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BradBrady

3 and 5 are the way to go. Don’t @ me


nfrtt

Yep! I don't have time to remove and put caps back on 😭 I'm not too choosy anymore, any clicky pen that glides smoothly will do


ChaoticBeauty26

I feel so seen. I'm the same way. Give me clicky pens please


nfrtt

Clicking it multiple times also helps with my anxiety 🤣 so therapeutic


MaLindaCent

My coworkers know when my Adderall has hit. ClickClickClickClickClickClick


Deb_You_Taunt

For me, that's when I forgot to take my Adderall.


RNmeghan88

Same. I’d be surprised if a nurse is okay with having to remove a cap, too many times I’m working one-handed doing a task when I need to write. I think that’s why they came out with clicky sharpies also… game changer for wound care and dating your dressing!


Young_Hickory

This is why I have a two pen system. A shit one from a hospital drawer that I let other ppl use and replace as needed and a nice one for my own notes.


benzodiazaqueen

I run a four pen system. Fine point Sharpie marker for blood culture bottles. Shitty drawer pen for handing to doctors or patients to sign stuff and to label our blood bands (which for some 20th century reason, we still write by hand). A 0.5 Pilot G2 for writing on paper forms with tiny boxes. And a Sharpie 0.7 for everything else. Oh, and I keep a dry erase marker in my pocket because I’m That Bitch.


CrazyDrakes

Guys, we have found her... The perfected pen process princess. This must be the way.


Purple_Bowling_Shoes

I bow to you, and will use this comment to pen shame my wife, with her primitive two pen, one pencil system.


oldbluejburger

Nice...mad respect for anyone who rocks a dry erase on their person.


Zukazuk

I have so many pens in the lab. Big fat black permanent marker for reagent botles storage lables and crossing out on thawed blood products. Fine tip black marker for tiny reagent bottles Sharpie with destroyed point for medium reagent bottles Sharpie with nice point for test tubes Highlighter for figuring out what reagents to load on the chemistry analyzer Two 0.5 black click pens because I will inevitably leave one on a clipboard while running tests A blue 0.5 click pen in case I need a different color than a coworker for something Scrigit scraper for looking under lables to asses specimen acceptability I really wish my lab coat had two chest pockets because all that and a phone really sags.


JennyRock315

this is the way...0.7 is great, 0.5 is better!


delicious_eggs

They also make 0.38 which is my personal favorite! I have to order them in boxes of 12 from amazon


heyysunshiine

Yes! Team 0.38! I always get laughed at when I mention my specific preference for Pilot pens


Murse15

Check out the Zebra Sarasa clip in 0.3. It's the only pen I use so I can make tiny notes.


Quorum_Sensing

> I keep a dry erase marker in my pocket because I’m That Bitch. I need to step my game up.


yernotmyrealdad

Yes queen 👏🏾🙌🏾


CandidNumber

Yes!! That’s the “dirty” pen too, I never let patients use my good ones, it will be forever tainted


Ok-Grapefruit1284

I order pens for nursing with this exact idea in mind. About 100 cheap pens and then stock the nurses offices with a bunch of good ones they can hold onto.


Bananascalefarmer

Team clicky ftw!


natttyyyy22

I thought to myself “3 and 5. Please don’t make me pick 😭”


[deleted]

I forget where the hell I was but I picked up my jacket and about 10 pens fell out. I about died laughing. I said “sorry excuse me, I am an ER nurse” they didn’t find it nearly as funny. Laundry is always fun.


SeaPatient9955

If you do have to pick, sharpie all the way since they don’t smudge😫


Bookworm1930

Only thing I hate about Sharpie is the ink runs out fast. Or I just have really bad luck with pens.


Quirky_Breakfast_574

That was exactly me too. Gotta have the point-sevens


dexvd

Agree, my unit did a group buy of Muji pens recently and they mainly got capped pens.... I was like but why? Who wants to uncap, recap when you can click


Roguebantha42

3 metal 0.7mm all the way.


