A back-to-school shopping list only a nurse would understand

Fall is nearly here! For some of us, that means seven months of snow and ice. For others, it means relief from triple-digit temperatures. For all of us, it means harkening back to the days when we’d go out and buy boxes of crayons and reams of wide-ruled paper with kindling excitement. Here’s my list of things every nurse should buy, every year, in order to make life easier and more productive.

1. New scrubs
I’m guilty of wearing my scrubs until they’re fuzzy and weird and don’t really fit anymore. This month, I’ve promised myself that I’ll buy scrubs that actually fit rather than riding down or scrunching up at inconvenient times. It’s hard to do drug calculations in your head when you’re wondering if your skivvies are showing.

2. New socks
Really. When was the last time you had a drawer full of new socks? Can you even remember? I didn’t think so. Head out to your local big-box store and grab a couple of bags of all-the-same, easy-to-pair socks. You won’t have to sort them, you can wash ’em on Boil and dry ’em on Broil, and they’ll save you a good 45 seconds when you’re getting ready in the morning.

3. New shoes
For the love of little green apples, drop a few bucks on shoes. Your feet will thank you.

4. Good pens
What’s worse than not having a pen when you need one? Having a pen that doesn’t suit you. Even if you chart on computer, it’s worth having at least one decent pen and one good permanent marker on your person at all times. You never know when you’ll have to relabel a bag of something or write dates on bits of tape stuck to tubing.

5. A bag/bottle/box of your favorite indulgence
We made it through the summer, people (that is to say, July)! All those new residents and interns we so carefully shepherded through the hottest months (or coldest months, if you’re south of the Equator) are now productive colleagues who can be left alone for five minutes at a stretch! That deserves a celebration…or several.

If you’re looking for a place to drop your extra cash, please be aware that this particular nurse likes single-malt scotch, chisel-point permanent markers, scrubs with some stretch to them and those socks that come in 10-packs at Target. Thank you.