 11 items were things I used without fail every single day. It’s so important to be prepared when you show up at the start of the day. Being prepared with the right tools helps you maximize your learning and feel more confident. 

There’s a lot to be nervous about before starting your clinical rotations. The night before my very first clinical rotation, I remember not having a clue what to pack. I wanted to bring everything I could possibly need including all of my textbooks, my laptop, and every printed resource I had ever come across, but I also did not want to forget any of the basics. Over time I was able to narrow down exactly what I needed to bring. In sharing exactly what I packed each and every clinical day, I hope you can feel more confident in what you bring with you so you have one less thing to be worried about as you start clinical rotations. 

Spoiler alert: #9 is my top recommendation. Now, let’s jump in! 

The Basics to Always Bring to Clinical rotations

# 1 – Stethoscope 

  • An essential for doing cardiovascular and respiratory exams. Enough said. 

# 2 – Notepad

  • This serves 2 purposes: to take notes during patient visits and to jot down notes about things you want to look up later and clinical pearls. 
  • Firstly, there are several organizations/clinical sites where you may not have access to the electronic health record (EHR) in the room so having a notebook on hand means that you can keep organized while taking notes during patient encounters. 
  • Secondly, the notebook is a great place to jot down notes about things you want to look up later, clinical pearls you learned, or notes about things you looked up while there. 
  • A notepad can also be a great place to write down patient details that as NP students we often have to log in a database so our faculty can keep track of the types and number of patients we are seeing. 

#3 – Laptop 

  • Whether I had access to my own desktop at clinical or not, I always appreciated having my laptop available. I often referenced course materials or websites like UpToDate and Micromedex on my laptop while reviewing patient charts or writing chart notes. 

#4 – A way to access to medical references

  • I used a combination of my phone, laptop and the organization’s desktop, if I had access. The most common sites/apps I used included UpToDate, Micromedex, and Epocrates. See this article for the top 5 apps for NP students.
  • I was able to access all of these resources and more for free through my university’s library. 
  • Often, depending on the clinical site, there was access to UpToDate and a drug reference within the EHR, but I found it most convenient to have reliable access to the resources I was already most comfortable and familiar with using. 

#5 – Water bottle, coffee and lots of snacks

  • You can’t be over prepared in this department. Seeing patients and learning all day is exhausting – you’re going to need snacks and lots and lots of coffee or your caffeine of choice. 

#6 – Pens

  • Such a little thing, but having your own pens ready to go helps you to look and feel prepared. There’s also, surprisingly, a pen shortage at almost every clinic so if you have one, you don’t have to spend time looking or asking around for one. 

#7 – Lab coat 

  • For me it was 50/50 whether a clinical site or preceptor wanted me to wear a lab coat. I recommend always asking your preceptor what she/he wears and asking if a lab coast is required. 

#8 – School ID and/or ID badge provided by the organization 

Textbooks and Printed Resources to Always Bring to Clinical Rotations 

#9 – Clinical resource binder 

  • This is my #1 recommendation and I believe it’s totally worth the time it takes to put together. Throughout my didactic and lab courses, I added any helpful documents and resources to a binder that I took with me and referenced several times every clinical day. 
  • Here’s an overview of what I included in my binder:

From course materials:

  • A complete list of what’s included in a Review of Systems (ROS)
  • Symptom Analysis outline/components of taking a History of Present Illness (HPI)
  • A complete head to toe chart note example – this was very helpful to reference when I wasn’t sure how to describe normal findings in an EHR that required me to free text my physical exam findings
  • Skill guides from my adult and pediatric health assessment courses – each school probably provides something similar, but basically these documents outline physical exam techniques for each body system, for completing an adult head to toe physical exam, and for pediatric wellness visits
  • Outline of components required for a reproductive health history for male and female patients 
  • Outline of components of a pediatric wellness visit 
  • Pharmacology study guides – in my pharmacology course, I created drug study guides usually organized by drug class. These were a quick and easy reference tool in the clinic

Documents from various organizations and medical references:

  • Adult Preventative Health Care Schedule: Recommendations from the USPSTF: handout
  • AACE/ACE Comprehensive Type 2 Diabetes Management Algorithm: handout
  • JNC 8 Hypertension Guideline Algorithm: handout
  • Pediatric vaccine schedule: handout
  • American Academy of Pediatrics Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care: handout
  • Blood Pressure Levels for Girls and Boys by Age and Height Percentile: handout
  • Language of Dermatology Handout: similar handout

#10 – Clinical diagnosis book

  • I used this book in my diagnostic health assessment course and relied on it heavily, especially in the first half of my clinical rotations. I used the book for two primary purposes – firstly, for creating my differential diagnosis and secondly, for helping me to take a comprehensive history for a specific chief complaint. My favorite feature of this book is that it is organized by chief complaint so it serves as a quick reference in problem-focused visits. 
  • Click here to see the one I purchased for school

#11 – Bright Futures Pocket Guide – *if the rotation included pediatric patients

  • You probably will use this pocket guide or some rendition, in your pediatric health assessment course. The book outlines health supervision and anticipatory guidance from newborn to late adolescence and is great to reference if you are doing any pediatric wellness visits. 
  • Click here to see the one I purchased for school

Summary

This list provides a good starting point as you decide what to pack every day. As you get more clinical days under your belt, you’ll begin to figure out what you like to have with you, and you’ll get into a routine. My best recommendation is to gather any course materials and handouts you may want to later reference as you go throughout your program. Keep them in a binder, and you’ll be so happy you did by the time you get to clinical rotations and even in your first job. 

If you’d like a free template for emailing a new preceptor, make sure to check out this article.

Comment below and share – What do you pack in your bag every single day to take to clinical or work? What are your favorite must have items?

Make sure to check out other recent posts and visit the resource page:

Resources

Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.