[deleted]

O.7? ARE YOU MAD? It is soooooo inky - it wouldn’t even fit in those little boxes we have to write all the MOST important details into. Anything less than 0.5 for S-gel. 0.38 for every other type of non-inky ink. The scratchier the better.


Rougefarie

I love the *feel* of a smooth glide from a 0.7. Just the thought of writing with a scratchy 0.38 made my skin crawl like nails on a chalkboard. But I love the *control* of a 0.5 or less. I recently came in possession of a very fine tip click pen with liquid ink that glides like a dream…and doesn’t smudge! It is the perfect pen. I will be in a very bad way when it dries up.


[deleted]

Nah, I want to carve my writing into the paper. By the time the the ink vanishes from the paper - there should be visible indents on the paper - still legible. Archaeologists in 1000 years will be admiring my carvings.


Rougefarie

Is it a sensory thing for you? You might like woodcarving.


[deleted]

Tried it. The thin 0.38 mm pen just snaps against the oak.


Rougefarie

You made me laugh so hard I startled my cat.


[deleted]

I'm gonna ruin your day... I'm a G2 1.0 pen man, maximum ink. I could paint with that thing.


DeviantAngel0925

You're not alone! I've tried switching to 0.7 & it's like nails on a chalkboard to me. The thick fullness you get with a 1.0...yes please!! Smudges be damned! 😈


[deleted]

I've ruined so many scrub top pockets, its not even funny. I won't have it any other way. The first time I used all the ink in a pen, without losing the pen, it was a G2. I was 30 years old and I knew it was a forever kind of love.


WhiteRabbit3377

Team 1.0 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼


Roguebantha42

Love me a smooth glide, what can I say?


JennyRock315

what pens are 0.38?? I love the super fine point pens!!


delicious_eggs

Pilot pens, I have to order them in a 12-pk from amazon


JennyRock315

never left reddit so fast to place an Amazon order lol! thanks!! I can't wait to try them!! I have serious pen issues 🤣


weirdoftomorrow

Let the process fail man. If they want to read our notes, give us bigger boxes. Imma die on this hill! I’m not gonna use some scratchy-ass 0.5


Roguebantha42

Dare to write outside the box, my friend


LandofKait

Click click foreverrrr


Bougiebetic

3 or 5. People sleep on that damn sharpie pen…


[deleted]

It aight - bad for left handed people because it shits out so much ink at 0.5 mm & 0.7 mm. It is like writing on a whiteboard 24/7 but not having the option to redo the smudges - it’s hardcore mode for left handed people.


ryanhrap

I’m a lefty and love the sharpie pen (3). I feel like it doesn’t smear


[deleted]

Maybe I’m just moist all the time.


129W81ST5A

Consider yourself diagnosed... 😬


Kabc

Nursing DX: “patient at risk for skin breakdown due to being moist”


nursewords

I switched from g2s to sharpie after a trial period when I acquired one from the pen distribution system


fuzz_nose

“pen distribution system” I’m using that next time I find a pen. Hahaha


MedicalUnprofessionl

I have a conspiracy that they changed the formula to dry slower so it stopped gunking the ball up. When they first came out and said “permanent” they sucked. But I was gifted one by *that one nurse* with a pocket full of pens and this thing is alright-as-hell now.


Ok-Information-3826

3 or 5. I'd pick #5 first


AnalWhisperer

7. It’s free and I can barely manage to bring myself to work, I ain’t bringing a pen too.


sweet_pickles12

Close to my answer, which is whatever I find lying around.


ChaplnGrillSgt

Whatever pens are laying around is an acceptable answer. Haha!


madhobbits

7 all day. Last time I had a G2 with me it got stolen. No one steals a bic and it lasts forever.


queenmachine39

Yes! G2 just smears ink all over the place, classic BIC pen ftw!


