lab coat | bekahcubed

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To a clinician, the lab coat is generally more than a mere uniform or a symbol of status.

It’s a savior (from slightly-too-short-short-in-the-back shirts), a necessary layer of warmth (I’m always freezing), and…

a place to stash everything we might possibly need for the course of a working day.

Yesterday, I accidentally left my pockets at home after washing my lab coat.

I won’t be repeating that mistake.

As it was, I had to run home to grab my lab coat pockets’ contents. I just couldn’t do my job without them.

What do I keep in my pockets that’s so essential for my work?

Contents of my pockets

My name tag, telling residents and coworkers who I am and why (or why not) to talk to me.
Black pens for signing charted documents
Mechanical pencils for taking down notes FROM charts
A highlighter to highlight who I need to see that day or when a certain piece of government paperwork is due
A sharpie to mark out confidential information I’ve recorded in my planner or to write notes for the kitchen staff
A paperclip, or several, for corralling paperwork
My calculator, one of the most important tools of my job, useful for calculating how much energy or protein someone is actually taking in or what their approximate needs might be or whether the weight loss they just experienced was significant or not
Chapstick to lubricate dry lips before talking to residents. (If I’m well hydrated and my lips are moist, residents can hear me better.)
A hairnet to cover my hair for a quick trip into the kitchen.

That’s what I keep in my pockets. So tell me, what tools are essential for you to do your job? What do you keep in your pockets (or purse or diaper bag or whatever)?

For most of my life, I have resisted labeling.

I purchase most of my clothing from used stores, modifying articles as necessary for fit and fashion.

I choose unlabeled clothing–no conspicuous brand names can be found lurking in my closet. It doesn’t matter whether the brand is low-end or high-end. I don’t wear it.

Then I went to get a new lab coat.

My coat from my dietetics internship has gotten pretty ratty and I needed a new one to wear for my new clinical position.

Now, finding a lab coat for me can be tricky: I’m a tall but slender woman. I need a coat with sleeves long enough to cover my arms, and a fitted-ish waist in order to keep me from looking like I’m positively swimming.

The problem is, most men’s coats don’t have fitted waists (I wonder why?) and most women’s coats don’t have long enough sleeves. And even if they do have long enough sleeves, the waist often ends up somewhere around my chest. Which is totally not cool.

After trying on every coat in the store, I found one that I liked.

I purchased it despite one huge misgiving.

Yeah.

Oh well. There goes my good intention of living life unlabeled.

What has she gots in her pocketses?

Unlabeled