What's in My Work Bag

Happy Sunday!

Despite being on a rotation that has limited set appointments, I am feeling the sting of a new work week and it's not even here yet, there's so much to get done.

So, to build some clarity in my mind I cleaned out my work bag and I thought I'd share the contents. This is the full build up of everything that ended up in there, with probably 6 weeks since the last thorough cleanout.

Here's the overview, let's take a closer look. 

This is my bag. It's from Target. It's held up really well for a bag that was only about $30. 

Plenty of pockets on each side and enough room to carry lunch, thermos, scrubs etc. on days when I need to.

I didn't bother to document all the trash, but there were 3 empty orbit packs, a US Airways boarding pass from my Hawaii trip, a massive pile of receipts and plenty of other this and thats.

My iPad. Her name is Mindy. Like iPad Mini.

John asked me the other day where all our spoons were. I found them. In my bag there were 4 spoons and a fork.

Academic articles. I pretty much always have something in my bag that I'm supposed to be reading.

Clipboard. I carry clinical papers on here during the work day. The patient list, notes etc.

Pager. Curse of a resident.

Sunglass case. Keeps those shadies safe. 

Here's a picture of the actual sunglasses. Warby Parker is a brand that donates a pair of corrective lenses  to someone in need for every pair of sunglasses or regular glasses sold. John and I are both on our second pair, we love them.

Wallet. I just got this one on clearance at Icing. Made me feel like I'm 15 again.

Full of cards!

I found all these lip products floating around in there. The left 2 are Revlon Colorstay Stain, which I love. The next is a Revlon Colorstay Gloss, which has a little less staying power than the stain but is also really nice. The Rose Salve is from Bath & Body Works. I use it on my lips and my cuticles. And then 3 chapsticks. If I don't keep a layer on at all times here, my lips will be cracked and bleeding after just a day - it's SO dry. 

WHAT?! I always feel like I can't find a pen. I have no explanation.

Real tools: stethoscope, with my Timex Weekender watch on it to use for pulses, respiratory rates etc.

Stamps! Mail! yay!

A pen light. For blinding children.

Tea.

My hairstyle typically takes 2-4 bobby pins a day, but I hardly ever take it out away from the house, so I can't explain why I have so many pins.

I was very disappointed by the paucity of cash, but then again I almost never pay for anything with cash, so no surprise.

2 deodorants. I always have one, not sure why I'm carrying 2 at this particular time but I assume I at some point did not realize I already had one in there. Of the two I really like the Degree.

My med kit. It's a little Snapware. There's ibuprofen, tylenol, daytime cold meds, and usually bandaids though I'm currently out.

Toothpaste and hand sanitizer. At the moment my toothbrush is missing from my bag, but usually I have both, especially for night shifts.

A gum pack with some gum still in it. We buy them in sets of 18 packs from Costco.

My Jawbone bluetooth headset. This was a gift from my parents a few years ago and I love it. It's easy to use, super light, and most importantly makes it safer if I need to answer a phone call while driving.

Badge. I ordered the panda holder from Amazon. Kids love it. I keep my badge with my card of useful phone numbers and PALS (Pedatric Advanced Life Saving) cards - references for pediatric emergencies.

A mostly empty bag of cough drops.

Water flask.

Salt packet. Hey, you never know when you'll need to salt something.

I also found a bunch of loose cards from coffee to insurance. And random passport photos from 5 years ago.

There were a couple things missing that were already out, typically I have a thermos, some container from my food that day, maybe some scrubs. 

And with that, we've cleaned out my bag. I pared down the lippies, the pens, the cards, the silverware and the articles and felt much less weighed down, both literally and figuratively. 

So I hope you have a great Sunday and if you're feeling burdened, maybe it's time to clean out that bag.

What's in your work bag?