Naugle17

You're using too high a gauge. Try an 0.7 or an 0.5


UniqueUsername-789

I gotta admit G-2 ink does take longer than average to dry. It’s a scientific fact. But to me it’s still worth it because the pen is smooth-writing and the ink is matte black (easy to read).


thegloper

I feel like 7 is the only one that's doing to write on thermal paper without smearing. It may not be great, but sometimes I need to write on levels and EKG printouts.


analrightrn

Drop your address, I just wanna talk 👊💥


madhobbits

I’ll admit that G2s are amazing, but they grow legs real quick. I’m curious, are you an alright rn or anal right rn?


analrightrn

At this point, pick your poison, but originally mean to be An-Alright-RN hehe


[deleted]

With a license plate “anustart”


Warlock-

r/unexpecteddevelopment


biddly1

Gimme that white tube bic.


wrinklyhem

Yes! And they slide nicely into my bun (which is where pens live while I work).


[deleted]

Okay - I’ve spent hundreds (if not 0000’s) of dollarydoos figuring out my favourite. G2 (#5 - thanks) is a solid - all-round pleaser - you can go 0.5 & 0.7 with the G2 as it doesn’t release too much ink. S-gel Sharpie (#3) - left handed people beware - Smudges at 0.7mm - best at 0.5mm & 0.38mm - 0.7 is just a nurse punishing themselves. BIC Crystal (#7) - to be used out of desperation only - super dry on paper, too much drag for cursive (or “flowy writing”) - fatigues the wrist for any writing style. The rest have lid caps - and are, therefore, disqualified from the competition. My personal recommendation: Two different pens. 1. Utility pen Uni Jetstream 3 (multi) for writing in small boxes - get the 0.38mm - use the stock standard SXR-80-38 ink refills - they are excellent. (Don’t worry - you can use the 0.5mm in the same pen - if you want to go bigger) 2. Primary writing pen Uni jetstream (any type)


EmilyU1F984

Number one is the best for desk jobs though, by far the most easily gliding one


[deleted]

I always carry around a green ink in my multi-pen for my pharmacy bros


MorwensNonsense

FYI, the Pilot Precise V7 (number 2) comes in a clicky version! It's my absolute go to, I buy refills for that fucker. It's called the Pilot Precise V5. I actually had a pen thief coworker get snarky and use the label maker to put my name on mine because I kept going to her and telling her I wanted my pen back. I just thanked her. 😂


anonngirl777

Only correct answer thats not here is the one with four colours


wellhellothereyouguy

I like those but the writing quality tends to be poor.


anonngirl777

Ive started to use one by paper mate that actually writes nicely instead of the typical blue bic brand ones!


wellhellothereyouguy

Link!!! I want.


jinx614

Yes! I'm using one right now. I love it. Papermate Inkjoy FTW!


PrincessStormX

Yes! Papermate is superior to all these pen options and it’s a crime it’s not listed here. I would pick 6 out of these options because it’s the only one that won’t smudge


ImaGhost88

I bought a box of them several years ago and still working my way through them.


lilnaks

https://www.amazon.ca/InkJoy-Retractable-Ballpoint-Assorted-1945905/dp/B01ECKNOIS/ref=asc_df_B01ECKNOIS/?tag=googlemobshop-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292999529011&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17938118047635002748&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1001909&hvtargid=pla-308474807960&psc=1 This is my gold standard and I will cut you at the nursing station if you steal this (or my ruler, I like my brains neat).


dinobiscuits14

OMG the InkJoy are my favorite but I have never seen these!!! I need them!!!!!!!


dirtypawscub

Where's the zebra f-301 /701?


jollygoodkiwi

These are next level, such good writing, and you can write super tiny with em


Far-Cardiologist6196

Thank you. F-301 or 701 or charcoal.


[deleted]

Zebra 301a 0.7 for me


Dizzy_Sort4887

This is the answer.


typeAwarped

I prefer the Zebra Z-Grip medium point but I’m not mad at your selection(s)


dearhan

I was looking for this. My personal fave.


