Everyone has something at work that they use every day - something they couldn't do without. It may be a gadget that employs the latest technology or something simple that has been around for years.

For Teresa Miller (left), something as simple as alcohol swabs are indispensable. For Mary Otero (right), it's hemostats. Kathleen Kay (center) relies a lot on tape in caring for babies such as James Frederick Collins III, who is the center of attention in this photo. PHOTO BY NANCY PARKER

Sometimes, according to RN Nellie League, administrative director of Bon Secours Womens and Childrens Services, it's the simple items that are the most prized. "When Hurricane Isabel came through and we lost electricity, it was the basic things that we use that kept us and the patients safe," she says.

We asked some of League's co-workers at Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital what items they couldn't do without during the course of a day.

Here's what they had to say:

CHERRI HOUTZ, RN, AN 18-YEAR VETERAN OF THE NICU

"I carry my calculator, my pen and my scissors with me every day," she says. "I am always trimming down things so they will fit our preemies. For example, I have to cut IV boards so they will fit the baby's hands."

Houtz uses the calculator to calculate drugs. "Every baby is on a different dosage," she says. "I also have to add up the intake and output."

TERESA MILLER, RN, AN 11-1/2 YEAR VETERAN OF PICU AND PEDIATRICS

"I always keep alcohol swabs in my pocket," she says. "A lot of times I have to write quick notes on my hands. I use the swabs to clean off my hands and lots of other surfaces."

Miller also keeps latex-free gloves in her pocket. "I use them for patient contact, and also the surface on the gloves helps me get a better grip on items that I need to loosen."

KATHLEEN KAY, RN, A 3½-YEAR VETERAN OF LABOR AND DELIVERY

Tape is one of Kay's must-have items. "A lot of patients have IV lines," she says. "I use the tape for labeling of the lines. I also keep rubber gloves on hand for my own protection and for the patient's protection."

Kay also uses the gloves when she has a patient that is a hard IV stick. "I fill up the rubber glove with warm water and tie it off," she explains. "I get the patient to hold it in her hand and I put warm blankets on her arms and warm them up. The veins pop out. It works great."

MARY OTERO, RN, AN EIGHT-YEAR VETERAN OF MOTHER/INFANT

"I can't go without my hemostats," says Otero. "It's inevitable that you will need them when you are in a patient's room for something you need to clamp off or hold onto. They're like a third hand during procedures."

NELLIE LEAGUE, RN, A 19-YEAR VETERAN OF THE NICU

"I can't do without vein finders for our NICU babies," she says. "The light helps illuminate the vein. It saves nurses time and frustration."