A Nurse’s First Aid Kit
In my efforts to squeeze every last drop out of summer I’m prepping for a little roadtrip! And given my aforementioned affinity for injuring myself and my background as a Registered Nurse, I have always carried a first aid kit in my car. The problem is that most pre-made kits don’t have all the things I {as a nurse} like to have available when I fall flat on my face tripping over that invisible rock that just appeared.
Not to toot my own horn, I’m a rockstar at first aid. {Ok… my horn might toot a little} Maybe it was all that time I had working with trauma patients and patients who could win an Olympic metal in falling down.
Half of the supplies fall in the wound care arena. Here is what it includes:
- 3×4 inch Gauze – these are nice and big for the “bleeders”
- Elastic Wrap – good for holding gauze to a wound or to stabilize a sprain
- Gauze Roll – more gauze!
- Non-Latex Gloves – for the messy situations {stick with non-latex since there are so many people who are allergic}
- Cotton Swabs – Good for applying medicines to small wounds
- Medical Tape – paper and plastic tape… to get that gauze to stay put!
- Bandaids – all different shapes and sizes for the small boo-boos
- Safety Pins – sometimes they help for makeshift slings or for stubborn elastic wraps
- Safety Scissors – to cut that gauze
- Hand Sanitizer – to keep yourself clean so no one gets an infection!
- Cotton Balls – helpful for cleaning wounds
- Triple Antibiotic – to put on small wounds {not pictured}
- Cold Compress – for wounds that include swelling… you know, to help keep that down
- Baby Wipes – for dirt and blood covering the surrounding areas
And these things I keep in my kit as well in case my car breaks down.
- Waterproof Matches – you never know when you’ll need a match
- Hand Warmers – in case you have to change your flat in the cold
- Flashlight – unfortunately, car troubles don’t wait for the sun to be up
I also included some acid reducers, Ibuprofen, and Tylenol.
While all these items can be helpful in minor medical emergencies, one of the biggest ways to equip yourself for such situations is with First Aid Training. Afterall, without my training I would have had no clue how to take care of myself when I stepped on that rusty nail, fell through a deck, and broke my thumb taking a drink out of a water fountain while in a foreign country!
**While this is what I, a trained medical professional, like to carry in my car in case of medical needs, my tips should not replace seeking medical attention in the case of an emergency. This post is not meant to be a substitute for actual first aid training.