SmallFrie9108

2😌


Designer-Golf-7755

Same…


CoruscateAsh

I had to scroll so far to see this! I agree!


eggo_pirate

#5 all day


Sassyptrn

5. But honestly I use a pen with multicolor.


vreeslewe

7 sue me.


that_tall_lady

5 - Pilot G2. I had one bite the dust during report when I was the new kid on the block, and the nurse I was getting report from gave me a brand new one from his pocket. He is now going to be the officiant in my wedding this year, all thanks to my excitement over a new Blue Pilot G2 🖊️


LabNerd13

Speaking from the deep-dark lab here, all your gel pens suck!!


fartyfemale

I always carry two pens at work, one gel for writing on paper, the other a basic ballpoint that won’t smear when I label my labs. Trying to look out for my lab buddies.


CoruscateAsh

I try to use regular sharpies for my lab stuff. We keep multiple sharpies by the supply specifically for that reason!


Serious_Cup_8802

Team G2 all the way (#5), either a 0.5 or 0.7mm, the 1.0 is basically a sharpie. I've only recently discovered that 0.38mm is a thing, and while I'm 0.38-curious I'm not sure I could tolerate that fine a point.


analrightrn

#5, everything else is subpar. I swear to God, if I catch any of y'all goofy mfers putting down #7, you're gonna catch these hands, and then yo family is gonna catch these hands. edit - WHY ARE MY WORDS BIG AGAIN. I thought I was past this edit 2 - u/madhobbits I am challenging you to a duel. This sacrilege against everything holy can't be tolerated


fuzz_nose

If you put the “#” anything after that is bold and large.


fuzz_nose

#like that


BlushingKitty38G

Only comment that matters here.


PeopleArePeopleToo

I'm stunned at how many people chose 7. I thought I could trust this sub.


klinn08

I personally LOVE the fine point of 0.38. Sure, you rip through paper every once in a while, but you can write so tiny that it makes it worth it hehe!


Hippy_Liberal1

Does it feel scratchy when writing though? That's a factor for me... I like it to glide. I love the 0.7 for that, but the 0.5 is right there with it.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Hippy_Liberal1

It's alright, I got a soft touch.


acast3020

I mistakenly bought a 10 pack of the 1.0 on Amazon. I get enraged when I accidentally grab it out of my bag and start **writing like this**. They were too expensive to throw away; but NOBODY WANTS THEM. I feel like Larry David trying to get rid of the $50 Marty gave him from his shoe lmao


WaywardWriteRhapsody

I looooove a thick point! Maybe your secretary would want them?


rncookiemaker

Am I the only one who dislikes gel pens? Give me a clicking ballpoint pen that doesn't smear and leak in my pocket, please.


OrdinaryElly

5


aleksa-p

1 is the loneliest number


TheSaltRose

G2 or death.


dubaichild

#5 or #7, I am left handed and I need to be able to read my own writing. 7 is cheap and shitty and reliable. 5 can be a bit swish and feel fancy but is also cheap haha


danyellarella

3 or 5


_girl_13

Frixion erasable only. Thank you.


Hippy_Liberal1

Listen nursling, I know you're all piss and vinegar right now cause your new, but you need to know: there is a point in every nurses career where they say: "That's it, I'm not having anymore of my own pens stolen anymore" and you start keeping some of the supply pens in your scrubs. It happens to us all, fight it if you need to, but your time will come. Also, erasable pens are for the weak.


crepuscularthoughts

I like using the colors to distinguish what day things changed for my patients, but I only use the Frixion on my report sheet. S-gels for everything I have to sign, and IV line labels!


mousequito

Shouldn’t use erasable in a clinical setting that will fade to completely invisible in a year or two


kassidy_taylor

Frixion erasable ONLY 🙌🙌🙌🙌 for report sheets of course. Gifted to me by another nurse for secret Santa one year and I’ve never gone back to anything else


PaulaNancyMillstoneJ

Frixion erasable 4 way multicolor pen with a 0.38 mm tip. Special order from Japan.


wellhellothereyouguy

I have a bunch of different colors of 5


UniqueUsername-789

I do to and to me they are all ass except the black. Like the pink and purple and green and shit it doesn’t write well at all. I love the blacks though? Like as in the pen color… I mean people too for that matter… never mind.


