If you have a student nurse in your life, then look no further. There are many things that student nurses need throughout the course and once qualified, so buying them a personalized nursing gift that means something could be a great holiday and birthday present. If you want to treat the student nurse in your life, or even yourself, then here is everything you will need throughout your time as a student nurse and beyond.
Lanyard
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Many nurses make use of lanyards when on shift. This is essentially something that goes around your neck and can hold everything you need. As the medication cupboards are kept under lock and key, lanyards are the perfect way to look after keys whilst on shift, as well as for badges and fob watches. This means if the nurse needs to go into an isolated room, they can easily take off their lanyard and put it away, rather than constantly having to take things on and off their uniform. This is also a great way to ensure nothing gets lost from their uniform.
For those who want to bring a little bit of themselves to work, a lanyard is a great way to personalize their look and bring a little fun and cheer to their uniform. If the student nurse in your life looks after children, there are plenty of Disney lanyards available online and in-store, and this can make a great distraction tool when looking after little ones. It can also make the nursing uniform look a little less daunting for both children and adults alike. Unfortunately, many children link a nursing uniform with their first injections and are, therefore, very wary, so a lanyard which appeals to children could make a big difference in how they view a nurse.
Stamp
Nurses must fill out a lot of paperwork and documentation and having a stamp can make the process a lot easier. This can go alongside their new lanyard and be personalized with their name on. This makes documentation look more official and when you have a lot of paperwork to fill in and not a lot of time, it can save putting your name and your nursing position over and over again. A nursing stamp simply includes the full name of the person and alongside their profession.
If you are purchasing a stamp for a student nurse who is yet to gain their degree, you need to ensure that this says student nurse on it. If the nursing student in your life already has a degree and is furthering their career with an extra degree, why not put their position as what they will be when qualified. This is a cute way to egg them on and will make them more excited to qualify in their new position.
Badge
All nurses need a badge so that other healthcare professionals and patients know their name. This is a much nicer way of introducing yourself rather than constantly being called “nurse”. Wearing a badge is highly recommended and often you are assigned one when you begin working. For student nurses yet to qualify, it may be that they work at many different healthcare industries and never have their own badge.
There are plenty of places online which you can purchase and personalize a badge for the nursing student in your life. These can be relevant to them, perhaps made in a color they love, or it may be that you want to get them a nursing themed badge. Again, for those nursing students who are going to be looking after children, buying a colorful badge or one with a well-known character on can lessen the fear that many children feel when seeing a hospital uniform.
Stethoscope
Nursing students will need a stethoscope to auscultate chests. Having their very own stethoscope means that they will always be prepared on shift and this can look very good to senior nurses on shift. A student nurse that always comes prepared is more likely to get a job but unfortunately, a good stethoscope can be expensive hence why may students cannot afford their own.
A stethoscope is often used every day and is, therefore, worth the cost and will be a gift that is used over and over. Many stethoscopes can even be personalized with a color and a name on, meaning you can even get a message engraved on the stethoscope. Not only will this mean their stethoscope will never get lost or misplaced due to it being personalized to them, but it may also bring them a little cheer on a tough day on the ward.
Pens
Nurses can never have enough pens. Ask any nursing student and they can start a shift with a dozen pens in their pocket and finish with none. This is due to many reasons, including handing them out to other staff and patients or simply bending over to change a bed and losing them from their pocket. There are many ways which you can go with a pen, including buying personalized pens or a nursing themed pen. You can even buy pens that are meant to look like a syringe filled with blood, which can be a funny gift for the nursing student in your life.
Personalized pens are a great pick me up whilst on shift and will certainly get used a lot! They are also a great deterrent for those who tend to walk off with pens, as the pen can be easily spotted. With nurses going through so many pens throughout their career, they will always appreciate a funky pen. Don’t forget, though, nurses can only fill in documentation in black ink, so there is no use in getting them a blue pen unless this is just for studying. Highlighters are also a great extra for those who are studying and taking notes in class.
Nursing Books
Nursing school requires a lot of books, including medical calculations and anatomy and physiology. These books can all add up to cost quite a lot of money and so many nursing students cannot afford them and use the library instead.
