Top Nurse Essentials: 15 Things Nurses Need

 

Life as a nurse is demanding, but rewarding. You have to be agile and on your feet all day while you provide essential care for others, but you also need to look after yourself to be in good shape and provide effective care for others.

This guide of nursing essentials covers all the supplies and nurse must-haves to keep you energized, well fueled, and in good health shift after shift. Read on to find out the top 15 things you can use to improve your everyday work life.

15 Nurse Essentials and Must Haves

From comfortable gear to healthy snacks and clever little accessories, here are our nurse must-haves to see you through the day or night.

1. Fun & Functional Compression Socks

Compression therapy is extremely beneficial for nurses. Because they’re on their feet a large part of the day or night, nurses can suffer from swelling, aching feet, or pain in the lower extremities. This is often caused by the constant effects of gravity pushing down on the blood vessels, which inhibits blood flow out of the legs and causes blood to pool in the lower legs. The build-up can cause inflammation and pain to lead to visible swelling.

You can prevent all this by wearing knee-high compression socks, which are clinically shown to boost peripheral blood flow. Graduated compression socks are tighter towards the ankles and then slowly release pressure. This helps “push” the blood up towards the heart, maintaining a healthy circulatory system and preventing swelling, pain, and any tingling feet. Research has shown that using compression therapy can reduce the risk of developing chronic venous disease, edema, leg ulcers, and more.

Standing for very long stints has also been linked to injuries of the legs and feet, like plantar fasciitis or bunions. While specific garments cannot in themselves cure such injuries, compression socks provide support to the lower legs and feet while boosting lower leg blood flow, which has been shown to speed up recovery and reduce symptoms.

Finally, wearing compression socks with your scrubs doesn’t have to be boring! The Vim & Vigr knee-high sock selection offers a wide variety of fun patterns and colors to brighten up your outfit and help you make a fashion statement on your shift. Besides, lifting your spirits means you’ll be happier working and helping others, which can bring many positive effects to the workplace.

 Explore fun, comfortable, and effective compression socks for nurses.

 

 

2. High-Quality Stethoscope, Pulse Oximeter, and Blood Pressure Cuff

Essential nurse accessories include stethoscopes, pulse oximeters, and blood pressure cuffs. It’s important to get high-quality products when it comes to tools like these as they are used frequently. Make sure you personalize them too (when appropriate). It’s easy to get your stethoscope mixed up with someone else’s on your ward, so add a name tag or a colored ribbon or sticker.

3. Nurse’s Watch with a Second Hand

In the world of smartwatches, it could be tempting to use a fancier machine for keeping time. But the traditional nurse’s watch, which you can easily attach to the top pocket of your scrubs, is a staple for a reason. It’s easier and more hygienic to have a traditional nurse’s watch than one you wear on your wrist - consider how often you’ll be washing your hands! Research has shown that wristwatches can increase the amount of bacteria on hands and wrists of nurses, so it is recommended to have a watch that is not attached to your wrist.

4. Comfortable Scrubs and a Scrub Jacket

Wearing comfortable clothing is not just a luxury, it’s an absolute essential for nurses who need to feel flexible, at ease, and ready to keep going throughout their shift. A high-quality set of scrubs will allow you to move comfortably while also being odor and wrinkle-resistant so you can be at your best throughout your shift.

Look for a good number of pockets, to allow you to carry essentials but without weighing you down. We recommend a good fabric mix to keep you warm or cool enough, depending on the temperature. Polyester with a spandex mix will be flexible while still looking tailored and professional.

 Pair your scrubs with comfortable compression socks to keep legs energized.

5. Supportive, Non-Slip Shoes

As a profession where you’re on your feet throughout the day, nursing requires good-quality footwear. Good footwear can keep you comfortable for the duration of your shift without fearing blisters and hot spots. Look for shoes that support your feet - either your arches if you have flat feet, or good joint support for weaker ankles or Achilles’ tendons. Some stores will stock special nursing shoes, but some people may prefer running or walking shoes instead.

Combining comfortable and supportive shoes with compression socks is an ideal way to help your feet and lower legs stay healthy and energized throughout your shift. If you tend to suffer from sore feet or have weak arches, you can boost blood flow in the lower extremities to soothe the pain and feel additional support from high-quality compression socks like ours.

6. Hand Sanitizer

This may not be the most glamorous item on a nurse’s wish list, but keeping germs at bay is one of the biggest challenges. Always have a small bottle of hand sanitizer with you (in one of your pockets). It’s quick and easy to use, regardless of how busy you are. Research shows that having sanitizer on your person reduces the levels of bacteria on nurses’ hands throughout the day. Also, your patients will also have ease of mind if they see you sanitizing your hands!

Additionally, if you are not feeling 100% healthy, using a face mask is essential for a nurse. Consider having a few in your bag to put as needed and to provide for your colleagues if they are under the weather.

7. A Planner

Have too many things to keep in mind, patients with specific requirements, appointments, and commitments? A small planner can be handy, especially with an attached pen so you can have them together wherever you go. This could help you feel less overwhelmed and make it easier to keep track of your tasks. Just write down anything that comes to mind, so you do not forget it, and all those key dates and times, too.

8. Reliable Pens and Sharpies

Busy healthcare professionals will always need to write things down, even if it is just recommending a product to a patient and making sure they remember by writing it down on paper. Most importantly, as a nurse there are many commitments, details, patient requirements, and appointments to keep track of. Yes, a smartphone can keep track of these, but a traditional pen-and-paper method can be easier to use and is easy to carry with you in all settings.

9. Medical Scissors

Nurses need to cut through various materials for making bandages or opening packaging to get to tubes and syringes. Medical scissors are handy and safe - get a pair for yourself so you never have to borrow one!

P.S. A personalized pair of medical-grade scissors can be a great present for a new nurse - tell your friends!