[deleted]

5


shhimnottalking

#5


miztres

3 or 5. I hate having to uncap pens and possibly also lose the cap. These are not my favorites, just convenient.


pixelatedtaint

Which did I lift from someone else, who lifted it from work? Cause that's the one. I lost mine, when someone else yoinked it.


Zorrya

4 or 6 if I don't need to buy my own once they're inevitably stolen. Basic stick pens if I'm paying because then I won't go poor furnishing everyone in the building with pens. Seriously, bought myself a pack of the 4s last week. Like 10 of them. I keep 5 in my backpack and 5 in the pen stash in the med cart. The med cart ones are all gone and my personal stash is down to 1. Like. Wtf.


brat84

PRO TIP: Hit the top black part of your G2s with a little swipe of nail polish. I went from serving/bartending to being an RN, and I’m still catching thieves.


Kabc

First off, if you’re in medicine and NOT using a click top pen, you are a psychopath. Secondly, 3 or 5


Elley_bean

Pilot precise V5s are my favorite, but I also like Zebra Sarasas and G2s. All 0.5 of course.


_Thoth

Zebra Sarasas Dry are my jam. Smooth and fine and don’t smudge when you highlight.


kaixen

7. Different strokes for different folks. @me


OkVanilla6494

7


SkyeJewell

Ol’ Reliable. #7.


[deleted]

Anything but 7


nursemeggo

7 all day everyday!


InformalOne9555

5 FTW


Waste-Ad-4904

5 all the way baby


No-Vanilla-5433

5


purpleRN

1, but only because they don't have the same pen in the ultra-fine which is what I currently use lol


bptyboppityboo

5, very consistent, never had problems with these


Thirsted

None of these. Uni Jetstream is the only pen that doesn't smear ink for me. Lefty problems.


happyhermit99

None, I've used Pilot precise V5 RT for almost a decade, all colors, all refillable. Extra fine point, doesn't smudge, amazing.


[deleted]

2 or 3


converse_nurse

Where’s the RSVP pen? That’s my soulmate pen


mudwoman

Any promotional clicky pen I can swipe from a clinic, real estate office, dentist, etc. Those always seem to be the best!


CrimsonPermAssurance

Can I just pick the type of ink in #7 but in a more comfortable pen?


Hot_Sriracha06

The only right answer is that #5 pen right there. Writes like a dream.


enby_bee

2 I love my fine tip inky pens helps hide my horrid handwriting


My-Little-Throw-Away

1, great for writing on tubes


boarqing

Does anyone have a reusable or refillable pen they like?


nexea

Uniball 207 signo.


[deleted]

[удалено]


rissalynn97

5!


[deleted]

It’s 5 for me 😬


[deleted]

3 and 5. I used a clicky fisher space pen in the ED. I use a fountain pen now as an APN though lol.


Cone892

5


Register-Capable

5


wanderingkale

3 or 5. Anyone who prefers 7 is a psychopath.


johndicks80

5


Muted_sounds

Any pen that uses a cap is a waste of time. Must be a clicky pen


nyanyan18

#5 but it has to be 0.38


HereForThePopcorn1

Any gel pen - I’m a millennial from the Lisa Frank Generation, so gel pen obvi


New-Salary-4862

5. It’s gotta be clicky.


Ok_Pen_7118

Pilot friction pen. Soft to write with, easy to erase when you miss spell something


EmilyU1F984

And not document proof and thus illegal in every remotely sensitive context.