Some students enjoy having their own books, though, so being able to gift them a book they can utilize throughout their training is a great way to support them in their new role and help them to get the grades they want. You can simply ask them if there is a book out there that they require and if not, here is a list of the best books for any nursing student who wants to do well. There is also the option of purchasing them an Amazon or another book voucher so that they can order the books they need.
Shoes
Nurses are constantly on their feet and they need the best shoes to keep them going through the day and stop themselves from getting sore feet. As many nursing shifts last around 13 hours, purchasing nursing shoes is essential. These can be relatively expensive for the best ones out there and so many nurses find cheaper alternatives. This means that they can be going through a pair of shoes in just a couple of months.
This is something nursing students must pay for with their own money and is not included in uniform, so the cost of shoes over their nursing career can add up a lot. Nurses really appreciate a good pair of nursing shoes, as this can prevent pain and can truly be the difference between a good shift and a bad one. Also, buying a pair of shoes could be more than just the mere act of purchasing and giving away. Some people require particular sneakers since they have physical conditions such as flat feet. For this specific case, you go beyond giving and you start caring. At Shoe Adviser, for instance, you can navigate through detailed reviews to select the pair that tailors the best your giftee needs. If you are unsure of their size or you are not sure which shoes are most appropriate, take them shoe shopping or buy them a shoe voucher so they can go and pick their own.
Penlight
Penlights are used for many things, including looking into patients mouths to diagnose things such as tonsillitis and to check eye reactions, mainly in those with a head injury. These can be used every day and are a vital piece of kit that any healthcare professional can have.
They often come in handy during night shifts too, when you don’t want to wake a patient, but you still need to be able to administer medication intravenously. Any nursing student will appreciate a pen torch and again like many other items on this list, they can be personalized for them. This can be anything from an engraving to color, but the penlight torch must be white.
Student Nurse Tool Kit
There are many nursing student kits that have been compiled of the most relevant and up-to-date information to keep all nurses well informed during studying and after. Many tools have been devised such as the Nursing Student Toolbox which can be found online.
These include flashcards and sheets, which can provide any nursing student with the information they need all in one place. This often summarizes a lot of what they will learn whilst studying and working and is, therefore, a great little extra tool to have.
Fob Watch
Fob watches are the little watches that nurses wear on their uniform. They usually attach like a badge and hang upside down. Every nursing student needs their own fob watch as it is essential to always know the time on shift. This is so that medications are not late, and these watches are also used for other purposes, such as counting a patient’s breathing rate. This can be a vital sign that a patient is deteriorating and so having a fob watch at all times is certainly an advantage.
Fob watches can also be engraved with a name or personal message and can be relatively inexpensive. That being said, many world leading designers in watches have their very own fob watches for healthcare professionals, so if you want to purchase a watch that will last them a lifetime, it may be worth spending a little extra. If the nursing student in your life is very indecisive, choosing a few different themed watches could be great so they can choose which watch to wear on each shift.
Something Relaxing
Whilst all the above tools are great for the nursing student in your life, you may want to think about purchasing them something that isn’t related to nursing. Nursing and being a student are both very difficult on their own so combining them is a very stressful ordeal indeed. Supporting your loved one or friend in their nursing career and purchasing them what they need is very useful, but sometimes, all a nursing student wants is a night away from looking after others. This is where you come in with a birthday gift of a well-needed spa day or city break.
If you live with a nursing student, even something as simple as making them a meal and drawing them a bath to come home to can be the best gift of all. You know them best, so you know the kind of day out they would prefer. Purchase them something that they will enjoy, so they can get away from nursing for a few hours and relax! Nursing degrees are hard work and, therefore, all a nursing student wants is to relax and not think about nursing. For those already with a nursing degree looking to further their career, this may mean studying whilst working too. Baylor University Online offers a range of courses for qualified nurses to advance their career and due to the work being online; this is one way to lessen the stress of studying alongside work.
There are many tools that a nursing student needs in their life and any of the above would make a great addition to your nursing students’ uniform. Whilst many of these are quite practical, personalizing them for your friend or loved one makes them that much more special. As a nurse, using tools that not only do the job but look nice and mean something can really put a smile on your face, despite the day you are having. As nurses are quite restricted to their uniform, personalizing other things such as pens and fob watches can provide patients with a little look into what they are really like.
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