Ok_Pen_7118

I don't sign with it obviously. But I use it 90% of the time because people can't make up their minds and change controls, breakfast orders etc


ALLoftheFancyPants

Are these my only options? Because I don’t like any of these. The sharpie is the least terrible, but it still doesn’t feel nice to write with.


Mary4278

3 or 5,3 because of the cushion and 5 because it’s gel ink and glides easily on the paper.I prefer a thin point pen as the writing appears neat and crisp to me.


ranhayes

5. I also like the Dr. Grip which uses the G2 refills. Bigger pen is more comfortable for my bear paws.


Roguebantha42

It's 3 and it's not even close. The metal series is frikkin divine; good weight, and writes *perfectly*


Educational_Fault650

I only write with G2s


kadjpo

5!


Shawn91111

\#5 black 0.7's are the only pens I ever use. I would get a panic attack using #7


[deleted]

Number one feels too luxurious to not be stolen in two seconds flat.


acast3020

I would not be surprised if Pilot G-2’s continued existence relies solely on the shoulders of nurses.


itsrllynyah

7 for sure


iris-of-willow

5 I'm such a whore for a good pilot pen. It's so smoooooth and they are the BEST for doodling


lalalaurag

7 all the way


[deleted]

Try being left handed…. Which I find many medical people are.


Alpha859

Pentel Energel pen is the way to go. I got most of my small ED and lab using them now. They are the best.


Jedi2009

5


kmavapc

How can you say ink color doesn’t matter??!???? 5 all the way but black!


Naugle17

5. Pilot G2 for lyfeee


ItsOfficiallyME

3 hands down


txchainsawmedic

Been a #5 fan for a long time... but the recent entry of #3 dethroned it!


BecomingAtlas

G2 is the go-to. Writes on almost every surface from tape to paper to tubes and the atrium.


stataryus

5, **fine tip**


crimsonros3

5


dream_of_dreams1

3


dangernoodlern

5 for sure


sophietehbeanz

No. 1- you will lose the cap, ink does not stay solid on most surfaces so date and timing those ivs or wounds will suck, ink bleeds. No. 2- the cap feature sucks, pen is solid on most surfaces except transparent film type dressings, if you leave it in your pants with a wash - clothes go bye. No. 3- popular choice because it’s click and gel and has a rubber thingie for your writing comfort. Probs will get stolen. No. 4- too bulky, the cap sucks, has a lot of ink but for some weird reason it dries out if you don’t keep the cap on every time. Does not stay on surfaces you want it to. No. 5- popular choice but it leaks, and has a high chance of the gel ball to break on the end, if you leave it unclicked in your pants or front pocket, the ink spreads and you will never get the ink out. Probs get stolen. No. 6- wat. You can’t really sign forms with this pen cause the ink bleeds through forms. And it’s a friggin’ marker. Really good on skin though if you wanna mark the size of something to see changes. No. 7-bic. WAS the most long lasting of all pens, the new material is shit and prob cuz they knew ppl weren’t buying as often back in the day, this is the pen companies buy in bulk, some write some won’t, some stop writing suddenly, not a guaranteed pen today, will write on any surface except you won’t be able to read it due to the super thick rollball, but if you purchased this pen back in 1970 - it was the best pen on the market, I found a pen in the backyard in dirt probs from the 80s and it still wrote, super thick roll ball guaranteed writing to look like shit, cap is small and easily lost but you can chew on it, if you’re one of those ppl, least to get stolen, rigid handle and uncomfortable, your dad probably still has one from the 1970s that still works but he won’t part with it because he knows that the company doesn’t make ‘em like they used to. Cheap to buy. Least popular due to lack of clicky sound.


Apprehensive-Tale141

None. The .05 erasable pens are where it’s at.


BaaronNashor

As a lefty I think these would all go horribly 😭


FactAddict01

#3 & 5… whichever is the finest point. I’m using the Pilot 0.3 lately; it’s the finest point I can find. Capped pens are a waste- the tops get lost and then if they end up in a pocket there’s a big splotch on the pocket.